E(Ecco2K album)
| E | ||||
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| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | 27 November 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2019 | |||
| Length | 30:23 | |||
| Label | Year0001 | |||
| Producer |
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| Ecco2Kchronology | ||||
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| SinglesfromE | ||||
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E(stylized as anestimated sign,℮) is the debut studio album by Swedish-British singerEcco2K.Asurprise album,it was released on 27 November 2019 throughYear0001.Previously known for his work on other people's projects, Ecco2K began working on the album after leaving his day job atEytys.It was recorded across multiple cities and executive-produced byGudandWhitearmor.Musically, multiple reviewers noted the album's contrast with Ecco2K's previous works, in addition to its futuristic sound and personal lyrical themes. Reviewers describedEas bringing Ecco2K into the spotlight,[1][2]andThe Fadersaid it was a "standout release" for 2019.[3]
Background and release
[edit]I still feel like a manic perfectionist, but my idea of perfection has changed as I've gotten to know myself better. I let chaos back in. That's what allowedEto happen.
—Ecco2K, 2019[4]
Before the release ofE,Ecco2K had maintained a "mysterious" figure.[2][5]Releasing music under that pseudonym since 2013,[6]he was known for his participation on other people's projects, including as a member ofDrain Gang,as the creative director ofYung Leanand as the music video editor ofYves Tumor.[a]Ecco2K described the winter of 2018, when the album was still in its early stages, as "a period of rapid growth and self-discovery";[6]he had just left his day job as a designer and photo retoucher atEytys.[6][8]Following this, he learned to prioritise self-care in his creative practice.[6]
Ewas recorded inStockholm,Berlin,Los Angeles,London,Falun,andBangkok.[4]Ecco2K had to purposefully seclude himself from collaborators and friends. He described the process as "the first time where [he] started to get assisted".[6]The album was executive-produced byGudandWhitearmor.[6]It was preceded by singles "AAA Powerline" and "Fruit Bleed Juice", with the latter receiving a music video.[6]Ewas released on 27 November 2019.[4][7]After the album's release, Ecco2K toured Europe.[9]On 29 January 2020, he released a music video "Peroxide",[9]which was recorded at theLillgrund Wind Farm.[8]On 30 July, he released a music video for "Security!".[10]
Composition
[edit]Multiple critics noted thatEdemonstrated a change from Ecco2K's previousrapandhip hopproductions;[1][2][11]DazedandPitchforkwriter Nadine Smith described it ascontemporary pop,with the latter adding that it was the most pop-like of the Stockholm rap scene until then.[1][2]Yannik Gölz oflaut.desaid that it is hip-hop so deconstructed that it resembled a fusion betweenexperimentalandambient music.[11]Other reviewers found the album futuristic.[11][12][13]David Crone ofAllMusicwrote thatEconsolidated the futuristic sound Ecco2K was developing that decade,[12]while Gölz described it as a mix between hip-hop and futuristic electronic.[11]Anthony FantanoofThe Needle Dropdescribed it as futuristic andnew age-like, blending elements fromYung Lean'sUnknown Death 2002,trap,art pop,glitch,experimentalelectronic,andPC Musicaesthetics.[13]The Quietus'sZac Cazes highlighted the album's balance between psychedelicelectronicaanddream pop.[5]Laird Borrelli-Persson ofVoguesaid that, despite its "atmospheric production", "this isn't music for somnambulists; there's a sense of urgency even to the dreamy tracks".[4]Jordan Darville ofThe FaderdescribedEas a "project of subliminal bangers", with a feel that was "regal-yet-desolate, like a marble sculpture of some unspeakable tragedy".[7]
