Bladee

Last updated

Bladee
Bladee in Toronto, Canada 2016.jpg
Bladee in 2016
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Reichwald
Born (1994-04-09) 9 April 1994 (age 30)
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • record producer
  • designer
Years active2011–present
Labels
Member of

Benjamin Reichwald (born 9 April 1994), known professionally as Bladee, is a Swedish rapper, singer, record producer, designer, and member of the artistic collective Drain Gang. Reichwald has released music through the Stockholm record label Year0001 [1] since his debut mixtape Gluee in 2014. In addition to his music, Reichwald creates visual art, which frequently appears as cover art for his releases. [2] [3] Reichwald also serves as the creative director for Yung Lean's clothing line Sadboys Gear. [4]

Contents

Early life

Benjamin Reichwald [5] was born 9 April 1994 [6] in Stockholm, Sweden [6] and was raised mainly in the Skanstull area. [7] It was here where, in 2004, he met Zak Arogundade, also known as Ecco2K. The two were classmates and formed a punk band named Krossad (Swedish for 'crushed') when Reichwald was 13, which led to Reichwald's interest in music. [7] [5] [8]

After leaving school, Reichwald began to get into making music whilst working at a daycare centre. [9]

Career

Music

Reichwald released a few tracks in 2011 under the name Ken Burns, [10] [11] [12] but properly began releasing music in 2012. He eventually became friends with Swedish rapper Yung Lean, who was a friend of Reichwald's brother. Reichwald eventually sent a message to Sad Boys member Yung Sherman on SoundCloud, asking to collaborate, which resulted in a working relationship between his own Gravity Boys collective and Lean's Sad Boys Entertainment. Reichwald and Lean then made "Heal You // Bladerunner" from Lean's Unknown Death 2002 mixtape, which gave him attention from Lean's fanbase. [13]

Reichwald released his debut mixtape, Gluee in 2014 on the Year0001 label [14] which was described as the "summertime anthem for a suburban generation stuck scrolling through Twitter." [9] The mixtape was successful on the audio distribution platform SoundCloud, racking up over 2 million plays. [15] This mixtape, coupled with several singles going viral and features on Yung Lean's debut mixtape Unknown Death 2002 was able to rocket Bladee into underground hip hop fame. [16]

Reichwald released his debut album, Eversince on 25 May 2016. [17] The album received mixed reviews from mainstream outlets, but was well received by underground and experimental critics. [18] [19] In 2017, Reichwald teamed up with production group Working on Dying to release his second mixtape, named after the group. The next year, his second album, Red Light , released. [20]

Reichwald's third mixtape, Icedancer, was released 28 December 2018. This album was executively produced by Australian collective Ripsquadd featuring production from Whitearmor and PJ Beats. [21] In April 2020, Reichwald released EXETER , a nine-song album he recorded whilst in Gotland with Gud. It is the first Bladee project produced by Gud on the Year0001 label. [22]

In July 2020, Reichwald released his fourth album and second project of 2020, 333 via Year0001. The album was produced primarily by Whitearmor, with additional production coming from close collaborators Gud, Mechatok, and Lusi (Ripsquadd member), as well as Joakim Benon of the Swedish band JJ. Notable is the absence of any vocal features, especially of longtime collaborator and fellow Drain Gang member Ecco2K, who contributed to the previous 3 Bladee albums. [23]

In December 2020, Reichwald released his third and final project of 2020, a collaborative album with the producer Mechatok entitled Good Luck via Year0001. Both Reichwald and Mechatok performed all of the tracks on the album as well as an additional set from Mechatok in a livestreamed performance on 10 December, the same day the album was released. [24]

In May 2021, Reichwald released his fifth solo album, The Fool via Year0001. [25] The album was executively produced by frequent collaborator Lusi.

