By Liam Syrvalin, Contributor
[year0001; 2022]
Rating: 5/10

Let’s address the elephant in the room right now: if you are a Bladee fan, you probably think I am insane for giving this single a 5. Sure, there’s absolutely no attempt to stay onbeat. Sure, the lyrics are beyond dumb and don’t really make any sense. Sure, the cover art looks like 30 different, very loud images slapped on top of each other in Photoshop. This single is also, though, a love letter to the goofy, carefree style and niche of media Drain Gang falls into, and it is a reminder of why “drainers” obsess over the collective.

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Drain Gang do not fall into any discernible classification,and neither does this song. The collective, consisting of Bladee, Ecco2k, and Thaiboy Digital, hail from Sweden, a country known for its distinct lack of hip-hop. Despite this, the trio made a name for themselves backed by unconventional beats and drugged-out tones, and broke through to the internet, skyrocketing their popularity.

The new single comes as a teaser for Bladee’s new album, Spiderr, which is a successor to Bladee and Ecco2k’s collaboration project Crest, released earlier this year. DRAIN STORY, however, is a brazen departure from the angelic tones and spiritual energy featured on Crest. The complete refusal to stay onbeat for the almost two minute duration of the song and the lack of any conventional standards for song structure is a surefire sign Bladee is looking to achieve something different with Spiderr.

To a non-drained listener, DRAIN STORY is a horrific perversion of what hip-hop and electronic music should be. To a drainer, however, it is a clear indicator of progression in Bladee’s style and an exciting look into what the future has in store for Drain Gang.

Listen here: