{"id":1980270,"date":"2026-06-09T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T07:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1980270"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T07:05:00","slug":"what-drain-gangs-thaiboy-digital-did-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1980270","title":{"rendered":"What Drain Gang\u2019s Thaiboy Digital did next"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1035\/0-199-1035-690\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445924.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/70337\/1\/what-drain-gangs-thaiboy-digital-did-next\" data-article-id=\"70337\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.77\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC292_P3_ThaiboyDigital_DhamSirfuengfung_DomeSongp\" class=\"img\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1035\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445924.jpg\" width=\"1035\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Dham Srifuengfung, Styling <span class=\"nowrap\">Dome Songprakon<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-09T10:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"09 June 2026\"><span class=\"month\">June<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"9\">9,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/the-summer-2026-issue\">The Summer 2026 Issue<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/the-summer-2026-issue\">The Summer 2026 Issue<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>What Drain Gang\u2019s Thaiboy Digital <span class=\"nowrap\">did next<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>With Swedish sadboy crew Drain Gang, Thaiboy Digital sparked a revolution in rap \u2013 now, he\u2019s breaking rules once more on his most euphoric record <span class=\"nowrap\">to date<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-06-09T10:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"09 June 2026\"><span class=\"month\">June<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"9\">9,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-06-09T10:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"09 June 2026\"><span class=\"month\">June<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"9\">9,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\"><br \/>\nSolomon PM<br \/>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><em>This story is taken from the summer 2026 issue of Dazed, which is on sale internationally from June 5. Pre-order a copy of the magazine\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/b6j0xs-f5.myshopify.com\/cart\/57910573957384:1?channel=buy_button\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/boutiquegalleria.com\/products\/dazed-1&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772900104119000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2nXgs6xfLxlaNtXXEmyBaR\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou ever seen <\/span><em><span>Finding Nemo<\/span><\/em><span>?\u201d Thaiboy Digital asks me over FaceTime from his home in Bangkok, slicking back his bleached blonde hair and speaking with the distinctive Swedish lilt that shaped a generation of angsty teenagers in the 2010s. The 31-year-old Drain Gang member is speaking two days before Songkran festival marks the new year in Thailand, and the rapper\u2019s eldest daughter has just completed her last day of nursery \u2013 something that has left him feeling emotional. \u201cI [feel] like Nemo\u2019s dad when he takes Nemo to school, but times a hundred. I see all these schoolchildren like schools of fish; it\u2019s a little hectic but also exciting. I\u2019ve played shows to a thousand fans, but seeing a thousand kids is a totally different vibe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Not too long ago, Thaiboy would\u2019ve been better cast as Nemo himself, exploring an unknown world all on his own. Born in Khon Kaen, Thailand\u2019s fourth largest city, he moved to Sweden at the age of eight after his mother took a job in Stockholm. There, he soon fell in with a cohort of talented yet troubled misfits, and what happened next is now etched in musical lore. From that friendship group emerged the first cloud rap superstar, Yung Lean, and the cult-favourite Drain Gang collective, made up of vocalists Thaiboy Digital, Bladee and Ecco2k, alongside producer Whitearmor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Through a string of unorthodox, faintly esoteric releases in the early 2010s, the scene sparked a revolution in rap. The Auto-Tuned, English-as-a-second-language vocals and futuristic production spoke to outsiders everywhere, conjuring a fantastical world that anyone with an internet connection could escape to. But in 2015, just as Thaiboy\u2019s legend was being written, he was forced to return to Thailand. He has lived in Bangkok ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But neither distance nor the fact he has married and had two kids have stopped Thaiboy from playing an active role in Drain Gang. Thirteen years on from its formation, the group\u2019s influence looms larger than ever. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to express what\u2019s led to that,\u201d Thaiboy says of the group\u2019s near-mythical reputation. \u201cThe main thing is probably truth. We\u2019ve stayed true to ourselves and each other and maybe some of that gets into the music.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When I mention the countless artists that have cited Drain Gang as an inspiration \u2013 from K-pop disruptor Effie to Nu China rapper Billionhappy, both of whom Thaiboy has collaborated with under his Swedish-language alias DJ Billybool \u2013 he grows quiet. \u201cThat\u2019s dope, because music did that for me. When [Californian cloud rap pioneer] Lil B started doing music I was like, \u2018Damn, if he can do all this stuff, why can\u2019t I?\u2019 It showed me there were no limits. That was one of the lights on my path to becoming Thai[boy].