The album this is from is very dream-like and the lyrics are spiritual, you could analyze them a lot. Would love to see you react to it, the intrumentals are fascinating all throughout! I like how even though you don't listen to this type of music you gave as much analysis as you could. Also, I wouldn't call this hyperpop, it's way more of an evolution of cloud rap combined with influences of euro-dance and ambient music. These artists are no stranger to heavy autotune, though this record goes even further in that aspect, in many parts Bladee's voice sounds almost as if it's shaking. I find the composition to be one of the most unique ones I've heard, a great use of sampling and original stuff together. The 'death is beautiful' line is about their friend Vattenrum, who commited suicide. It's dedicated to him. I'm sure Drain Gang is going to stay relevant because they keep switching with the times and making new things that their fans like. They're one of those groups which doesn't do things the common way, but their fans are dedicated and 'get it', the way they write their lyrics is unusal and mystical too. Sort of like a mythos or creation of a 'world' withing their albums. This is very different from Bladee's past music, he used to make rap/trap/hip-hop (He still raps sometimes, but his recent albums are mostly singing accompanied by experimental, dreamy beats)
Thanks for all that great info. Long comments like help me understand what I heard and will allow me to better talk about similar music in the future. I didn't even know about cloud rap until after making this reaction.
A genre that's completely outside my wheelhouse, but I really enjoyed the kaleidoscopic textures and tones on this one. I'm not sure if it needed to be 9 minutes and parts of it were a bit repetitive, but for the most part it kept my attention and the variety and collage of sound kept my interest throughout. This kinda reminds me of a combination of trip-hop with the beautiful atmospheres of dream pop with some trap and sampling elements of a lot of hip-hop. It's definitely a lot of a lot, but that's postmodernism in general for you!
Post-modernism is a term I gotta add to my vocab. I've also seen the term cloud rap a few times while preparing this video -- "has several sonic characteristics of trap music and lo-fi in its hazy, dreamlike and relaxed sound" -- so your idea of trip-hop means dream pop is pretty spot on.
@@CriticalReactions Postmodernism tends to be a term that gets tossed around a lot and haphazardly to the point too few really understand what it refers to, but when used correctly it mostly refers to works that liberally mix a wide range of styles/genres without being too concerned with making them perfectly cohere. The latter is the major difference between it and Modernism, which did seek greater coherency and "grand designs" in its stylistic mish-mashes.
14:03 your description of it is so beautiful and i think is exactly what they were going for. Everything before and after as one Peace be with the world RIP VATTENRUM ✨ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐✨
Incredible reaction, would love to see you react to more Bladee, Ecco2k, Yung Lean and Drain Gang at large. I think you would admire how they play with and challenge traditional song structure, sounds, and so much more. Very creative stuff and the more you consume of it the more it makes sense. Cheers!
Is there an estimated delay on the queue if we request a song through PayPal? And is there a price for an album reaction? Really enjoyed your analysis and approach on this video, you got a new fan!
The song request is ~8 weeks at the moment. I don't have a method of donating for a full album reaction. Currently the only way is to join the Patreon tier with the Album Suggestion perk and hope your album gets picked.
First of all, great video. I don't usually watch analysis or reactions, but it is fascinating to me watching how in a way there's always something in these two guys that kind of appeals to someone, be it lyrically or musically, and it is always refreshing to see someone not play a part in front of the camera when they are struck with something distant from their usual point of view. I've been a fan of their music since 2014 when their output was very different from now, and it has since gone through a lot of changes and, to be honest, 5 star crest (or crest in general as an album) left me kind of speechless, but in a different way. Going in knowing this was a tribute to vattenrum (old time friend of the duo and also producer of some of the earliest tracks of their collective) it felt very personal and nostalgic. I think it is easy to catch the sparkly tones in at least 4 of the 5 parts of the song and write them off as happy go lucky, but I really think the uplifting tones are there as a warm and comforting way to get to you to the last part, where it is most obvious the theme of acceptance of mortality is present. I also think that this is more a goodbye than a tribute, therefore I see the disconnection between the 5 tracks as a musical theme more than a biproduct of the way the song were produced and mashed together (maybe a bit of both). It's a coping mechanism. This song feels like loosing someone. The confusion, the memories, the sadness, feeling hopeful and also feeling lost. What also doesn't help is how cryptic the lyricism is. There are heavy religious themes, both from christian and hindu traditions, making some parts feel like mass (Gloria in excelsis) and some feel like an exploration of life and death (Verse 3 with the Fountainhead and arrowhead, taken form the events in the Mahabharata). There's also something a kind of "descriptive" writing that I find very interesting, creating these beautiful visual landscape just as a book would do while narrating a story ("the shields shining, golden falcons flying in, silver glowing" , "blinding light over the horizon, i look to the sky and it smiles back down on me"). While I don't usually listen to this song, I think that, if listened in a specific point in someone's life, it can be a cathartic experience, and that is the biggest thing a song can be.
