Drain Gang
Drain Gang member Bladee performing in 2016
Drain Gang member Bladee performing in 2016
Background information
Also known asSmög Boys, Gravity Boys, Shield Gang, GTB, GTBSG, DG, D-9, SG
OriginStockholm, Sweden
Genres
Years active2013–present
LabelsYEAR0001
Members
Websitehttps://gtb.sg/

Drain Gang (formerly known as Gravity Boys Shield Gang) is a Swedish artistic collective, focusing on music and fashion, consisting of artists Bladee, Ecco2k and Thaiboy Digital, and producers Whitearmor and Yung Sherman, the group rose to one of the top Swedish music collectives in the mid-late 2010s. It is known for its frequent collaborations with fellow Swedish rapper Yung Lean and producer Gud.

History

The group formed in 2013 in Stockholm. Thaiboy Digital was residing in Sweden at the time. Bladee and Ecco2K had previously collaborated as the grindcore duo Krossad.[1] Signing to the YEAR0001 label, the members of Drain Gang gained prominence in the cloud rap scene from their collaborations with labelmate Yung Lean.[2]

Speaking on the meaning of the group's name, Bladee states:[3]

Drain is about loss and gain; it could be good or bad — you could be drained of energy or you could drain something to gain energy. There’s financial, emotional and physical drains, for example — you could just be draining your bank account at the store. It doesn’t have to be deep. Basically, if I’m talking about ‘eating the night’ that means I drain it for its essence. Everything me and my bros do is connected to that concept — we might drain some blood for good fortune.

The compilation GTBSG is considered the collective's first work. The compilation contains various singles released throughout 2013, which are available online on the official Soundcloud account.

Gluee is Bladee's first mixtape, featuring Thaiboy Digital, Ecco2K, and BONES, and produced by Whitearmor, Yung Sherman, Curtis Heron, and Blank Body.

Thaiboy Digital's first mixtape, Tiger, was released in 2014. In 2015, Thaiboy Digital's visa expired and he was deported from Sweden.[4] Through the internet, he has managed to continue collaborating with the other members from his new home in Bangkok. He and Bladee released a collaborative EP titled AvP in 2016, which featured production from both Whitearmor and Yung Sherman.[5]

In 2017, Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital released their collaborative album D&G, featuring production from member Whitearmor, and frequent collaborators Gud, Yung Sherman, Woesum, and Australian-based collective Ripsquadd.[6]

In December 2017, Bladee also released the mixtape Working on Dying, which was a collaborative album with the Philadelphia producer collective Working on Dying. The entire project was produced by Working On Dying, with Whitearmor contributing additional production. The project had features from Yung Lean, Black Kray (a frequent collaborator of both Bladee and Working On Dying), and Ecco2k, while Thaiboy Digital provided additional vocals on a few tracks. The project is heavily influenced by tread music, a trap subgenre created by Working on Dying.

In spring of 2018, Bladee released the album Red Light, the follow-up to his 2016 debut album Eversince. The release was celebrated with a special concert at the O2 Islington Academy in London on 16 May 2018.

In 2018, Bladee released Icedancer, his third mixtape and ninth project. The mixtape was produced by RipSquad. The album features collaborations with Yung Lean, Cartier'GOD, and Thaiboy Digital.

In 2019, the group released a collaborative EP titled Trash Island. Whitearmor served as the executive producer, while Ripsquadd and German producer Mechatok returned to contribute additional production. The album was recorded and produced in Bangkok. The EP was a surprise release, as no announcement was made on YEAR0001's nor the group's various social medias.[7]

On 27 November 2019, Ecco2K released E, his first full-length project, produced by Yung Gud.

In 2020, Bladee released three full-length studio albums.

Bladee's first album of 2020 was Exeter (released in April), which was executive produced by frequent collaborator and Sad Boys member Gud. This was the first time that Gud executively produced one of Bladee's albums. The project contains elements of genres like cloud rap, art pop, trap, and alternative R&B.

Bladee's second album of 2020 was 333 (released in July), executive produced by Whitearmor. Gud, Mechatok, Ripsquadd member Lusi, and Swedish musician Jokim Benon all contributed additional production to the album. The album was noted for containing sonic similarities to hyperpop music, being described as "hyperpop adjacent".

The Fool is Bladee's fifth studio album. All songs on the project are produced by Lusi along with other producers such as Loesoe, who appears several times on the album. The album's artwork and track listing were leaked on 14 May 2021, with a planned release date of 11 June.

In late 2021, the group announced a 2022 Drain Gang world tour, consisting of 23 performances across Europe and North America.[8]

In 2022, Bladee and Ecco2K released a collaborative single titled "Amygdala" produced by Mechatok.[9] A collaborative album by Bladee & Ecco2K, entitled Crest, was released unannounced in March of the same year. The album, containing the single "Girls just want to have fun", which had previously been released as a miscellaneous single in 2020, was produced entirely by Whitearmor.[10]

Collaborative discography

  • GTBSG (2013) (Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital with production from DJ Smokey, Josh Diamond, Saavagebeatz, Whitearmor and Yung Sherman)
  • AvP (2016) (Bladee and Thaiboy Digital with production from Whitearmor and Yung Sherman and a feature from Ecco2k)
  • D&G (2017) (Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital with production from Gud, Woesum, Whitearmor, Ripsquadd, and Yung Sherman)
  • Trash Island (2019) (Bladee, Ecco2K, and Thaiboy Digital with production from Whitearmor and Ripsquadd, as well as producer Colby Sexton)
  • Crest (2022) (Bladee and Ecco2k with production from Whitearmor)

References

  1. ↑ Borrelli-Persson, Laird (2 September 2016). "Is There Anything He Can't Do? Meet Stockholm's Stylish Multi-Hyphenate Zak Arogundade". Vogue. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "Drain Gang – D&G". YEAR0001. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  3. ↑ Dunn, Frankie (15 May 2018). "10 things you need to know about Bladee from Drain Gang". i-D. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ↑ Brown, Robert (4 February 2015). "Yung Lean says that the Swedish government wants to 'kick Thaiboy Digital out of the country', starts a petition against it". Acclaim. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "Bladee + Thaiboy Digital - AvP | YEAR0001". year0001.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "Drain Gang - D&G | YEAR0001". year0001.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "Drain Gang - Trash Island | YEAR0001". year0001.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor announce Drain Gang world tour". The FADER. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "Ecco2k and Bladee share new single "Amygdala"". The FADER. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Bladee and Ecco2k Release Surprise Album Crest". Consequence of Sound. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
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