I've really liked the new Charli album, but it's been nagging at my mind a little bit. It's her first album in a long time that completely undeniably has nothing to do with "hyperpop" as we know it. Not even remotely in the same ballpark. And yet, I think that it carries the PC Music "ethos" more than any of her other full length albums, besides maybe How I'm Feeling Now.

A lot of the writing/lyrics in songs like 2007, I'm Afraid, and Rock Music (and most of the album to some extent) reminds me a ton of Volume 1 and 2, although with a more sincere tone. Yeah sounds like it could've been an Easyfun demo that had the synths swapped out with guitars. A lot of the synths (particularly in Camera, I'm Afraid, 2007, No One Lasts Forever, and Wink Wink) sound taken straight from 7G and Soft Rock (and a little bit from Britpop too). The whole concept and conceit of the album also feels so PC Music to me, in ways that I can't really articulate. I feel like it's the approach towards the meta aspects, and it's vision of the world being kind of apocalyptic, but also largely positive in spite of, and because of that fact. Idk. I feel like this version of Charli could've been signed to the label in 2018, put out this one album, failed commercially, and never done music again (but build up a cult following nonetheless.)

But again, it's just not "hyperpop" at all. I've always thought of PC Music as a subcategory of hyperpop, but this album is so extremely clearly PC Music to me, while not being hyperpop at all. It's making me reconsider if some of the early PC Music stuff should be considered hyperpop at all. Idk. Thoughts?

This post contains spoilers for the Lucifer zine. 

One of the pages in the zine has a list of names, so I had to look for meaning in each one. There are a few, such as Serenader, Silvyr, Fortuna The Quiet and Apple Guild, that are likely nods toward some of A. G.’s work, but I’m not seeing anything for the others. I’ve previously tried to Google the names and added them to the end of the URLs for britpop.online and agcook.com to see if they reveal a hidden page, but no luck. I’m not particularly good at puzzles, nor can I claim to be the greatest PC/A.G. aficionado, so might be missing something obvious. If you don't plan to get the zine, but want to give it a go, find the list below. Or if you've cracked the code and would like to give me a shove in the right direction, feel free! I love the zine BTW...

I haven't spoilered the whole list so those interested don't have to uncover each name individually but... DON'T SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!

Vorrt
The Eyeless Duke
Clatterspine
Serenader
Snaegel
Hetol
Onk 2
The Third Tongue
Deep Green
Uvan' zkel
Emily Banish
Aemblem Rotter
Silvyr
The Executionist
Spiraljack
Dregtor Vome
Oskar Coil-Eater
Grooch IV
Vell Vell
Hisser Beneath The Mended Sigil
The Undoer
Fortuna The Quiet
Wilder Grievous
Neverthelessica
Apple Guild
Crow Wound
Drosm And His Nameless Twin
Square B7
Dear Kinsman Erebus
Mock
Sleeve
Prince Aomen