Thanks for all of this. Since I was completely disconnected from the group itself when I listened to this I was missing a lot of context. While I still think I had some good observations here it was destined to always be a more shallow read of the music than someone more familiar with the circumstances surrounding the creation process. And I'm really glad that you helped fill in some of the gaps because it adds so much depth to this track and makes me appreciate it even more.
it’s good to know that drain gang actually is a big influence on a lot of the current hyperpop artists, they’ve been making music for over 10 years mow
10 years? I assume there's been a shift in their overall sound then. If so, it'd be interesting to compare something from their first album to one of their latest tracks.
@@CriticalReactions a ''shift'' puts it really lightly. bladee went from saying things like ''someone free me from my skin, evaporated now im gone in the wind'' on a dark asf beat to this
Drain GANGGGG, this was a really good fit for this type of channel I think, because their music is so weird, but simultaneously their producers take their compositions really seriously
First video of you ive seen and you've used descriptions i just couldn't have thought of. You're pretty cool man thanks for reviewing my favorite artists ever🙏
Hey Bryan! First time commenting, long time fan of the channel 😊 I understand that it can be a difficult first listen, and as people always say under your videos, I feel like this is an odd pick to check out from the album. I've been a fan of Drain Gang (Bladee, ecco2k and an assortment of rappers and producers living in Sweden) for probably about 5-6 years. The timing of this album and my personal development toward spirituality makes it an easy favourite of theirs for me. Knowing you format and what I understand of your biases, I can see why the compilation ish style of the track somewhat bounces off. I think lyrically, there are strong ties throughout the 5 parts, of dualism, oneness and immaterialism, but the production is not so cohesive. For me, this doesn't really detract from my enjoyment as the rest of the album is similar, often changing styles greatly between track but maintaining lyrical cohesion. Now, while you said this isn't something you would seek casually, I really would recommend the rest of the album. The positivity is undeniable and the messages within really are beautiful, honest and touching. Im not sure if you have much of a philosophy background, but the themes of neoplatonism and almost spiritual nihilism really spoke to me and definitely brought joy to my life. Its funny that this is the video I comment on, I think I found your channel though your review of Undercurrent by Ihsahn or something and watch most of your black metal reviews (even sat through the whole None so Vile review despite agreeing that it was not good haha) but when I saw this one I genuinely couldnt wait to hear what you had to say! I really hope you give the album a chance, it might not be your usual pick and a bit different but after a few listens I think it might grow on you. Really hope you're well and that your situation improves, I wish I could help out on that front but unfortunately I can't afford to st the moment. I tried to send in a special selection before but for some reason to do with regions or something(?) PayPal wouldn't accept the transaction. I'll try again when I get paid in a couple of weeks 😊
I looked up the album and it's only 30 minutes long so I'll add it to my list of stuff to check out. We'll see how I feel about this style after a bit more immersion with it.
their other music isnt like this, every project sounds different to the previous, if u decide u wanna check out more of their stuff i think E by ecco2k would be good, the production is less crowded than on this, Exeter by bladee is also very good in my opinion, the production and the mini world it pulls u into is so creative and unlike anything ive ever heard before
Great analysis as usual 👏 and it was cool seeing you get 'drained' throughout the video (drained = vibing out to Bladee and his friends aka Drain Gang)
That's the kind of comment that I live for! I dig the rock and metal stuff but I love broadening my horizons and listening to stuff that's totally brand new to my ears.
If you're gonna react to one of their albums, I'd say e by ecco2k stands out more from a production standpoint and has more varied sounds compared to crest.