\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a path that continues to lead Thaiboy down new and unexpected places. His latest album, <em>Paradise<\/em>, recorded in collaboration with anonymous Swedish EDM trio swedm\u00ae (pronounced \u201cswee-dee-em\u201d), features maximalist Eurodance production that sounds like a spaceship reaching warp speed. \u201cIt\u2019s like the hardest thing you\u2019ve ever heard in your life,\u201d Thaiboy says of the project. \u201cWe recorded it in a really nice penthouse in Phuket, chilling with the homies on the beach by the palm trees. But we didn\u2019t want <em>Paradise<\/em> to be a place \u2013 anyone can visit Phuket. The music, how we made it, what we felt&#8230; to me, that place felt more un-physical.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Thaiboy remains tight-lipped about who makes up the swedm\u00ae trio, which has been rumoured online to include close Drain Gang associates Varg2TM, jamesjamesjames and Eurohead. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say anyone is the head of swedm\u00ae, but their work dynamic is undeniably fire,\u201d he says. \u201cWithout [naming] names, we would have one daytime producer drinking all the iced americanos, and then, when they clocked off, we\u2019d have the nighttime producer clocking in. Between them, there would be a third turning up and locking in, and then I\u2019d come in, record and go home. You know how a samurai sword is made? They bash it, then fold it. It\u2019s like that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"sCntIugua9E\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sCntIugua9E\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>There\u2019s an unmistakable euphoria at work on <\/span><em><span>Paradise<\/span><\/em><span>, a symbolic departure from the traumatic experiences that coloured much of Thaiboy\u2019s earlier work. It feels like a trip to a new world, with opening track \u201cDreaming Your Reality\u201d serving as the take-off. Thaiboy croons, \u201c<\/span><em><span>I\u2019m finally free from the shackles that chain me, I\u2019ll no longer forsake me<\/span><\/em><span>\u201d over synths and risers that fire off like steam from a jet engine. \u201cThat particular track was about the trouble I had with my old label,\u201d Thaiboy says, referencing the YEAR0001 imprint that both Drain Gang and Yung Lean cut ties with in 2024. \u201cI\u2019m trying to keep this nice and polite, but basically many of my friends were under the same management and it didn\u2019t work out. I\u2019ll leave my answer at that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><em>Paradise<\/em> looks forward to the future \u2013 one that, judging by Thaiboy\u2019s lyrics, is filled with G6 planes, designer clothes and lots of money. It\u2019s a material excess that, on first listen, seems rather superficial, but Thaiboy finds deeper meaning in all of it. \u201cGrowing up I always loved numbers,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhile my friends were doing one plus one in school, I was gambling with the grown-ups, learning to count cards. For me, money is a [form] of art. When I\u2019m in my flow state, I think as much in numbers as in words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a philosophy that, for Thaiboy, partly manifests in the image of a G6 plane \u2013 a motif he invoked even in his earliest lyrics. \u201cI\u2019ve probably said \u2018G6\u2019 on every project I\u2019ve done,\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cI think the Gulfstream G650 commercial is the most beautiful [thing] I\u2019ve seen in my life. Wouldn\u2019t it be nice to just fly anywhere you want? It\u2019s luxury, but it\u2019s also a freedom thing. It\u2019s motivation and inspiration for the path of life.\u201d In his hands, the private jet seems less like a material possession than a symbol in a neo-expressionist painting, his vehicle to a figurative paradise.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"lVNfXnDRhUI\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lVNfXnDRhUI\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Hearing this stark optimism, however, I\u2019m reminded of the turbulence that surrounded Thaiboy\u2019s life after he left Sweden in 2015. Back in 2019, he\u2019d maintained that he was trying to return. Is that still the case? \u201cI don\u2019t want to move back to Sweden,\u201d he tells me. \u201cI have a family now and I can see the whole future for them back in Sweden \u2013 like, Dad went to this school, that high school, visited that restaurant&#8230; It\u2019s not fun. Life is like a blank sheet of paper and I don\u2019t want to give them a script.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cA lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I don\u2019t care,\u201d Thaiboy continues. \u201cFor me, the most important thing in life is existing in the unknown, thriving in the inconvenience, finding your magic. It was so magical growing up in Sweden, learning everything for the first time. I don\u2019t want to take that away from my kids. If we go to a <\/span><span>new country, then we\u2019re in the same boat, just like I was with my parents, exploring side-by-side.\u201d Thaiboy might compare himself to the paranoid and overprotective father from <\/span><em><span>Finding Nemo<\/span><\/em><span>, but it\u2019s clear that he is, and always will be, an adventurer at heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>This story is taken from the summer 2026 issue of Dazed. Order a copy of the magazine <a href=\"http:\/\/www.boutiquemags.com\/dpa\/add\/tocart\/id\/14592\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Styling assistant Korawit Sattayapan<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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Here, we share our top recommendations for more true-to-life representations <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"split-hero__category\">Film &amp; TV<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-list__rail\" data-split-rail>\n<div class=\"split-list__railInner\"><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/57454\/1\/10-of-the-hottest-instagram-accounts-fusing-art-sex-and-erotica\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"sexiest hottest art erotica Instagram\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/0-98-687-458\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1340\/4\/1344209.