Laird Borrelli-Persson ofVoguenoted that, whileEaddresses universal topics, the album is highly personal.[4]Thomas Sobolik ofThe Facesaid thatEfeels like a direct connection to Ecco2K's thoughts, with vivid lyrics and honest delivery.[6]He further added that the songs address "romantic longing, substance abuse, insomnia and existential dread in a redemptive arc delivered through oblique lyrics that follow their own dream logic".[6]Fantano described the songwriting as "impressionistic".[14]Nöjesguidenwriter Levi Hielle-Bergstrom noted the album's contrasts, including the charming melodies and experimental productions existing alongside fragile lyrics and the mix between love lyrics and lyrics about destructiveness.[15]Similarly, Gölz said that the album, while minimalistic, is still sensorily maximalist.[11]According to Borrelli-Persson, the lyrics explore the differences between perception and reality, including the differences between people's social and inner selves.[4]Smith felt that the lyrics "twinge with anguish and self-loathing".[1]Borrelli-Persson said that, although Ecco2K has embraced his differences as strengths, he reveals his vulnerability in these tracks.[4]Zac Cazes ofThe Quietusnoted that Ecco2K sings in an extremely highauto-tunedfalsetto,[5]with Gölz saying that Ecco2K's light helium-like voice is central toE.[11]
Songs
[edit]Ebegins with "AAA Powerline", which centers around the repeated line "Zip-tied up / Can't move my arms." Smith described it as an example of a track on the album with "phrases repeated like fading memories turned over and over again in your mind".[1]The second track, "Peroxide", is a futuristicpopsong[8]where Ecco2k ruminates on his skin color.[2]Sobolik wrote that the track establishes the foundation forE's"bracing self-portrayal", with "Ecco [baring] Arogundade's early encounters with otherness".[6]According to Sobolik, Ecco2k narrates his deep, anxious confusion, but ultimately embraces his strength, singing: "No peroxide, I stay dark."[6]Smith said that the line "They all stare at me / I don't care at all" demonstrates Ecco2K's self-acceptance and commitment to self-expression.[1]The next song is "Fragile", which Fantano described as the mostnew ageinspired song on the album with its "gorgeous and pristine layers of synths".[16]He also described its lyrics as "disturbing and surreal".[17]The fourth track, "Bliss Fields", is not a song, but a "skit" or interlude,[6][15][11]where Ecco2K says: "I feel like I'm flying and sinking at the same time. Like I'm being pulled from below and from above. In every direction, at once."[6]This phrase was taken from Ecco2K'sNotesdiary.[6]
"Fruit Bleed Juice" isE'sfifth track. Describing it as a chaotic ambient recording, Gölz suggested it feels more like immersive cinema than a conventional song.[11]The subsequent song, "Cc", contains a "futuristic trap beat that's so cold it's sub-zero", according to Fantano, while also presenting Ecco2K's vocals in a glitchy manner.[18]On "Calcium",E'sseventh track, Ecco2K blends light rapping withpop-punkvocal elements over beats reminiscent ofCharli XCX's style; Smith felt that the track could have a mainstream appeal.[1]It is followed by "Sugar & Diesel", a traditional rap song according to Gölz, and then by "Don't Ask".[11]On "Security!", the album's tenth track, Ecco2K's expresses his internal struggles, lamenting, "Every time I look in the mirror I see monsters," and yearning to hide an inner perceived ugliness: "How did you get so perfect? / I wish that I was perfect."[1]"Time", according to Gölz, has electronic beats and is one of the most danceable on the album, with its lyrics presenting themes of hedonism, self-destruction, and excess.[11]Fantano described it as containing "slightly aggressive rap flows" andintelligent dance music-like "glistening layers of electronics".[19]Borrelli-Persson said that it "evokes the sweaty, beyond-tired feeling of a magical night fading into [the] morning".[4]On "Blue Eyes", the album's final track in its standard edition, Ecco2K addresses the white Swedish gaze, while distorted screams serve as the backing vocals.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| laut.de |   [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[1] |
