E

I have to talk about this album. In early 2020 I was not familiar with any of Drain Gang's discography. I stumbled upon Waster by Bladee and it quickly became one of my favourite songs, I looked a bit more into Bladee with songs like Be Nice 2 Me and Only One becoming some of the songs that got me through the later stages of quarantine. Around the same time as discovering Bladee I came across Peroxide by Ecco2k and it became one of my favourite songs through quarantine. I finally took time to check out E in early 2021 and I enjoyed it but I didn't think it was anything special. Every now and then I would hum AAA Powerline or Security! so I re-listened to E and found out I enjoyed it much more than I originally thought. Then Bladee released The Fool, a project I enjoyed and I once again went back to E and I couldn't get half of the songs out of my head. You will either love or hate this project after a second listen, I loved it and I have come to absolutely adore this project. At points this project shows signs of genius and I cannot wait for Ecco's next full length project (PXE was decent).

The LP opens with AAA Powerline, which is one of the standout songs from this project. The infectious, ear-wormy kick digs itself into your brain and Ecco's 4 bar almost chant-like hook is repeated so much it gets ingrained into your mind. The production is absolutely exceptional across the project but this simplistic yet beautiful beat from Yves Tumor is one of the highlights in the production despite being so minimalistic.

The next song is Peroxide, my personal favourite and the biggest song off of the project, it is another highlight of the project and will continue to be one of my favourite songs from Ecco2k and the Drain Gang collective itself. The beat is absolutely exceptional, the low frequency hum panning into a luscious synth soundscape is a pleasure to the ears, Gud didn't have to go this hard on the production. Ecco utilises the instrumental to its full capacity with an infectious but moving verse and chorus about being a black man in Sweden and how it affects his life and the assumptions people make about him because of this. All the elements of the song come together to create something beautiful, perhaps even a masterpiece and potentially Ecco's piece de resistance.

The LP then takes a break with Fragile and Bliss Fields, with Fragile being one of the more forgettable songs off of the project while still retaining the great production and Ecco's heavenly vocals. Bliss Fields is essentially a quotable interlude with not much to it.

Then Fruit Bleed Juice comes back to smack you around the face and get you ready for the rest of the project. Even though it is a very short song (essentially another interlude) it leaves an impression. Ecco shines through on Yves Tumor's exceptional production creating a brief yet memorable experience.

Cc then gives another standout song, with Ecco's memorable chorus and an at times moody beat going great when put together. This song makes you feel like you are drifting in the air with no direction or purpose, just taking time to appreciate all the small things until you break free into a formless yet blissful state. As someone who is heavily into the production side of music, how Gud and others managed to create such serene yet captivating instrumentals for Ecco is beyond me.

Calcium is another highlight and is probably many people's favourite song off of the LP. Once again the beat and Ecco are practically one and it provides an almost out-of-body feeling. The beat is exceptional with the bass being my favourite part as it is the driving force of the beat and it meshes well with Ecco's higher-pitched vocals. Ecco's lyricism (while prone to jokes about the one line being misheard) is at its best on this song.

Sugar & Diesel is another break from the relentless barrage of amazing songs and is one of the more "dull" songs on the project. I feel like this song didn't realise it's full potential and was just waiting to break though and become truly exceptional. Unfortunately that is not the case and it remains one of the few mediocre tracks on the LP.

Don't Ask puts you right back into the E experience with another serene yet purposeful track. I love the instrumental and Ecco together once again and while not a highlight of the project this song is still a really enjoyable time.

Security! is the closest we get to a Bladee song on the project with the bouncy, almost hyperpop-like beat being very similar to something the Drain Gang CEO would choose to sing/rap over. I absolutely love this song as it is the second song I heard off of E and I still love it to this day. Ecco's voice is at its best on this song as it glides across the beat in an almost angelic way. The message of not feeling as perfect as someone is else is great and probably struck a chord for a lot of people. Another beautiful song from this LP.

Time is probably the closest we get to a gritty, aggressive song with Ecco's vocals being distorted and him singing (almost chanting) in his normal voice instead of the androgynous, almost angelic voice he has used for the majority of his recent work (check out Girls just want to have fun by Bladee to fully experience this). While Ecco's voice is grittier the beat stays clean and ice cold creating a contrast that works really well and makes this a memorable song.

Blue Eyes is the perfect closing track, it is a short but memorable song with Ecco returning to his higher pitched singing voice which goes nicely over another clean beat. The thing that makes this track stand out from the rest is Ecco's screams of anguish behind the beat which leaves a lasting impression upon the listener.

Overall, E is a majestic, serene ride with beautiful vocals from Ecco over bleach-like clean, ethereal beats creating an experience like nothing else I have ever heard. This project and PXE leaves me incredibly hopeful for Ecco2k's future projects and endeavours.

Iconic tracks- AAA Powerline, Peroxide, Security!
Good tracks- Fruit Bleed Juice, Cc, Calcium, Don't Ask, Time, Blue Eyes
Meh Tracks- Fragile, Bliss Fields, Sugar & Diesel
Bad Tracks- N/A