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Beauty<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">10 of the hottest Instagram accounts fusing art, sex and erotica<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/70389\/1\/salehe-bemburys-puma-collection-is-a-love-letter-to-the-football-community\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"split-rail-card__campaign optional-paragraph\"> Puma<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026-06-04 at 10.13.36\u202fAM\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/314-0-2180-1453\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/6\/1446582.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Fashion<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">Salehe Bembury\u2019s Puma collection is a love letter to the football community<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70337\/1\/what-drain-gangs-thaiboy-digital-did-next\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC292_P3_ThaiboyDigital_DhamSirfuengfung_DomeSongp\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/0-199-1035-690\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445924.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Music<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">What Drain Gang\u2019s Thaiboy Digital did next<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70381\/1\/photographs-vietnamese-diaspora-berlin-tracy-dong\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tracy Dong, Reassemblage\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/0-0-1722-1148\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/6\/1446713.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Art &amp; 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Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><em>This story is taken from the summer 2026 issue of Dazed, which is on sale internationally from June 5. Pre-order a copy of the magazine\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/b6j0xs-f5.myshopify.com\/cart\/57910573957384:1?channel=buy_button\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/boutiquegalleria.com\/products\/dazed-1&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772900104119000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2nXgs6xfLxlaNtXXEmyBaR\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou ever seen <\/span><em><span>Finding Nemo<\/span><\/em><span>?\u201d Thaiboy Digital asks me over FaceTime from his home in Bangkok, slicking back his bleached blonde hair and speaking with the distinctive Swedish lilt that shaped a generation of angsty teenagers in the 2010s. The 31-year-old Drain Gang member is speaking two days before Songkran festival marks the new year in Thailand, and the rapper\u2019s eldest daughter has just completed her last day of nursery \u2013 something that has left him feeling emotional. \u201cI [feel] like Nemo\u2019s dad when he takes Nemo to school, but times a hundred. I see all these schoolchildren like schools of fish; it\u2019s a little hectic but also exciting. I\u2019ve played shows to a thousand fans, but seeing a thousand kids is a totally different vibe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Not too long ago, Thaiboy would\u2019ve been better cast as Nemo himself, exploring an unknown world all on his own. Born in Khon Kaen, Thailand\u2019s fourth largest city, he moved to Sweden at the age of eight after his mother took a job in Stockholm. There, he soon fell in with a cohort of talented yet troubled misfits, and what happened next is now etched in musical lore. From that friendship group emerged the first cloud rap superstar, Yung Lean, and the cult-favourite Drain Gang collective, made up of vocalists Thaiboy Digital, Bladee and Ecco2k, alongside producer Whitearmor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Through a string of unorthodox, faintly esoteric releases in the early 2010s, the scene sparked a revolution in rap. The Auto-Tuned, English-as-a-second-language vocals and futuristic production spoke to outsiders everywhere, conjuring a fantastical world that anyone with an internet connection could escape to. But in 2015, just as Thaiboy\u2019s legend was being written, he was forced to return to Thailand. He has lived in Bangkok ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>But neither distance nor the fact he has married and had two kids have stopped Thaiboy from playing an active role in Drain Gang. Thirteen years on from its formation, the group\u2019s influence looms larger than ever. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to express what\u2019s led to that,\u201d Thaiboy says of the group\u2019s near-mythical reputation. \u201cThe main thing is probably truth. We\u2019ve stayed true to ourselves and each other and maybe some of that gets into the music.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When I mention the countless artists that have cited Drain Gang as an inspiration \u2013 from K-pop disruptor Effie to Nu China rapper Billionhappy, both of whom Thaiboy has collaborated with under his Swedish-language alias DJ Billybool \u2013 he grows quiet. \u201cThat\u2019s dope, because music did that for me. When [Californian cloud rap pioneer] Lil B started doing music I was like, \u2018Damn, if he can do all this stuff, why can\u2019t I?\u2019 It showed me there were no limits. That was one of the lights on my path to becoming Thai[boy].\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a path that continues to lead Thaiboy down new and unexpected places. His latest album, <em>Paradise<\/em>, recorded in collaboration with anonymous Swedish EDM trio swedm\u00ae (pronounced \u201cswee-dee-em\u201d), features maximalist Eurodance production that sounds like a spaceship reaching warp speed. \u201cIt\u2019s like the hardest thing you\u2019ve ever heard in your life,\u201d Thaiboy says of the project. \u201cWe recorded it in a really nice penthouse in Phuket, chilling with the homies on the beach by the palm trees. But we didn\u2019t want <em>Paradise<\/em> to be a place \u2013 anyone can visit Phuket. The music, how we made it, what we felt&#8230; to me, that place felt more un-physical.