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Bladee
Bladee in 2016
Bladee in 2016
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Reichwald
Born (1994-04-09) 9 April 1994 (age 30)
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • record producer
  • designer
Years active2013–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 since his debut mixtape Gluee in 2014. In addition to his music, Reichwald creates visual art[3] and serves as the creative director for Yung Lean's clothing line Sadboys Gear.[4]

Early life

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Benjamin Reichwald was born 9 April 1994[5][6] in Stockholm, Sweden[7] and was raised mainly in the Skanstull area. His mother was a teacher and his father worked in restaurants.[8] As a child, Reichwald aspired to become a painter.[9][10]

In 2004, he met Ecco2K. The two were classmates and formed a punk band named Krossad (Swedish for "crushed"),[6][8][11] releasing a demo CD in 2007.[12] Reichwald later met producer Whitearmor and rapper Thaiboy Digital through mutual friends.[8] After leaving school, he worked at a daycare centre for about a year.[13][10]

Career

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2013–2016: Drain Gang formation and debut projects

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Reichwald began releasing music under the name Bladee in 2013. Alongside Ecco2K, Thaiboy Digital, and Whitearmor, he formed the Drain Gang musical collective, at the time named Gravity Boys.[8] Reichwald became friends with fellow Stockholm rapper Yung Lean, forming a working relationship between his own Gravity Boys collective and Yung Lean's Sad Boys Entertainment. He was featured on the track "Heal You // Bladerunner" from Lean's Unknown Death 2002 mixtape, which gave him attention from Yung Lean's fanbase.[8][14]

In 2014, Reichwald released his debut mixtape Gluee. It was described as "a summertime anthem for a suburban generation stuck scrolling through Twitter".[13] Reichwald released his debut album, Eversince, on 25 May 2016. The album was produced entirely by Whitearmor.[15] It received mixed reviews from mainstream outlets, but was well received by underground and experimental critics.[16][17]

2017–2018: Working on Dying, Red Light, and Icedancer

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In 2017, Reichwald collaborated with production group Working on Dying to release his second mixtape, named after the group.[18] The mixtape included features from Yung Lean and Ecco2K.[19] A music video for the track "Lordship" was later released.[20][21] After releasing "Decay" as a lead single,[22] Reichwald released Red Light, his second album, on 11 May 2018.[23][9] It features executive production by Whitearmor as well as production from Gud and Drain Gang member Yung Sherman.[24] In July 2018, Reichwald walked the runway at Alyx's fall 2019 menswear show in Paris, alongside Ecco2K.[11] Reichwald's third mixtape, Icedancer, was released on 28 December 2018. The mixtape was produced by the production duo Ripsquadd.[25][26]

2019–2020: EXETER, 333, and Good Luck

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In April 2020, Reichwald released EXETER, a nine-song album he recorded during a week-long stay in Gotland with Sad Boys producer Gud.[27] The album included features from Ecco2K.[28] A music video was later released for the track "Every Moment Special".[29] In July 2020, Reichwald released 333, his fourth album and second project of 2020, via Year0001. Executively produced by Whitearmor, the album contains no credited features.[30][31] A music video for the track "Reality Surf" was released.[32] After releasing tracks "All I Want", "God", and "Drama" as singles,[33][34][35] Reichwald released his third and final project of 2020. A collaborative album with Berlin producer Mechatok,[36] Good Luck was premiered on 10 December as part of an audiovisual livestream.[37][38] A deluxe version of the album was later released, which included a remix of the track "Drama", featuring Charli XCX.[39][40]

2021–2022: Real Sprin9 exhibition, The Fool, "Amygdala", Crest, and Spiderr

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In May 2021, Reichwald released his fifth solo album, The Fool via Year0001.[41] The album included a feature from Thaiboy Digital, and was primarily produced by Ripsquadd producer Lusi.[42] The Fool was well received by critics,[43][44][45] and was placed 11th on The Fader's 2021 end of year list.[45] During July and August 2021, Reichwald exhibited his first solo collection of paintings Real Sprin9 at the Residence Gallery in London.[46] In September 2021, Reichwald released a capsule Drain Gang collection in collaboration with the American-Swedish clothing brand GANT.[10]

In January 2022, Reichwald released the single Amygdala in collaboration with Ecco2K and Mechatok, along with an accompanying music video.[47][48] On 18 March, he released Crest, a collaborative album with Ecco2K, via Year0001. Produced entirely by Whitearmor, Crest was critically acclaimed.[3][49][50] In September 2022, Reichwald released lead single Drain Story, announcing his sixth album, Spiderr. An accompanying music video directed by Ecco2K was released.[51] On 30 September, Reichwald released Spiderr via Year0001.[52]

