Ecco2k

A founding participant in the influential Swedish collective Drain Gang, Ecco2k demonstrated his abilities across multiple media, serving as one of the group’s central vocalists while also establishing himself as a key designer and videographer. On his debut album E (2019), he fused emotionally charged lyricism with warped yet direct vocal phrasing over bright, technologically driven soundscapes.

Although born in London, Zak Arogundade Gaterud grew up primarily in Stockholm, Sweden, where an early fascination with graphic design led him to launch his own clothing label at age 16. His musical activities had already begun by age 11, when he and childhood friend Benjamin Reichwald (aka Bladee) formed the punk duo Krossad, all while pursuing parallel work in design, video editing, and directing. The two maintained a close creative partnership through their teens and later joined Whitearmor and Thaiboy Digital to establish the pioneering collective Drain Gang, previously known as Gravity Boys and GTB Shield Gang.

While continuing to handle extensive merchandising and video projects, Ecco issued his first singles in 2013—“Bleach,” “Hold Me Down Like Gravity,” and “Mirage”—featuring distant, hollowed vocals atop cloudy beats and emotionally direct writing. He contributed to seven tracks on Drain Gang’s 2017 compilation D&G and maintained ongoing partnerships with Bladee and Thaiboy Digital, culminating in their joint 2019 mixtape Trash Island. As the decade advanced, his approach shifted toward sleek, forward-looking production shaped by the emerging hyper-pop and hyper-rap movements. The 12-track LP E, released later that year, crystallized this evolution in its most experimental form, folding candid yet distorted vocals into icy, computer-generated environments. A handful of early-2020s singles preceded the PXE EP, after which he reunited with Bladee for the 2022 mixtape Crest.