The Future is “Food House” Whether You Like It or Not

Food House, a collective composed of producer Gupi and vocalist Frazion, dropped its first album on Oct. 29. (Courtesy of Facebook)

Food House, a collective composed of producer Gupi and vocalist Frazion, dropped its first album on Oct. 29. (Courtesy of Facebook)

Pi’erre Bourne and Playboi Carti, The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs, Madlib and MF Doom: producer-vocalist package deals often result in amazing tracks. The vocalist’s talents accentuate the producer’s and vice versa, creating unique and memorable sound profiles. Although they deviate from mainstream rap both in sound and longstanding popularity, a new combo has graced the music scene with a sound all its own: Food House.

Food House, a collective composed of producer Gupi and vocalist Frazion, is the newest duo from Dog Show Records. Prior to bursting onto the scene with the group’s EDM-infused adrenaline junkie anthem “Thos Moser,” Gupi attracted the attention of hyperpop matriarchs and Dog Show executives 100 Gecs, getting the opportunity to work alongside Charli XCX and AG Cook. Gupi, also known as Spencer Hawk — son of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk — decided to ditch his royal surname to forge his own identity. He meshed his glitchy production style with Fraxiom’s energetically warped vocals to produce one of the most fun and weird albums I have listened to in a long time.

To be completely honest, “Food House” is probably not for everyone. I enjoy this genre of music, but the evolution of electronica over the last decade has resulted in cult followings whose tastes may not align with that of a new listener. Gupi and Fraxiom sound like the type of music young baby boomers probably imagined that people who lived during the early 2000s would listen to, so please keep this in mind as you listen.

A pleasant way to ease into Food House’s debut self-titled album is with “clown nose” or “sole.” Each track’s down-tempo beat is complemented by bubblegum synth and high-pitched, autotuned Fraxiom vocals. Lyrics like “Clown nose wanna bop that / Zebra print pants pocket watch pink top hat” juxtapose the song’s complex methods of production with a lighthearted tone that keeps listening fun yet moderately calm.

If you are not immediately turned away at this point, “mos thoser” and “curses” should be queued up next. Between Fraxiom’s quick-witted rhyme schemes and Gupi’s high octane basslines, listening to either song feels like being trapped in a Red Bull can that is stuck in a wind turbine. Each track concludes with a lightning fast, up-tempo bass thrash for good measure, so make sure your headphones are not set at too high of a volume.

I have only gotten into hyperpop recently, so all I know is that there is a lot left for me to learn. “Food House” is definitely a worthwhile project to check out for new listeners like me. It has a similar energy to “1000 Gecs” by 100 Gecs, but without the TikTok clout. If that is not enough to convince you, then give Food House a shot for Tony Hawk’s sake.