Drain Gang (formerly known as Gravity Boys Shield Gang) is a Swedish music collective. Consisting of Bladee, Ecco2K, Thaiboy Digital and producer Whitearmor,[4][2] the group rose to one of the top Swedish music collectives in the mid-late 2010s. They are known for their frequent collaborations with fellow Swedish rapper Yung Lean and producer Gud.
| Drain Gang | |
|---|---|
 Drain Gang member Bladee performing in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Smög Boys, Gravity Boys, Shield Gang, GTB, GTBSG, DG, D-9, SG |
| Origin | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members | |
| Past members | Yung Sherman |
| Website | https://gtb.sg/ |
History
editThe 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.[5] Signing to the YEAR0001 label, the members of Drain Gang gained prominence in the cloud rap scene from their collaborations with labelmate Yung Lean.[6]
Speaking on the meaning of the group's name, Bladee states:[7]
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 Compilation is considered the collective's first work. The compilation contains various singles released throughout 2013, which are available online on the official Soundcloud account.[8]
Gluee is Bladee's first mixtape, featuring Thaiboy Digital, Ecco2K, and BONES, and produced by Whitearmor, Yung Sherman, Curtis Heron, and Blank Body.[9][10]
Thaiboy Digital's first mixtape, Tiger (also known as ส), was released in 2014.[11][12] In 2015, Thaiboy Digital's visa expired and he was deported from Sweden. Through the internet, he has managed to continue collaborating with the other members from his new home in Bangkok.[13] He and Bladee released a collaborative EP titled AvP in 2016, which featured production from both Whitearmor and Yung Sherman.[14]
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.[15]
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.[16] The project is heavily influenced by tread music, a trap subgenre created by Working on Dying.[17]
In spring of 2018, Bladee released the album Red Light,[18] the follow-up to his 2016 debut album Eversince.[19] The release was celebrated with a special concert at the O2 Academy Islington in London on 16 May 2018.[20]
In 2018, Bladee released Icedancer, his third mixtape and ninth project. The mixtape was produced by RipSquad and features collaborations with Yung Lean, Cartier'GOD, and Thaiboy Digital.[21]
In 2019, the group released a collaborative album titled Trash Island. Whitearmor served as the executive producer, while Ripsquadd and German producer Mechatok returned to contribute additional production.[22] The album was partially recorded and produced in Bangkok.[23] The album was a surprise release, as no announcement was made on YEAR0001's nor the group's various social medias.
On 27 November 2019, Ecco2K released E, his first full-length project, produced by Yung Gud.[24]
In 2020, Bladee released three full-length studio albums, the first of which being Exeter. Released in April, it was executively produced by frequent collaborator and Sad Boys member Gud.[25] 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, it was executively produced by Whitearmor. Gud, Mechatok, Ripsquadd member Lusi, and Swedish musician Joakim Benon all contributed additional production to the album.[26]
The Fool is Bladee's fifth studio album, being another surprise release. All songs on the project are produced by Lusi along with other producers such as Loesoe, who appears several times on the album.[27] 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.[28]
In 2022, Bladee and Ecco2K released a collaborative single titled "Amygdala" produced by Mechatok.[29] 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.[30] Later that year Whitearmor released his solo debut, a full-length instrumental album titled In The Abyss: Music for Weddings.[31]
Collaborative discography
edit- GTBSG Compilation (2013) (Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital)
- AvP (2016) (Bladee and Thaiboy Digital)
- D&G (2017) (Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital)
- Trash Island (2019) (Bladee, Ecco2K, and Thaiboy Digital)
- Crest (2022) (Bladee and Ecco2K)
References
edit- ^ a b c "Drain is officially a genre: here". Dazed.
- ^ a b George, Cassidy (5 May 2023). "Drain Gang". 032c.
- ^ Yalcinkaya, Günseli (28 January 2022). "Goodbye hyperpop: the rise and fall of the internet's most hated 'genre'". Dazed.
- ^ Brady, Keegan (19 April 2022). "Inside the Cathartic Bliss of Drain Gang, Gen Z's Emo Torchbearers". Rolling Stone.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Drain Gang – D&G". YEAR0001. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Dunn, Frankie (15 May 2018). "10 things you need to know about Bladee from Drain Gang". i-D. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "GTBSG compilation". MediaFire. 12 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - Gluee | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "BLADEE (GLUEE)". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Thaiboy Digital - Tiger | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ @ThaiboyGoon (15 November 2014). "Tiger (ส) the mixtape dropping 18 November all prod. @whitearmor1 sum track blessed by @yung_gud #สสสสสสสสส" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Angell, Jack (26 September 2019). "Thaiboy Digital's next realm". The FADER. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee + Thaiboy Digital - AvP | YEAR0001". year0001.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Drain Gang - D&G | YEAR0001". year0001.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Bladee - Working On Dying | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (27 November 2018). "Working On Dying in real life". The FADER. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - Red Light | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - Eversince | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Wang, Steffanee (2 May 2018). "Bladee debuts "Decay," our first taste of new album Red Light". The FADER. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ ♵☆ bladee (sponsored by RipSquaD) ICEDANCER **MIXTAPE**. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Drain Gang - Trash Island | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Caraan, Sophie (12 November 2019). "Thaiboy Digital On His Debut Album, 'Legendary Member' | Hypebeast". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "ECCO2K - E". e-ec.co. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - Exeter | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - 333 | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee - The Fool | YEAR0001". Year0001. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor announce Drain Gang world tour". The FADER. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Ecco2k and Bladee share new single "Amygdala"". The FADER. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Bladee and Ecco2k Release Surprise Album Crest". Consequence of Sound. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Yalcinkaya, Günseli (13 June 2022). "Whitearmor: 'Everything I've ever wanted to say has been in the melodies'". Dazed Digital. Retrieved 25 January 2024.