Gay against you
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
Gay Against You (also presented as gay against you or GVsY) was an electronic music duo originating from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Joseph Howe (known as Oats Soda) and Lachlann Rattray (known as Mr. Big Softie).
Biography
The pair came together in 2005 after moving into a shared flat, having previously collaborated in several other bands. That same year, they independently released a mini-album titled gay against you, which quickly became one of the most downloaded records on last.fm. Their first full-length album, Muscle Milk, was launched in 2006 through the Adaadat label.
Following the success of their initial release, they performed live at Old Blue Last in Shoreditch; this show was recorded and made available as a free download via last.fm. In 2009, their sophomore album, Righteous Signals, Sour Dudes, was issued on CD by Adaadat, with a vinyl version released by Upset the Rhythm!
Gay Against You embarked on extensive tours throughout the UK, Scandinavia, and Europe, sharing stages with bands such as Lightning Bolt, Dan Deacon, and No Age. They contributed sessions for Tom Ravenscroft’s Channel 4 Radio program and BBC Radio 1’s Vic Galloway show, while also receiving airplay from Radio 1 DJs Rob da Bank and Steve Lamacq.
During their Scandinavian tours, a Norwegian media rumor mistakenly credited them with an endorsement from NME, which heightened their profile in the region.
The band dissolved in 2009 following the release of Righteous Signals, Sour Dudes. Subsequently, a posthumous EP titled I Play Gay featured cover versions of their tracks by artists including Dananananaykroyd and Dolby Anol.
After the split, Howe pursued solo ventures under the names Germlin and later Ben Butler and Mousepad, crafting skweee-inspired music often collaborating with drummer Bastian Hagedorn. Meanwhile, Rattray adopted the moniker Yoko, Oh No! and also performed with the band Neighbourhood Gout.
Style
Known for their vibrant and unpredictable live performances, the duo frequently appeared dressed in PE kits and preferred performing on the dancefloor of venues rather than traditional stages. Their visual presentation was striking and complemented by eccentric lyrical themes. Their songwriting explored an eclectic range of subjects including unicorns, lactose intolerance, Lawrence of Arabia, breakfast cereal, Magic Eye puzzles, Jurassic Park, and physicist Niels Bohr. Musically, their early output blended catchy pop sensibilities with unconventional song structures featuring abrupt shifts and disorienting bursts of synthesizer or electric guitar. Later works showcased more refined sounds characterized by rich analogue synth textures and psychedelic elements.
Their influences spanned bands like Magma, Minutemen, Devo, Cardiacs, along with programming from BBC Radio 4. Critics likened them to The Locust, Melt-Banana, Animal Collective, The Faint, Nintendo chiptune soundtracks, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Atari Teenage Riot, The Mae Shi, Lightning Bolt, and The Pastels. Terrorizer magazine described them as "either a council estate Butthole Surfers or just Japanese mimicry... odd and wrong," while Drowned in Sound characterized their sound as "a chiptune-gabba aerobics class soundtrack." The Wire referred to them as "prog of a sort... with manic impatience," whereas Fused Magazine portrayed them as "two subterranean creatures dressed in primary school P.E. kits... howling unintelligibly over spaz-core electronics." The Daily Telegraph highlighted their status as an "absurdly-named" act.
In an interview with Dazed & Confused, the band defined their style as "filter pop," explaining it as "pop music with all the shit bits taken out: mostly no repetition, no wastage, and no fat."
Personnel
- Joe Howe – lead vocals, programming, synthesizer
- Lachlann Rattray – vocals, MIDI instrumentation, electric guitar
Albums
- gay against you (self-published/Megapixxels, 2005)
- Muscle Milk (Adaadat, 2006)
- Live at last.fm/Presents (last.fm, 2007)
- Righteous Signals, Sour Dudes (ADAADAT/Upset the Rhythm!, 2009)
EPs
- Bogus Totem Summer (CD and DVD, self-released, 2006)
- gay against you/House Mouse Summer Tour Split (self-published, 2007)
- I Play Gay (self-released, 2009)
Singles
- The Vichy Government/Gay Against You split 7-inch (Filthy Little Angels, 2007)
- O.I.B Records Split Series Volume 1 7-inch (One Inch Badge, 2007)
Compilation appearances
- "Greased Lightning" featured on Down to Grease on Holiday (Filthy Little Angels, 2006)
- "Fun Meal, Satabic" included in Exercise for Exorcisms, vol. 1 (Unnecessary Friction, 2006)
- "Magic Eye" appearing on Two Thousand and Ace (Brainlove Records, 2008)
- "Let's Build a Chinatown pt. II" from Stench of Muscle (Stench of Muscle, 2008)
External links
- gay against you on Myspace
- gay against you via Bandcamp
- gay against you at Upset the Rhythm
- gay against you official blog