Bryan!! The push to “shave off the rougher edges” is already being done by some artists in the hyperpop genre ^^. My personal favorite and generally considered the best of these is Brakence, especially with his latest album Hypochondriac. I would totally recommend it, it’s like every genre made into a surprisingly good smoothie, and accessible enough for my dad to like it while still being so inventive.
never thought i’d see these artists on the channel. bladee is a lil hit or miss for me. his early stuff does nearly nothing for me but everything else he’s done since 2019 has been at least good. he’s had a really good growth as an artist. ecco2k i was able to get into the easiest out of all the drain gang members. his e album has some pretty great use of ambient textured throughout
This song makes me think of a movie like Speed Racer or TikTok culture. It’s strikes me as a bunch of smaller song ideas not fully resolved that all just jump from one to the next. Very short attention span type music.
@@CriticalReactions I think they meant that it's pronounced "Blade" instead of "Blade-y", it's a common mistake people have it's not that big of a deal lol
@@CriticalReactions WOOOOOOO I recommend listening to Skin if you want more pessimistic and depressed Bladee, and Noblest Strive if you want more optimistic and spiritual Bladee
Whitearmor is literally the best producer ever walked this planet.
RIP Vattenrum
The album this is from is very dream-like and the lyrics are spiritual, you could analyze them a lot. Would love to see you react to it, the intrumentals are fascinating all throughout! I like how even though you don't listen to this type of music you gave as much analysis as you could. Also, I wouldn't call this hyperpop, it's way more of an evolution of cloud rap combined with influences of euro-dance and ambient music. These artists are no stranger to heavy autotune, though this record goes even further in that aspect, in many parts Bladee's voice sounds almost as if it's shaking. I find the composition to be one of the most unique ones I've heard, a great use of sampling and original stuff together. The 'death is beautiful' line is about their friend Vattenrum, who commited suicide. It's dedicated to him. I'm sure Drain Gang is going to stay relevant because they keep switching with the times and making new things that their fans like. They're one of those groups which doesn't do things the common way, but their fans are dedicated and 'get it', the way they write their lyrics is unusal and mystical too. Sort of like a mythos or creation of a 'world' withing their albums. This is very different from Bladee's past music, he used to make rap/trap/hip-hop (He still raps sometimes, but his recent albums are mostly singing accompanied by experimental, dreamy beats)
Thanks for all that great info. Long comments like help me understand what I heard and will allow me to better talk about similar music in the future. I didn't even know about cloud rap until after making this reaction.
as well as ecco2k and bladee did over this - to me this song is just whitearmor absolutely flexing his production capabilities
A genre that's completely outside my wheelhouse, but I really enjoyed the kaleidoscopic textures and tones on this one. I'm not sure if it needed to be 9 minutes and parts of it were a bit repetitive, but for the most part it kept my attention and the variety and collage of sound kept my interest throughout. This kinda reminds me of a combination of trip-hop with the beautiful atmospheres of dream pop with some trap and sampling elements of a lot of hip-hop. It's definitely a lot of a lot, but that's postmodernism in general for you!
Post-modernism is a term I gotta add to my vocab. I've also seen the term cloud rap a few times while preparing this video -- "has several sonic characteristics of trap music and lo-fi in its hazy, dreamlike and relaxed sound" -- so your idea of trip-hop means dream pop is pretty spot on.
@@CriticalReactions Postmodernism tends to be a term that gets tossed around a lot and haphazardly to the point too few really understand what it refers to, but when used correctly it mostly refers to works that liberally mix a wide range of styles/genres without being too concerned with making them perfectly cohere. The latter is the major difference between it and Modernism, which did seek greater coherency and "grand designs" in its stylistic mish-mashes.
@@jonathanhenderson9422 Thanks for the distinction.
-"nah, i dont want to use the word weird" -music explodes into something absolutely super weird
A full album reaction of this Creat would be amazing!
14:03 your description of it is so beautiful and i think is exactly what they were going for. Everything before and after as one Peace be with the world RIP VATTENRUM
✨ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐✨
bladee and the whole drain gang/sadboys is amazing their sound goes so hard in every era; which has been a bunch
Incredible reaction, would love to see you react to more Bladee, Ecco2k, Yung Lean and Drain Gang at large. I think you would admire how they play with and challenge traditional song structure, sounds, and so much more. Very creative stuff and the more you consume of it the more it makes sense. Cheers!
Is there an estimated delay on the queue if we request a song through PayPal? And is there a price for an album reaction? Really enjoyed your analysis and approach on this video, you got a new fan!