| The Needle Drop | 7/10[b] |
Some reviewers describedEas bringing Ecco2K into the spotlight,[1][2]while Thomas Sobolik ofThe Facesaid that "Eis Arogundade's first definitive musical statement, an album that recounts life-spanning experiences and molds thecloud-rapand electronic sounds he and his friends pioneered into a palate that's distinctly his. "[6]Nöjesguidenwriter Levi Hielle-Bergstrom praisedE'speculiarity as it ventures into unexplored domains, and called Ecco2K a visionary.[15]
Commenting on Ecco2K's mystery figure, Zac Cazes wrote toThe QuietusthatE"does little to dispel the artist's sense of mystery", while also highlighting its varied production and praising it as Gud and Whitearmor's "most accomplished effort".[5]Yannik Gölz oflaut.dedescribed it as a unique album with a compelling listening experience.[11]Anthony FantanoofThe Needle Dropfelt thatEhad more potential, with some songs feeling one-dimensional, though recognizing that the album had some "beautiful" sounds and ideas.[21]In retrospect, Jordan Darville ofThe FaderdescribedEas "a standout release of 2019".[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "AAA Powerline" | Shanti | 4:12 | |
| 2. | "Peroxide" |
| Gud | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Fragile" |
| Gud | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Bliss Fields" |
| Gud | 0:22 |
| 5. | "Fruit Bleed Juice" |
| Shanti | 1:12 |
| 6. | "Cc" |
|
| 2:34 |
| 7. | "Calcium" |
| Whitearmor | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Sugar & Diesel" |
| Whitearmor | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Don't Ask" |
| Whitearmor | 2:20 |
| 10. | "Security!" |
|
| 2:35 |
| 11. | "Time" |
| Gud | 2:01 |
| 12. | "Blue Eyes" |
| Gud | 1:33 |
| Total length: | 30:23 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Life After Life" |
|
| 2:22 |
| Total length: | 32:45 | |||
Personnel
[edit]- Gud– executive production, mixing
- Whitearmor– executive production
- Robin Schmidt – mastering
- Zak Arogundade– creative direction, art direction
- Victor Svedberg – additional layouting
- Daniel Sannwald – photography
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdefghijkSmith, Nathan (6 January 2020)."Ecco2k:EAlbum Review ".Pitchfork.Retrieved3 February2020.
- ^abcdefg"Drain is officially a genre: here are five Drain Gang albums to stream now".Dazed.22 November 2022.Retrieved25 October2023.
- ^abDarville, Jordan (1 April 2021)."Ecco2k shares new EPPXE".The Fader.Retrieved26 May2024.
- ^abcdefghBorrelli-Person, Laird (27 November 2019)."Swedish Musician Ecco2K Drops a Surprise Solo Album (and an Extreme New Look)".Vogue.Retrieved19 October2023.
- ^abcdeCazes, Zac (13 January 2020)."Reviews: Ecco2k:E".The Quietus.Retrieved3 February2020.
- ^abcdefghijklmnopSobolik, Thomas (2 December 2019)."Ecco2K's second coming of age".The Face.Retrieved8 September2023.
- ^abcDarville, Jordan (27 November 2019)."Listen to Ecco2k's debut albumE".The Fader.Retrieved3 February2020.
- ^abcDandridge-Lemco, Ben (2 June 2020)."Zak Arogundade, a Musician and Designer From Stockholm".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved8 September2023.
- ^abDarville, Jordan (29 January 2020)."Ecco2k surveys a waterworld in the 'Peroxide' video".The Fader.Retrieved6 January2024.
- ^Maicki, Salvatore (30 July 2020)."Ecco2k bathes in light in his new video for 'Security!'".The Fader.Retrieved6 January2024.
- ^abcdefghijklGölz, Yannik (28 November 2019)."Spannende Fusion aus Hip Hop und futuristischer Elektronik"[Exciting fusion of hip-hop and futuristic electronic].laut.de(in German).Retrieved4 May2024.
- ^abCrone, David."Ecco2K Biography".AllMusic.Retrieved6 January2024.
- ^abFantano 2019,1:02.
- ^Fantano 2019,1:35.
- ^abcHielle-Bergstrom, Levi (2 December 2019)."Ecco2k:E".Nöjesguiden.Retrieved3 February2020.
- ^Fantano 2019,4:06.
- ^Fantano 2019,4:23.
- ^Fantano 2019,4:40.
- ^Fantano 2019,1:45.
- ^Fantano 2019,6:14.
- ^Fantano 2019,3:30, 5:39, 5:49.
Video sources
[edit]Fantano, Anthony(13 December 2019).Ecco2K –EAlbum Review.The Needle Drop.Retrieved29 April2024– viaYouTube.