Crest is the first collaborative album by Drain Gang members Bladee and Ecco2k. The album is produced solely by Whitearmor. It was released on March 17, 2022, via YEAR0001. The albums lead single Girls Just Want To Have Fun was released two years prior in February 2020.
YR0158 : Bladee & Ecco2k — Crest features nine tracks with a total runtime of 30:56.
Tracklist
- The Flag is Raised (2:59)
- 5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum) [8:50]
- White Meadow (3:30)
- Faust (2:06)
- Yeses (Red Cross) [3:02]
- Desire is a Trap (2:51)
- Chaos Follows (2:31)
- Girls Just Want To Have Fun (2:15)
- Heaven Sings (2:52)
Release and promotion
On February 24, 2020, Girls Just Want To Have Fun released on the Drain Gang's YouTube channel, but wasn't promoted as a part of the project. During the early hours of March 17, 2022, YEAR0001 teased Crest for the first time by unveiling the album cover with the artist names blanked out. The album surprise dropped the same day.
Music Videos
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Released on February 24, 2020 on Drain Gang's YouTube channel.
Although only one music video was released by the artists, there are two recordings (1,2) of another music videos that haven't been released.
Recording
The album was recorded on location at a traditional Swedish cabin in Skåne, said to be close to where Ingmar Bergman's fantasy epic The Seventh Seal was filmed.
Cover Art
The cover art is a drawing by Bladee, depicting the cabin in which the album was recorded, surrounded by a sharp-edged motif similar to that which can be found in the 2019 Benjamin Reichwald print "Myra".
Crest's cover art was teased by YEAR0001 on the label's official Discord server shortly before release. No other details besides the release date were initially shown, leaving fans to fervently speculate about which of the label's artists the album belonged to.
Tribute to Isak Bernalt (Vattenrum)
The song 5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum) was written as a tribute to Vattenrum, a Swedish producer and member of Smög Boys, a collective which was predecessor to Drain Gang, who passed away due to unpublished reasons in August 2019.
External References
- https://year0001.com/label/cases/yr0158
- Smith, Nadine. "Bladee / Ecco2k: Crest". Pitchfork.
- Fantano, Anthony. "Bladee & Ecco2k - Crest ALBUM REVIEW". theneedledrop.
- Brady, Keegan. "Inside the Cathartic Bliss of Drain Gang, Gen Z's Emo Torchbearers". Rolling Stone.
- https://www.theresidencegallery.com/benjamin-reichwald