Bladee: The Renaissance Man
Running alongside the meteoric rise of Swedish rap sensation Yung Lean, a parallel course has been quietly trodden by auto-tune crooner Bladee. Although not sporting the same level of commercial success as Yung Lean (Jonatan Leandoer Håstad), Bladee (Benjamin Reichwald) has been there from the beginning, his creative output traversing between the Sad Boys collective and his own group, Drain Gang (formerly Gravity Boys and Shield Gang).
Best known for his music, Bladee has established a strong footing in the alternative music scene, providing a home for all those who seek something different - a new kind of sound that takes familiar elements of popular music and blends them with the experimental production of resident Sad Boys/Drain Gang producers: Gud, Yung Sherman and Whitearmor. Reichwald rides over the top of these experimental and avant-garde beats in an almost ethereal manner. Using vocal-alteration, Bladee is able to create melodies ranging from spooky and dark to transcendent and angelic. As an audience we have seen auto-tune become a stalwart of the music scene. Behind this widely-acknowledged phenomenon stands Bladee - experimenting with such a feature when it was still a tired insult levelled at pop stars. Although such a fact is widely-accepted and discussed, this detail is indicative of the musician’s drive: to create unique and authentic cultural products. Bladee’s most recent release, ‘Undergone’, featuring production from Ssaliva, typifies this approach; the song blending introspective ambience with sparse, haunting vocal reflections.
Aside from music, Reichwald has proven himself to be an accomplished artist, specialising in both digital and physical mediums. In fact, Bladee is responsible for the creation of the D.I.Y. aesthetic of both Sad Boys and Drain Gang - he regularly takes a dominant role in the creation of album art and music videos, preferring to skipper artistic direction from within the group, although frequently collaborating with trusted outsiders, such as artists Joe Weird (@we.1rd) and Daniel Swan (@d_a_n_i_e_l_s_w_a_n). In February of 2020, Bladee brought his art into the physical world, featuring in a show at the London-based The Residence Gallery. The exhibition, entitled ‘A Delinquent Child Having an Out of Body Experience’, features a number of works by Reichwald composed on canvas using acrylic, pencil, paint marker, glitter and airbrush and has been visited by the musician, SOPHIE, the artist Claire Barrow, as well as the aforementioned Daniel Swan. The feature piece, titled ‘Valery Bells’, is a technicolour nightmare littered with demonic forms and unfamiliar iconography. The piece displays the true versatility of Reichwald’s talent, given the technical demands of producing such a work.
Like his Drain Gang associate Zak Arogundade (a.k.a. Ecco2k), Reichwald holds a keen interest in the world of fashion. The two have walked the runway for Matthew Williams’ label 1017 ALYX 9SM and have been instrumental in the creation of both the collective’s merchandise and their official fashion label Sad Boys Gear, where Reichwald holds the position of Creative Director. The brand has been steadily growing for the past few years, their most notable achievement being a brand deal with Converse, subsequently releasing two signature designs of the classic ‘One Star’ trainer. The label places an emphasis on simplicity, in terms of form, complimenting that with Bladee’s motifs and art.
Such eclectic talent is not at all common in the 21st century. However, we are seeing more and more artists taking control of their creative output - whether that be through their music, their merchandise or visual media. At the forefront of this D.I.Y. movement is Reichwald and his collaborators.They have set the precedent by which other young aspiring artists can find the confidence to pursue their vision, no matter how experimental or unorthodox that may be. Bladee will continue to push forward, innovating and experimenting in all endeavours.
Written by Harry Robertshaw
Harry is a 23 year old MA student from Bristol with a great personality.