2023–present: Various collaborations, Cold Visions, and Year0001 split

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In January 2023, Reichwald appeared on the Skrillex single "Real Spring",[53] which shares its name with Reichwald's 2021 art exhibition.[54] The next month, Reichwald appeared on Skrillex's single "Ceremony" alongside Yung Lean. Music videos were released for both tracks.[55] Reichwald collaborated with fellow Swedish artist Jonas Rönnberg (Varg2™) for their first art exhibition, Fucked for Life, held at The Hole in New York from May to June 2023.[56][57] In August 2023, Yung Lean released the double-sided single "Victorious" & "Bullets" in collaboration with Reichwald.[58] Both tracks were produced by Whitearmor[58] and released via Yung Lean's personal label World Affairs.[58][59]

On 13 March 2024, Reichwald and Yung Lean released Psykos, a surprise album,[60] via World Affairs.[59] Psykos marked their first collaborative album after over a decade of working together, and was a sonic shift for the two artists, incorporating elements of rock and post-punk as opposed to their usual pop and hip hop soundscape.[59][61][62] Reichwald released Cold Visions, also a surprise album, via his label Trash Island on 23 April 2024.[63][64] All 30 tracks were produced by F1lthy, with whom Reichwald had previously collaborated on the mixtape Working on Dying in 2017. Cold Visions features Yung Lean, Yung Sherman, Thaiboy Digital, and Black Kray[65] and was well received by music critics,[66][67][68] with it being described as Reichwald's "most realized project to date" by Pitchfork.[68]

On 11 October 2024, Reichwald appeared on Charli XCX's album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat alongside Yung Lean.[6] He was featured on a remix of the track "Rewind", which was met with mixed reviews.[69][70][71][72] In November 2024, Reichwald and other Drain Gang members announced that they were no longer affiliated with their longtime label and management company Year0001.[6][73] In an interview with The Guardian, Reichwald stated: "I don't really care any more about being a bigger artist. The only thing that's important is that I'm doing something that's true to me."[6]

Musical style and personal life

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In a 2019 interview, Reichwald said that the music he creates cannot be fully described through genre.[8] Jack Angell, a music writer for The Fader, described Reichwald's sound as "frostbitten futurism" and remarked that his music evokes "a wide spectrum of emotion".[8] Nadine Smith, writing for Pitchfork, stated that Reichwald's work "introduces recognizable elements of American rap music to a new environment".[74] In an interview with 032c, Drain Gang members described their intuitive approach to music creation, with Reichwald stating that he does not write lyrics ahead of time. Reichwald has cited Hilma af Klint,[3] Chief Keef, Lil B, The Beach Boys, Basshunter, and James Ferraro as influences on his work.[8]

