Extreme Electronica Meets Absurdism: Petrol Hoers
August 30 | Written By Phoebe Needham-Chandler
York based musician Petrol Hoers combines hardstyle electronic sound with absurdist humour. Initially starting as a Petrol Bastard tribute act, a techno punk band from Yorkshire, Petrol Hoers emerged in 2013, pioneering the digital horsecore genre.
Hoersfest 6 took place at The Fulford Arms in York this year, bedazzling audiences with a surreal performance involving masked back up dancers, party games, and an appearance from Mr. Blobby. This annual festival has garnered increasing amounts of attention over the years, attracting hardcore horse fans and curious new listeners alike. As fans can imagine, Petrol Hoers’ live performances embody just as much chaos as the pre-recorded albums.
Petrol Hoers’ 2022 album ‘Please note the intentional misspelling of horse’ engages with comedic, existentialist themes, gaining swift popularity due to its bizarre nature. Including hits such as ‘It’s just a mask’, ‘I would die for Mr. Crunchy’, and ‘Captain me, space daddy’, fans relish the album’s absurdism.
The album commences with ‘It’s just a mask’, a song that highlights the artist’s horse-inspired persona, whilst simultaneously exploring the serious theme of mental health through a chucklesome lens. Featuring electronic drums and synths, the enthusiastic pulse of Petrol Hoers’ music forms a contrast between touching lyrics such as ‘It’s ok to not be ok, just being is enough’ and ‘Head held high, hooves dropping to the beat’. Similarly, the album’s sixth track ‘You can give a horse a Buckfast’ explores the harsh reality of peer pressure after becoming sober. Petrol Hoers’ celebration of sobriety under the guise of upbeat dance music ironically delivers a virtuous message to unsuspecting concertgoers. Although the album is embedded with relevant, poignant messages, every track provides comic relief, absorbing listeners with the nicheness that is digital horsecore.
Petrol Hoers’ song ‘I would die for Mr. Crunchy’ appears second on the album. The title’s abruptness fits hilariously with the politically charged lyrics, bringing light to modern injustices (and suggesting comedic solutions for them). The chorus starts with the lines ‘I hope your next sh*ts a hedgehog, I hope it comes out backwards’, conveying the artist’s rage with an amusing tone. Petrol Hoers then urges ‘But not a real hedgehog, you should be kind to hedgehogs’, referring to a hedgehog the musician himself had discovered in his garden. The politically focused first and second verses followed by a surreal, memorable chorus relates to audiences and encourages multiple listens.
Tracks such as ‘Captain me, space daddy’, ‘What’s in a name’, and ‘How many times’ also feature on the album. As one of Petrol Hoers’ most popular songs, crowds go berserk when ‘Captain me, space daddy’ appears on setlists. The song revolves around the speaker fantasizing about exploring the galaxy in their own spaceship; its energizing synthy sound interweaved with a punchy bassline makes this track a dance-a-long hit. Sharing a similar, whippy resonance, ‘How many times’ features lots of catchy repetition, urging listeners to join in as Petrol Hoers belts out each lyric. ‘What’s in a name’, the album’s penultimate track, echoes the vivacity of both ‘Captain me, space daddy’ and ‘How many times’, comedically debating the correct term for ‘one object with two names’ (‘Is it a bum bag… Or fanny pack’?).
‘Honk if you like donk’, featured fourth on the album, beckons audiences to scream the chorus in sync with Petrol Hoers. The fast-paced nature of this track as well as its comically existential lyrics position it as one of Petrol Hoers’ most popular hits. Following this, ‘Perpetual unit’ demonstrates similar themes, centring around the speaker’s inability to lose weight and the idea that he’s ‘cursed to be a perpetual unit’. The album concludes with ‘Biblically accurate horse’; with low pitch vocals and shouty choruses, Petrol Hoers captures the essence of techno punk. Additionally, ‘Honk if you like donk’, ‘Perpetual unit’, and ‘Biblically accurate horse’ all succeed in making modern internet references, appealing to an audience with a sense of humour.
With a fast-expanding social media following and a hilarious online presence, Petrol Hoers is certain to charm electronic music lovers everywhere. After performing at festivals such as Hoersfest 6 in York and Beat-Herder 2024 in Lancashire, fans should be excited for where Petrol Hoers gallops next!