In January 2022, Reichwald released the single Amygdala in collaboration with Ecco2k and Mechatok. [26] That same year, a collaborative project, Crest , with Ecco2K was released via Year0001 in March. The project was recorded in spring 2020. [27]

On 30 September 2022, Reichwald released Spiderr . [28] In January 2023, Bladee featured on the Skrillex song Real Spring. [29] Seven months later in August 2023, he released the songs Victorious and Bullets with Yung Lean. [30]

Reichwald and Yung Lean released Psykos , a surprise album, on 13 March 2024. [31]

Art and fashion

In July 2018, Reichwald and fellow Drain Gang member Ecco2K walked Alyx Studio's S/S 2019 menswear show in Paris, on invitation from Matthew Williams. [32]

During July and August 2021, Reichwald exhibited his first solo collection of paintings Real Sprin9 at the Residence Gallery in London. [33]

In September 2021, Reichwald released a capsule Drain Gang collection in collaboration with the American-Swedish clothing brand GANT. [34]

In 2023, Reichwald collaborated with fellow Swedish artist Jonas Rönnberg (Varg2™) for their first art exhibition, "Fucked for Life," held at The Hole in New York. [35] The exhibition featured a series of unique paintings, merging traditional and contemporary art styles, created using both traditional and unconventional tools. The artistic process mirrored their collaborative approach in music, with the paintings reflecting the fleeting moments of the digital age. This venture further established Bladee's multifaceted career in music, visual art, and design.

Musical style

Reichwald has described his style as "pain" though saying, as of 2018, he had "evolved into some sort of auto-tuned dark angel". [36] He often experiments, incorporating various genres. He has stated that he finds the process therapeutic. [7]

In an interview with Reichwald, Jack Angell, a music writer for The Fader, described Reichwald's sound as "frostbitten futurism" and remarked that Reichwald's music evokes "a wide spectrum of emotion". [7] He has received attention for his collaborations and live performances with Yung Lean. [37]

Reichwald has cited Chief Keef, Lil B, The Beach Boys, Basshunter, and James Ferraro as influences on his work. [38]

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Collaborative projects

Singles

Related Research Articles

Cloud rap is a subgenre of rap that has several sonic characteristics of trap music and is known for its hazy, dreamlike and relaxed production style. Rapper Lil B and producer Clams Casino have been identified as the early pioneers of the style. The term "cloud rap" is derived from its internet origins and ethereal style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Lean</span> Swedish rapper, singer and songwriter

Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad, known professionally as Yung Lean, is a Swedish rapper, singer and songwriter. Widely cited as one of the most influential figures in the early cloud rap era, Yung Lean rose to prominence in 2013 with his song "Ginseng Strip 2002", which went viral on YouTube. Later that same year, he released his debut mixtape, Unknown Death 2002, and the following year, he released his debut studio album, Unknown Memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gud (music producer)</span> Swedish DJ and music producer

Carl-Mikael Göran "Micke" Berlander, known professionally as Gud, is a Swedish DJ, music producer and rapper best known as a member of rapper Yung Lean's Stockholm-based group Sad Boys. He began producing at the age of twelve, making psychedelic trance music, which heavily influenced his sonic palette. His production as a part of Sad Boys has been well received.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Lean discography</span>

Swedish rapper Yung Lean, has released seven studio albums, six EPs and three mixtapes.

<i>Eversince</i> Studio album by Bladee

Eversince is the debut studio album by Swedish rapper and Drain Gang member Bladee. It was released on May 25, 2016 by YEAR0001. The album contains elements of hip hop, R&B, gothic rock, new wave music, and electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Year0001</span> Swedish independent label

Year0001 is an independent record label based in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 2015 by Oskar Ekman and Emilio Fagone, it is under an exclusive distribution agreement with Dutch distributor FUGA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drain Gang</span> Swedish art collective

Drain Gang is a Swedish music and fashion collective. Consisting of Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thaiboy Digital</span> Thai rapper, singer, and producer

Thanapat Bunleang, better known by his stage name Thaiboy Digital, is a Thai rapper, singer, producer, and fashion designer. Born in Khon Kaen, Thailand, Bunleang moved to Stockholm, Sweden at the age of eight, and is now based in Bangkok. In addition to his solo work, Bunleang is a member of the group Drain Gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecco2K</span> Swedish-British designer, visual artist, and singer

Zak Arogundade Gaterud, better known as Ecco2K, is a Swedish-British designer, visual artist, and rapper. He founded Drain Gang with childhood friends Bladee, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor in 2013. Having experience with graphics software since he was 5, Arogundade founded the band Krossad with Bladee, his then-classmate, in 2004. Three years later, he founded his first fashion brand, Alaska, and later joined the Swedish shoe brand Eytys. Over the next decade, Ecco2K appeared on albums with Drain Gang and directed music videos before releasing his debut solo studio album, E, in 2019. He went on to release EP PXE in 2021 and Crest in 2022, the latter with Bladee. Arogundade is known as a privative and secretive person, and has incorporated queer themes in his work.