Reichwald is a private person.[6][10] He has stated, "I really don’t like to talk about myself. I find it weird."[8] In interviews, Reichwald has mentioned being struck by lightning during a trip to Thailand in 2019,[10] alluding to it being a transformative experience.[6][8]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ "Trash Island Discography - MusicBrainz". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Trash Island Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Drain Gang". 032c.com. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Here's The First Look At The Re-Launch Of Yung Lean's Clothing Line, Sadboys Gear". The FADER. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "'I was really not OK': Bladee on PTSD, Charli xcx and being struck by lightning". The Guardian. 18 November 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Benjamin Reichwald". THE RESIDENCE GALLERY. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ a b c d e "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.
  11. ^ a b "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.
  12. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben. "Ecco2k: PXE EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Bladee, old swedish hardcore punk mix". atractivoquenobello. 9 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  14. ^ ""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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "Stream Bladee's New Mixtape, 'Working On Dying'". Hypebeast. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Bladee drops new mixtape Working On Dying". The FADER. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Watch Bladee & Yung Lean's New Video for "Lordship"". Hypebeast. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Watch Bladee and Yung Lean's video for "Lordship"". The FADER. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  22. ^ "Bladee debuts "Decay," our first taste of new album Red Light". The FADER. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ "Stream Bladee's New Album, 'Red Light'". Hypebeast. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  25. ^ Darr, John. "Hip-Hop Springboard: The best of late 2018". The Sunflower. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  26. ^ Walker, Jackson. "Bladee circles back to his old sounds in his newest album 'Spiderr'". Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  27. ^ Alfonzo, Sebastian (27 April 2020). "'EXETER' by Bladee". The Wake. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  28. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben. "Bladee: Exeter". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Bladee Drops Glitchy Lo-Fi Visuals for "Every Moment Special"". Hypebeast. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  30. ^ Yoo, Noah (16 July 2020). "Bladee Surprise Releases New Album 333". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  31. ^ "Bladee Releases Surprise New Album, '333'". Hypebeast. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  32. ^ "Bladee Asccends to Heaven in "Reality Surf" Music Video". Hypebeast. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  33. ^ Bloom, Madison (24 November 2020). "Bladee and Mechatok Announce New Album, Share Video for New Song "God"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  34. ^ "bladee and Mechatok Take To the Skies for Their "Drama" Visual". Hypebeast. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  35. ^ "Bladee & Mechatok – Drama · Single Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  36. ^ Enis, Eli (10 December 2020). "Bladee And Mechatok Are Winning And Losing At The Same Time". MTV. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022.
  37. ^ "Bladee and Mechatok reveal collaborative album, Good Luck · News ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  38. ^ Li, Nicolaus (10 December 2020). "bladee and Mechatok Deliver Arresting Dancepop With 'Good Luck'". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  39. ^ Macias, Ernesto (28 April 2021). "Bladee and Charli XCX Bring the "Drama"". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  40. ^ Yoo, Noah (28 April 2021). "Charli XCX Joins Bladee and Mechatok for New "Drama" Remix". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  41. ^ Smith, Nadine. "Bladee: The Fool". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  42. ^ Yoo, Noah (28 May 2021). "Bladee Shares New Album The Fool". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  43. ^ "Der Drain Gang-Kronprinz legt ein TikTok-Tarot". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  44. ^ Smith, Nadine. "Bladee: The Fool". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  45. ^ a b "The 50 best albums of 2021". The FADER. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  46. ^ "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.
  47. ^ "Ecco2k and Bladee share new single "Amygdala"". The FADER. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  48. ^ "Ecco2k and Bladee Experience an Ethereal Rave in the Visual for "Amygdala"". Hypebeast. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Genesis als Cloud Rap-Drogentrip". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  50. ^ Smith, Nadine. "Bladee / Ecco2k: Crest". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  51. ^ Hussey, Allison (16 September 2022). "Bladee Announces New Album Spiderr, Shares Video for New Song "Drain Story"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  52. ^ Joyce, Colin. "Bladee: Spiderr". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  53. ^ 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.
  54. ^ "Skrillex and Bladee Team Up in "Real Spring" Music Video". Hypebeast. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  55. ^ Arcand, Rob (26 January 2023). "Skrillex and Bladee Share Video for New Song "Real Spring"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  56. ^ "Benjamin Reichwald & Jonas Rönnberg Fucked For Life". Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  57. ^ Brady, Keegan (27 May 2023). "Bladee and Varg2 Bring Drain Gang Lore To The New York Art World". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  58. ^ a b c "Yung Lean & Bladee Release New Collaborative Singles "Victorious" & "Bullets": Listen". Stereogum. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  59. ^ a b c Handler, Max (4 April 2024). "Bladee, Yung Lean link up on 'Psykos' • The Tulane Hullabaloo". The Tulane Hullabaloo. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  60. ^ "Yung Lean & Bladee Release Surprise New Album 'Psykos': Stream". Stereogum. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  61. ^ "Yung Lean and Bladee Drop Surprise Album 'Psykos'". Complex. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  62. ^ Dazed (18 March 2024). "Psykos: The story behind Bladee and Yung Lean's new album". Dazed. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  63. ^ "Bladee Drops Gritty Surprise Mixtape 'Cold Visions'". Hypebeast. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  64. ^ Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "Bladee: Cold Visions". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  65. ^ "Bladee Drops Gritty Surprise Mixtape 'Cold Visions'". Hypebeast. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  66. ^ "Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of April 2024". Consequence. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  67. ^ Staff, Slant (26 June 2024). "The Best Albums of 2024 ... So Far". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  68. ^ a b Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "Bladee: Cold Visions". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  69. ^ "'BRAT' album review and it's completely different but also still brat album review". www.34st.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  70. ^ Solomon, Emma (23 October 2024). "'Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat' (quite literally)". www.dailycal.org. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  71. ^ Press, Maria Sherman The Associated (13 October 2024). "Charli XCX's 'Brat and it's completely different but also still brat' remixes, ranked". Toronto Star. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  72. ^ "'Brat and it's completely different but also still brat': the remixes ranked". DIY. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  73. ^ "Sad Boys and Drain Gang artists announce departure from YEAR0001". Mixmag. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  74. ^ Smith, Nadine. "Various Artists: Rift ONE". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
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