When I finally bring up the subject of PC Music visuals released and appropriated by all mainstream artists today with Hannah, she takes a long break. Then, in her always positive attitude, she offers a refreshing view of her part in the legacy. “It’s really cool to be a catalyst in a way, and maybe some of us were the first to start thinking in those terms,” she says. “But there must have been other people who thought like that too back then, you know?” For Hannah, this has always been a sign that people appreciate the energy and excitement of pop music that PC Music showcases from its visuals, especially online. “Ultimately, the more he travels, the more people will be open to receiving the things we make and do,” she adds, referring to the current mass of discourse surrounding the hyperpop genre. The tongue-in-cheek talk popped up again, this time encompassing Charli XCX, Sophie, and 100 gecs, though less heavy on the visuals. “At first it was a small group of people who were really into what we were doing. Now it’s exploded. It’s exciting.”
So what exactly seems to be the constant push and pull factor of these visuals? It’s still hard to say, but AG thinks it lies squarely in the original intentions of the label: juxtaposition. “I always wanted something universal and easy to understand, but also idiosyncratic and obsessive,” he explains. “I really think those connections are there, and that’s kind of the driving force behind a lot of my musical and visual output.” When I insist on more, AG does not disappoint. In his usual deeply genuine and unassuming candor, he leaves me with a phrase I’ll be thinking about for days: “Everything shares the same flat space and can be instantly moved or replaced with something else.” Ultimately, a lot of meaning comes from juxtaposition, the tension between right and wrong, hard and soft, loud and quiet, etc.