If you attend Berkeley High School, or really any other public school in the Bay Area, then you may have been exposed to a phenomenon that has traveled all the way from the beaches of Sweden: the Drain Gang collective. The group comprises Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital, and a smattering of producers creating a brand of uniquely esoteric music. But this article isn't about them, it's about their loyal followers, known as "drainers" . Drainers are an anomaly. You might have spotted one shuffling down the hallway in pants so baggy that they look like puddles on the floor, or maybe you've even seen two of them sharing a set of AirPods while subtly moving their heads staring at the ground. But there is more than meets the eye. I took the time to interview self proclaimed drainers to try and glance below the surface, and my findings were astounding. "A drainer is someone who not only listens to the music, but like, really puts on a persona," says Enzo Wood, a junior in AHA. He continues to tell me "I like to skate and make clothes, but yeah, draining pretty much takes up the majority of my time." Not every drainer agrees with Wood's perspective of what a drainer should look like or how they should act. Some downright oppose it, such as the drainer I interviewed who preferred to remain anonymous.
"Drainers definitely have a specific style... definitely like stupid clothes." Unfortunately, if opinions like these go public, a drainer could be "mentally ex-communicated from the group".
Drainers carry a herd mentality; even those who oppose it are too afraid to speak out because if they lose draining, they are at risk of losing many of their friends. Within this herd mentality everyone must wear similar clothes, act in similar ways and follow the Drain Gang without question. Furthermore, draining takes up a majority of time that drainers used to put into other hobbies. These are key characteristics of a cult. Please be careful the next time you are scrolling through Spotify. DO NOT click on any song by anyone in the Drain Gang because, the next thing you know, you will find yourself trapped within a mindset you can't break free of.