<i>333</i> (Bladee album) 2020 studio album by Bladee

333 is the fourth studio album by Swedish rapper Bladee. It was released on July 16, 2020, by YEAR0001, making it Bladee's second release of 2020, following April's Exeter. 333 is notable among Bladee's discography in featuring no collaborations from fellow Drain Gang members Thaiboy Digital and Ecco2K. The album has been associated with the hyperpop microgenre that rose to popularity in 2020, with one writer describing it as "hyperpop-adjacent".

<i>The Fool</i> (Bladee album) 2021 studio album by Bladee

The Fool is the sixth studio album by Swedish rapper and Drain Gang member Bladee. A surprise album, it was released on 28 May 2021 through Year0001. The track "Inspiration Comes" features fellow Drain Gang member Thaiboy Digital. The entirety of the project was produced by Lusi, although some songs have extra contributions from producers such as Clibbo, Loesoe, Outtatown, Rip, and Rok.

<i>Stardust</i> (mixtape) 2022 mixtape by Yung Lean

Stardust is the fourth mixtape by Swedish rapper Yung Lean. It was released on 8 April 2022 by the label World Affairs, a sub-label of YEAR0001.

<i>Spiderr</i> 2022 album by Bladee

Spiderr is the eighth studio album by Swedish musician Bladee. It was released on 30 September 2022 via Year0001. The album was announced via Bladee's Instagram on 15 September 2022 and along with the announcement, a song and accompanying video directed by Ecco2K "Drain Story" was shared. Spiderr follows Bladee's and Ecco2K's 2022 collaborative album Crest.

Adamn Killa is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He is noted for his collaborations with rappers of the YEAR0001 collective Yung Lean, Bladee & Thaiboy Digital, as well as his experimental approach to hip hop.

<i>Crest</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Bladee and Ecco2K

Crest is a collaborative studio album by Swedish musicians Bladee and Ecco2K, released on 17 March 2022 through Year0001.

<i>E</i> (Ecco2K album) 2019 studio album by Ecco2K

E is the debut solo studio album by Swedish-British singer Ecco2K. A surprise album, it was released on 27 November 2019 through Year0001.

<i>Good Luck</i> (Bladee and Mechatok album) 2020 studio album by Bladee and Mechatok

Good Luck is a collaborative album between Swedish musician Bladee and German producer Mechatok. It was released on 10 December 2020 through Year0001. It was preceded by singles "Drama", released on 30 October, and "God", released on 24 November, both followed by music videos. Bladee said that he wanted to do something more approachable, but still true to his expression. A remix of "Drama" by Charli XCX was released on 28 April 2021 and included on the album's deluxe edition.

<i>Trash Island</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Drain Gang

Trash Island is a collaborative studio album by Swedish collective Drain Gang, released on 12 September 2019 through Year0001. It is sung by Bladee, Ecco2K and Thaiboy Digital, and all songs were produced by Whitearmor, with "Acid Rain" and "You Lose" also being produced by Mechatok and Lusi, respectively. The song "1:1" features Yung Lean. It was recorded in a visit to Bangkok, Thailand, as Thaiboy Digital was deported from Stockholm in 2015 due to visa complications. The artwork was done by Ecco2K. According to Bladee, "The world is a trash island. You have the power to create your own reality."

Ludwig Rosenberg, professionally known as Whitearmor, is a Swedish music producer, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer and songwriter. He is best known for being a member of the Swedish music group and artist collective Drain Gang. His musical style has been described as softly textured, fluid and terminally online.

<i>Legendary Member</i> 2019 studio album by Thaiboy Digital

Legendary Member is the debut studio album by Thai rapper Thaiboy Digital, released on 26 September 2019 through Year0001. The album was recorded with Thaiboy Digital exchanging trips between London and Stockholm, and features Bladee, Ecco2K, and Yung Lean. The album has Gud as executive producer, with Whitearmor, RipSquad and Woesum as co-producers. It was first announced a month before with the release of a single, "Lip Service", featuring Ecco2K, followed by the release of "Nervous" and "IDGAF". A music video for the album's title track was released in October. Thaiboy Digital later toured Australia.

