Bad Religion: ‘Crest’ and the Endless Cycle of Reincarnation
On their revolutionary album, Bladee and Ecco2k tackle existential dread with the purifying forces of optimism and beauty, invoking elements of Buddhist and Taoist theology to do so.
Bad Religion explores the relationship between music and spirituality, from Christianity and Islam to the paranormal and the occult.
Written by Rupak Kadiri
Photo courtesy of Bladee and Ecco2k
The 2022 album Crest marks yet another collaboration from the prolific rappers, producers, and music artists Bladee and Ecco2k. Since the release of his 2014 cult-classic mixtape, Gluee, Bladee has captivated fans and critics alike with diaphanous soundscapes beyond comparison, while Ecco2k’s 2019 debut album E was met with overwhelmingly positive acclaim, with listeners praising their subversive take on hyperpop. Though the details of their childhood lives remain private, it is known that the two met in Stockholm, Sweden, around 2004, when they were aged 9 and 10-years-old respectively. The pair would later form a punk band known as Krossad, marking their collaborative efforts' inception. The subject matter of both artists’ material primarily deals with depression, ostracization, and existential lamentation. Some of their earlier works best elucidate this nihilistic perspective, with Bladee woefully rapping “Six in the morning and I’m thinkin’ I should end myself / Three p.m. and I’m thinking I should get some help” on the pair’s 2017 collaboration “Plastic Surgery.” At one point, this pervasive despair seemed inseparable from both of these artists' music. However, with Crest, the eclectic nonconformists seem to have accepted their suffering, looking toward a future where they manage to escape the all-consuming cycle of rebirth through self-love and acceptance. There is a lack of spiritual allusions in their previous works, making the album not only a departure from the pair’s artistic convictions but an evolution.
Fascinatingly enough, neither Bladee nor Ecco2k have professed to explicitly being Buddhist or Taoist, nor have they established these theologies as a component of their identities, artistic or personal. However, one would be remiss to ignore the obvious allusions to the doctrine of these religions within the album. Practically all of the tracks deal with existence, rebirth, and the release from the suffocating grip of desire, which are all core tenets of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. The transcendental album was recorded by Bladee, Ecco2k, and producer Whitearmor in a cabin near the location where legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” was filmed, which had an unmistakable influence. This film's fantastical, existential nature undeniably parallels the flamboyant album's thematic substance. Crest not only explicates the transformative journey the pair underwent regarding their newfound spirituality but wraps the listener up in this journey as well.
The whimsical intro of the project, “The Flag is Raised,” establishes the pair’s denouncement of worldly suffering, turning toward a spiritual light that washes away the grime of existence. The instrumental combines a mystical synth pad, shimmering bells ringing in the high-end, and a booming 808 bass paired with clublike drum rhythms. The pair utilize pop-like vocals to create a sonic space that sounds inviting yet wildly exotic. Bladee croons, “Suddenly, everything turns gold for me / Suffering isn’t anymore, gold wash over me / Shining like the sun, nothing’s ugly.” In Buddhism, gold is considered a representation of freedom and purity due to its relation with the golden light of the Sun, which Bladee invokes to establish his newfound freedom. A majority of the tracks on the album impart Buddhist ideals, with “White Meadow” detailing the cleansing of impurity through the tranquility of nature and “Faust” expounding the journey of self-acceptance. “Yeses (Red Cross)” condemns the cycle of constant suffering founded by the capitalist emphasis on materialism, while “Heaven Sings” outlining the invigoration of a spiritual catharsis.
The dynamic “5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum),” which runs for nearly 9 minutes, is a standout. Vattenrum is the name of a close friend and collaborator of Bladee and Ecco2k. He passed away in 2019. The track does not explicitly mention his death, but the titular dedication seems to emphasize the subject matter. The jubilant and spirited track is an amalgamation of five independent instrumentals that all seamlessly tie together to illustrate the cyclical and futile nature of birth, death, and rebirth. These instrumentals are all quite ethereal, with the melodies ranging from soothing pads, arpeggiated Moog synths, and the glistening bell sounds used throughout the album. The basslines range from trap-inspired 808s to bouncy, resonant club bass synths. There is a surprising lack of hi-hats present within the Europop-inspired drum programming, but the potent rhythm of the melodies and bass more than compensate for this intentional exclusion. The first part of the track symbolizes birth (and rebirth), with Ecco2k vocalizing in an angelic haze, “Blinding lights over the horizon / I look to the sky and it smiles back down on me.” The second and third parts portray the vanity of worldly desires, with Bladee proudly expressing the pervasive power of his allure, confidently exclaiming, “Beauty is my drug, I’m the pusher, push it / We think we exist, that’s why we suffer, do we not?” With the fourth section of the track, the pair comes to terms with this pervading cycle, both wholeheartedly preaching that “Death is Beautiful.”
For many Buddhists, Hindus, and Taoists, death is viewed as a natural and necessary component of existence. They celebrate it as a step toward salvation. With each reincarnation, one gets closer to stopping the rebirth cycle, which is met with open arms on the track. The finale of “5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)” emphasizes the significance of love, with Ecco2k simply singing “I love you” throughout. As imparted by Buddhist Doctrine, no matter the vessel or form of life, the ability to love gives one the ability to attain salvation. Death is not the end, for it is only the beginning. Only when one learns to love all, do they break the cycle.
The sixth cut on the album, “Desire is a Trap,” is arguably one of the most emblematic manifestations of Crest’s motifs and soundscapes. The instrumental combines several playful synths to create a dreamy, fairylike melody and a flamboyant sub-bass, giving the track an irresistible bounciness. Deep house hi-hat sounds are combined with a pop-inspired kick and snare drum sounds, further adding to the bustling rhythm of the composition. Both Bladee and Ecco2k employ a falsetto filled with glee, fully effectuating the song as celebratory acceptance of existence. On the hook, Bladee and Ecco2k joyfully proclaim, “Every day I swallow the pain, but I still taste it / wash, wash, wash, wash, wash the pain away,” as well as “Walk, walk, walk, walk, walking with the faith / drip drop, rain won’t stop on a sunny day.” Though these lines seem crestfallen to a certain degree, the optimistic delivery of them emphasize the notion that the pair are coming to terms with this lifelong process of suffering. Life will indubitably cause pain, but all they can do is learn to wash it away. Even a sunny day can be met with the patter of rain, but all they can do is walk with faith. They recognize that suffering persists no matter the circumstance, but they also recognize that they can overcome it with their sanguinity, no matter the circumstance.
Crest’s chaotic yet serene sonic environments capture the absurdity of life,, speaking to the overbearing weight of reincarnation in its tendency to create an existence without any intrinsic meaning. While earlier versions of themselves would perhaps create a pessimistic work in respect to this notion, Bladee and Ecco2k do the opposite. This unresolvable absurdity is not a destructive beast in their eyes, but a beautiful indication of what is out there in the ether. The two have accepted their fate as constituents in the all-encompassing cycle of reincarnation and embrace the inevitability of their suffering rather than bemoaning it. While Crest proclaims that the nature of existence comes with suffering, it also affirms the powers of love and acceptance as forces that overcome all else.