Producers Sophie and A.G. Cook (head honcho of London-based label PC Music) recently premiered their new collaboration with singer QT with a song called “Hey QT” during Hudson Mohawke‘s LA Boiler Room “Chimes” showcase a few weeks ago. The reaction to this performance and the song in question has been strongly divided. As a solo producer Sophie has garnered a lot of comparisons to Aphex Twin (nee Richard James) and this collaboration with Cook bears a similar influence, mainly James’ serious-but-not-serious aesthetic. James has played live shows where he lays comfortably on the floor on a stage set like a living room; he twiddles knobs on his homemade gear, ignoring his audience. Here, QT lays on a couch, reading a self-help magazine, disinterested. She doesn’t even participate in “Hey QT” until after four minutes of expository and confusing conceptual art. And then her “performance” consists of bad lip-syncing. Eric Wareheim‘s introduction feels like an ad for an energy drink (or at least a Tim & Eric sketch). The paint-by-numbers, J-Pop-influenced tune could easily be played along current western pop hits, confounding their hardcore fan base. Much like James’ current release Syro, this is two producers poking fun at the pop music industry and creating a candy-colored nightmare of cross-marketing capitalism. Brilliant!