References

  1. ↑ Year0001. Accessed 19 July 2018. http://www.year0001.com/ Archived 3 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine .
  2. ↑ Sami Baha. "Bladee – Cover Up (Prod. Sami Baha)". Soundcloud audio, 2:38, 27 June 2018. https://soundcloud.com/samibaha/bladee-cover-up-prod-sami-baha. [ dead link ]
  3. ↑ Bala Club. "Woesum – Sapphire". Soundcloud audio, 5:05, 23 December 2017. https://soundcloud.com/balaclub/woesum-sapphire Archived 9 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine .
  4. ↑ Tesema, Feleg (14 May 2018). "5 of Our Favorite New Collections & Where to Buy Them". Highsnobiety . Titel Media. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 Borelli-Persson, Laird (2 September 2016). "Is There Anything He Can't Do? Meet Stockholm's Stylish Multi-Hyphenate Zak Arogundade". Vogue . Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 Aim Nothyng [@BladeeCity] (9 April 2016). "Thanks everyone that wish me happy birthday" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022– via Twitter.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Angell, Jack (17 September 2019). "Being Bladee: In a rare interview, the Drain Gang CEO opens up about the distinctive world he's created". The Fader . Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "Meet Bladee, the Swedish Musician Who Stars in the New Heaven by Marc Jacobs Lookbook". Vogue. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Bladee, old swedish hardcore punk mix". atractivoquenobello. 9 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Tony Hawk". Genius. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Bladee – Tony Hawk ft.Ken Burns & Malcolm S. Lean Swagger. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022– via YouTube.
  12. ↑ Bladee – Always High (rare). Lean Swagger. 6 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022– via YouTube.
  13. ↑ ""Taking Arizona Iced Tea and Making It Cry": An Interview with Yung Lean and the Sad Boys". The FADER. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Bladee – Gluee | Year0001". year0001.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "BLADEE (GLUEE)". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  16. ↑ Osman, Jibril (20 December 2017). "Chronicling How Sad Boys and Shield Gang Became Sweden's Top Rap Groups". Medium. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  17. ↑ Cooper, Duncan (25 May 2016). "Hear Swedish Sing-Rapper Bladee's Debut Album Eversince". The Fader . Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  18. ↑ Eklund, Jonathan (5 June 2016). "Kliver ur Yung Leans skugga med briljant debut". Gaffa (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  19. ↑ Jenkins, Craig (25 May 2016). "Stream Yung Lean Associate Bladee's Chilly, Gorgeous Debut Album 'Eversince'". Noisey . Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  20. ↑ Darville, Jordan (11 May 2018). "Listen to Bladee's new album Red Light". The Fader . Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  21. ↑ "Icedancer" Archived 6 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine , Genius. Retrieved on 6 February 2020.
  22. ↑ "EXETER" Archived 8 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine , Year0001. Retrieved on 8 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "333". Year0001. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  24. ↑ "Luck". Year0001. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  25. ↑ "Fool". Year0001. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "Ecco2k and Bladee share new single "Amygdala"". The FADER. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  27. ↑ "Crest". Year0001. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  28. ↑ "Bladee – Spiderr | Year0001". year0001.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  29. ↑ Jones, Damian (27 January 2023). "Skrillex shares new single 'Real Spring' with Bladee". NME. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  30. ↑ "Victorious//Bullets by Yung Lean". Genius. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "Yung Lean & Bladee Release Surprise New Album 'Psykos': Stream". Stereogum. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  32. ↑ "Alyx S/S 19 Menswear" Archived 6 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine , Vogue , Retrieved 6 February 2020
  33. ↑ "BENJAMIN REICHWALD, Real Sprin9 02/07/21 – 15/08/21". THE RESIDENCE GALLERY. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  34. ↑ "The Tao of Bladee: Wisdom from the Drain Gang's Artist-in-Chief". Highsnobiety. 21 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  35. ↑ "The Hole NYC » Benjamin Reichwald & Jonas Rönnberg". Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  36. ↑ Dunn, Frankie (15 May 2018). "10 things you need to know about bladee". i-D . Vice. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  37. ↑ Wang, Steffanee. "Bladee debuts "Decay," our first taste of new album Red Light". The Fader . Andy Cohn. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  38. ↑ Jack Angell (17 September 2019). "Being Bladee". The Fader . Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  39. ↑ "Year 0001 – Bladee 'Spiderr' album due 30/09/2022". Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.