Not that deep. But yes react to more Bladee and Ecco2k
poison ivy would be great
The song request is ~8 weeks at the moment. I don't have a method of donating for a full album reaction. Currently the only way is to join the Patreon tier with the Album Suggestion perk and hope your album gets picked.
@@peko3050it is that deep though, dg's stuff is so unique
First of all, great video. I don't usually watch analysis or reactions, but it is fascinating to me watching how in a way there's always something in these two guys that kind of appeals to someone, be it lyrically or musically, and it is always refreshing to see someone not play a part in front of the camera when they are struck with something distant from their usual point of view. I've been a fan of their music since 2014 when their output was very different from now, and it has since gone through a lot of changes and, to be honest, 5 star crest (or crest in general as an album) left me kind of speechless, but in a different way. Going in knowing this was a tribute to vattenrum (old time friend of the duo and also producer of some of the earliest tracks of their collective) it felt very personal and nostalgic. I think it is easy to catch the sparkly tones in at least 4 of the 5 parts of the song and write them off as happy go lucky, but I really think the uplifting tones are there as a warm and comforting way to get to you to the last part, where it is most obvious the theme of acceptance of mortality is present. I also think that this is more a goodbye than a tribute, therefore I see the disconnection between the 5 tracks as a musical theme more than a biproduct of the way the song were produced and mashed together (maybe a bit of both). It's a coping mechanism. This song feels like loosing someone. The confusion, the memories, the sadness, feeling hopeful and also feeling lost. What also doesn't help is how cryptic the lyricism is. There are heavy religious themes, both from christian and hindu traditions, making some parts feel like mass (Gloria in excelsis) and some feel like an exploration of life and death (Verse 3 with the Fountainhead and arrowhead, taken form the events in the Mahabharata). There's also something a kind of "descriptive" writing that I find very interesting, creating these beautiful visual landscape just as a book would do while narrating a story ("the shields shining, golden falcons flying in, silver glowing" , "blinding light over the horizon, i look to the sky and it smiles back down on me"). While I don't usually listen to this song, I think that, if listened in a specific point in someone's life, it can be a cathartic experience, and that is the biggest thing a song can be.
Thanks for all of this. Since I was completely disconnected from the group itself when I listened to this I was missing a lot of context. While I still think I had some good observations here it was destined to always be a more shallow read of the music than someone more familiar with the circumstances surrounding the creation process. And I'm really glad that you helped fill in some of the gaps because it adds so much depth to this track and makes me appreciate it even more.
Wow this is what a reaction should be.
Please more bladee!! ☺️ this entire album is amazing
I just gotta say, what a great analysis.
it’s good to know that drain gang actually is a big influence on a lot of the current hyperpop artists, they’ve been making music for over 10 years mow
10 years? I assume there's been a shift in their overall sound then. If so, it'd be interesting to compare something from their first album to one of their latest tracks.
@@CriticalReactions a ''shift'' puts it really lightly. bladee went from saying things like ''someone free me from my skin, evaporated now im gone in the wind'' on a dark asf beat to this
@@CriticalReactions very big shift, a lot of their early stuff is dark trap and cloud rap and now has brightened up a lot
Drain GANGGGG, this was a really good fit for this type of channel I think, because their music is so weird, but simultaneously their producers take their compositions really seriously
First video of you ive seen and you've used descriptions i just couldn't have thought of. You're pretty cool man thanks for reviewing my favorite artists ever🙏
The humble approach you had to this review was incredible
Hey Bryan! First time commenting, long time fan of the channel 😊 I understand that it can be a difficult first listen, and as people always say under your videos, I feel like this is an odd pick to check out from the album. I've been a fan of Drain Gang (Bladee, ecco2k and an assortment of rappers and producers living in Sweden) for probably about 5-6 years. The timing of this album and my personal development toward spirituality makes it an easy favourite of theirs for me. Knowing you format and what I understand of your biases, I can see why the compilation ish style of the track somewhat bounces off. I think lyrically, there are strong ties throughout the 5 parts, of dualism, oneness and immaterialism, but the production is not so cohesive. For me, this doesn't really detract from my enjoyment as the rest of the album is similar, often changing styles greatly between track but maintaining lyrical cohesion. Now, while you said this isn't something you would seek casually, I really would recommend the rest of the album. The positivity is undeniable and the messages within really are beautiful, honest and touching. Im not sure if you have much of a philosophy background, but the themes of neoplatonism and almost spiritual nihilism really spoke to me and definitely brought joy to my life. Its funny that this is the video I comment on, I think I found your channel though your review of Undercurrent by Ihsahn or something and watch most of your black metal reviews (even sat through the whole None so Vile review despite agreeing that it was not good haha) but when I saw this one I genuinely couldnt wait to hear what you had to say! I really hope you give the album a chance, it might not be your usual pick and a bit different but after a few listens I think it might grow on you. Really hope you're well and that your situation improves, I wish I could help out on that front but unfortunately I can't afford to st the moment. I tried to send in a special selection before but for some reason to do with regions or something(?) PayPal wouldn't accept the transaction. I'll try again when I get paid in a couple of weeks 😊
I looked up the album and it's only 30 minutes long so I'll add it to my list of stuff to check out. We'll see how I feel about this style after a bit more immersion with it.
