Newcastle Dark Synthpop Project 404 Error Reads Those Unwanted DMs in Their Video for “Please Reply”

Hi? Hey? Hello?

How are you?

If you’re breathing and own a phone, a sleazy slide into your DMs is as certain as sunrise in the East. It begins innocently with a “hey” or a “haha,” but soon shifts into a storm of lewd propositions, OnlyFans requests, and unsolicited snapshots of a veritable garden of eggplant varieties. By 10 AM on a Monday, your inbox is already a circus of human folly and misplaced desires from nice guys who just wanna get a glimpse of your gams.

404 Error, the shadowy brainchild of Newcastle’s semi-anonymous project of an artist known as 36663, pieced together the clichés to create Please Reply, a satirical dance floor hit that reads like a litany of those infuriating DMs. The artist even admits, “I find it hard to say whether I even wrote this song, or if the lyrics are just the contents of far too many inboxes.”

Known for sharp social commentary and provocative takes on goth scene politics, Please Reply is a pastiche drawn largely from the cesspool of unsolicited messages. Drawing from the biting social satire of Fad Gadget and Heaven 17, the lyrics sketch a man in his mancave, desperate and crude, yearning to be a woman’s submissive partner. His attempts to get her attention are filled with insincere promises and disrespect. He calls himself a nice guy, but his focus is selfish, driven by his own needs and desires, completely ignoring her boundaries or interests.

“I think it’s terrible that women get messages like these,” clarifies 36663. “And I know many receive much worse, but I didn’t want to make the song too vulgar. I know a lot of women, especially goth women, who get strange guys addressing them as Mistress, or wanting to be their slave – even if there’s nothing they’ve said or done to signify that they’re even into fetish/BDSM. Some have had open propositions for pictures of their feet. And of course, many of these guys also try to guilt trip, hence the line “It’s so hard for men like me, nice guys just want a chance”.  As if there’s anything ‘nice’ about propositioning a stranger.”

Please Reply features an animated black-and-white lyric video by someone credited only as Arif.

Please Reply is the third promo single release from their debut album, Scene Killers. The digital single on Bandcamp includes two bonus “virtual B-side” tracks: Hawk Tuah, and a cover of Chop Suey by System of a Down, featuring vocals by MXVC.

“Hawk Tuah was a bit of fun that I didn’t know if I’d release,” says the artist. “The problem with viral memes is they become old very quickly.  But given the person in question is currently living her best life getting paid big money for club and TV appearances, I’d say people are still interested.  Gosh knows how many messages she’s had from ‘Please Reply’ guys.” 

Listen below and order the Please Reply EP here.

Scene Killers delves into themes of regionally skewed histories and rose-tinted memories of the dark alternative scene, as illustrated in the track Nostalgia. It addresses the pressure from gatekeepers and influencers to “support the scene” or risk losing it, highlighted in ACAB (Includes the Fun Police). The album also tackles the persistent scapegoating of fans, accused of “killing the scene” when bands, DJs, and promoters fail to generate interest in their events. This is exemplified in songs like Cancel Culture, Vote for Us, and (It’s Not Your Fault) Our Band is Shit.

“The whole “Killing the Scene” trope has been happening for decades, and the scene is still here,” says the artist.” Despite all the odds, ‘dark alternative’ remains a popular subculture. And one we love. Scene Killers is ultimately about a scene that won’t die.”

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