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Thaiboy remains tight-lipped about who makes up the swedm\u00ae trio, which has been rumoured online to include close Drain Gang associates Varg2TM, jamesjamesjames and Eurohead. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say anyone is the head of swedm\u00ae, but their work dynamic is undeniably fire,\u201d he says. \u201cWithout [naming] names, we would have one daytime producer drinking all the iced americanos, and then, when they clocked off, we\u2019d have the nighttime producer clocking in. Between them, there would be a third turning up and locking in, and then I\u2019d come in, record and go home. You know how a samurai sword is made? They bash it, then fold it. It\u2019s like that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"sCntIugua9E\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sCntIugua9E\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>There\u2019s an unmistakable euphoria at work on <\/span><em><span>Paradise<\/span><\/em><span>, a symbolic departure from the traumatic experiences that coloured much of Thaiboy\u2019s earlier work. It feels like a trip to a new world, with opening track \u201cDreaming Your Reality\u201d serving as the take-off. Thaiboy croons, \u201c<\/span><em><span>I\u2019m finally free from the shackles that chain me, I\u2019ll no longer forsake me<\/span><\/em><span>\u201d over synths and risers that fire off like steam from a jet engine. \u201cThat particular track was about the trouble I had with my old label,\u201d Thaiboy says, referencing the YEAR0001 imprint that both Drain Gang and Yung Lean cut ties with in 2024. \u201cI\u2019m trying to keep this nice and polite, but basically many of my friends were under the same management and it didn\u2019t work out. I\u2019ll leave my answer at that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><em>Paradise<\/em> looks forward to the future \u2013 one that, judging by Thaiboy\u2019s lyrics, is filled with G6 planes, designer clothes and lots of money. It\u2019s a material excess that, on first listen, seems rather superficial, but Thaiboy finds deeper meaning in all of it. \u201cGrowing up I always loved numbers,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhile my friends were doing one plus one in school, I was gambling with the grown-ups, learning to count cards. For me, money is a [form] of art. When I\u2019m in my flow state, I think as much in numbers as in words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a philosophy that, for Thaiboy, partly manifests in the image of a G6 plane \u2013 a motif he invoked even in his earliest lyrics. \u201cI\u2019ve probably said \u2018G6\u2019 on every project I\u2019ve done,\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cI think the Gulfstream G650 commercial is the most beautiful [thing] I\u2019ve seen in my life. Wouldn\u2019t it be nice to just fly anywhere you want? It\u2019s luxury, but it\u2019s also a freedom thing. It\u2019s motivation and inspiration for the path of life.\u201d In his hands, the private jet seems less like a material possession than a symbol in a neo-expressionist painting, his vehicle to a figurative paradise.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"lVNfXnDRhUI\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lVNfXnDRhUI\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Hearing this stark optimism, however, I\u2019m reminded of the turbulence that surrounded Thaiboy\u2019s life after he left Sweden in 2015. Back in 2019, he\u2019d maintained that he was trying to return. Is that still the case? \u201cI don\u2019t want to move back to Sweden,\u201d he tells me. \u201cI have a family now and I can see the whole future for them back in Sweden \u2013 like, Dad went to this school, that high school, visited that restaurant&#8230; It\u2019s not fun. Life is like a blank sheet of paper and I don\u2019t want to give them a script.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cA lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I don\u2019t care,\u201d Thaiboy continues. \u201cFor me, the most important thing in life is existing in the unknown, thriving in the inconvenience, finding your magic. It was so magical growing up in Sweden, learning everything for the first time. I don\u2019t want to take that away from my kids. If we go to a <\/span><span>new country, then we\u2019re in the same boat, just like I was with my parents, exploring side-by-side.\u201d Thaiboy might compare himself to the paranoid and overprotective father from <\/span><em><span>Finding Nemo<\/span><\/em><span>, but it\u2019s clear that he is, and always will be, an adventurer at heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>This story is taken from the summer 2026 issue of Dazed. Order a copy of the magazine <a href=\"http:\/\/www.boutiquemags.com\/dpa\/add\/tocart\/id\/14592\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Styling assistant Korawit Sattayapan<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70337\/1\/what-drain-gangs-thaiboy-digital-did-next&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1035\/0-199-1035-690\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445924.jpg&#8221;] Photography Dham Srifuengfung, Styling Dome Songprakon June\u00a0 9,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ The Summer 2026 Issue Music \/ The Summer 2026 Issue What Drain Gang\u2019s Thaiboy Digital did next With Swedish sadboy crew Drain Gang, Thaiboy Digital sparked a revolution in rap \u2013 now, he\u2019s breaking rules once more on his most euphoric [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1980270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1980270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1980270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1980270\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1980270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1980270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1980270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}