Getting a real fabilicious vibe from this
I wasn't expecting that to become an adjective but I kinda hope it catches on now :)
their other music isnt like this, every project sounds different to the previous, if u decide u wanna check out more of their stuff i think E by ecco2k would be good, the production is less crowded than on this, Exeter by bladee is also very good in my opinion, the production and the mini world it pulls u into is so creative and unlike anything ive ever heard before
Exeter is a dream. Very good album
was randomly looking for reviews of this song and stumbled back on your channel, glad you're doing this one! Lots of meaning to me.
Great analysis as usual 👏 and it was cool seeing you get 'drained' throughout the video (drained = vibing out to Bladee and his friends aka Drain Gang)
never expected to see bladee on this channel
That's the kind of comment that I live for! I dig the rock and metal stuff but I love broadening my horizons and listening to stuff that's totally brand new to my ears.
Love this reaction!!
Let’s go! Check out bladee’s “The Fool” album
nice review u seem rly insightful and cool!
I love this album the genre of it
You’d like ecco2k’s E
If you're gonna react to one of their albums, I'd say e by ecco2k stands out more from a production standpoint and has more varied sounds compared to crest.
Great reaction, good understanding of the aspects
Wonderful video great job
Whitearmor is such a good producer
Great reaction
great video, you are really smart man, so interesting to listen ur breakdown, i would personally love if u did "e" by ecco2k
Funny note; Old bladee album covers literally sound like how you explain collages LOL
fyi if you didnt know its a tribute for a friend who produced beats for them
yay bladee!!!
Bryan!! The push to “shave off the rougher edges” is already being done by some artists in the hyperpop genre ^^. My personal favorite and generally considered the best of these is Brakence, especially with his latest album Hypochondriac. I would totally recommend it, it’s like every genre made into a surprisingly good smoothie, and accessible enough for my dad to like it while still being so inventive.
this isnt hyperpop
@@BRG_Rain not relevant
not really cuz most hyperpop pretty rough and bad
@@CyXato that is the most subjective statement i’ve ever read in my life
@@codawithteeth its almost like all music takes are subjective and objectivity doesn't exist in art
LETS GOOO
drain gang
OH YEAS DRAIN GANG
yipppieeeee
I’m bladee she call me bladey
i wanna see whitearmors computer making this song, i wanna see so bad
please do ecco2k's album "e" you will NOT regret it.
more bladee
more
bladee and ecco2k
❤❤❤
GLuee will change your life
😵🔥
Do e by ecco2k!
never thought i’d see these artists on the channel. bladee is a lil hit or miss for me. his early stuff does nearly nothing for me but everything else he’s done since 2019 has been at least good. he’s had a really good growth as an artist. ecco2k i was able to get into the easiest out of all the drain gang members. his e album has some pretty great use of ambient textured throughout
Very drainy
This song makes me think of a movie like Speed Racer or TikTok culture. It’s strikes me as a bunch of smaller song ideas not fully resolved that all just jump from one to the next. Very short attention span type music.
It's spelled blade bro
???????????????
All of my sources say the artist's name is bladee. Got a source to back up your statement?
@@CriticalReactions I think they meant that it's pronounced "Blade" instead of "Blade-y", it's a common mistake people have it's not that big of a deal lol
@@lunamorada335 Oh! Well at least I'll know for the future. I'm sure I'll be reacting to more bladee in the future :)
@@CriticalReactions WOOOOOOO
I recommend listening to Skin if you want more pessimistic and depressed Bladee, and Noblest Strive if you want more optimistic and spiritual Bladee
bladey 🤩😍😍