Jump to content

Crack Cloud

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Tony1 (talk | contribs) at 07:46, 5 September 2024 (Script-assisted style fixes, script-assisted date audit and style fixes per MOS:NUM, script-assisted date audit and style fixes per MOS:NUM). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Crack Cloud
Background information
OriginCalgary, Alberta, Canada[1]
GenresArt punk, post-punk
new wave, avant garde
avant pop, electropunk, industrial hip hop, experimental
Years active2015–present
LabelsCrack Cloud Media Studio
Jagjaguwar
Big Love Records
Meat Machine
Tin Angel
Deranged
Members
  • Zach Choy
  • William Choy
  • Bryce Cloghesy
  • Jesse Atkey
  • Aleem Khan
  • Eve Adams
  • Mackenzie Cruse
  • Emma Acs
  • Nat Philipps
  • Aidan Pontarini
Past members
  • Patrick Seager
  • Jon Reynolds
  • Will Johnson
  • Henry Hsieh
  • Jon Varley
  • Noah Varley
  • Daniel Robertson
  • Mohammad Sharar
  • Garnet Aroynk
  • Jared Drake

Crack Cloud are a Canadian musical and multimedia collective currently based in Calgary, Alberta, formed by drummer and frontman Zach Choy.[2] Alongside the group's core musical members who perform live as a band, a large number of multimedia artists are also associated and operate simultaneously as an in-house production studio within the group, due to the project's strong focus on visual storytelling.[3][4][5]

To date, they have released three studio albums: Pain Olympics (2020), Tough Baby (2022)[6] and their third album Red Mile, which was released at July 26, 2024, via American independent label Jagjaguwar.[7]

History

Formed in 2015, Crack Cloud started as the solo project of lead vocalist and drummer Zach Choy while he was living in Calgary, Alberta.[2][8] Soon after, the project moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 2018, where most of its members met through various addiction recovery and mental health programmes both as participants and as support workers.[5] Choy stated that the purpose of Crack Cloud is a "healing mechanism"[9] The group's logo is also notable as an appropriation of the exclamation mark used by Concerned Children's Advertisers, a series of public service-announcements aimed towards children on various topics (drug abuse, peer pressure, exercise, etc.) that were broadcast on Canadian television during 1990s until the mid-2000s.[10][11]

Crack Cloud released their first self-titled EP, in 2016, followed by another the next year called Anchoring Point in 2017.[12] These two EP's were re-released as a self-titled compilation via Deranged and Tin Angel/Meat Machine Records on June 1, 2018.[13] Following those releases, the group toured internationally and featured at several music festivals including Levitation,[14] End of the Road,[15] and Roskilde[16] which garnered the group considerable exposure between North America, the United Kingdom and Europe respectively.

Crack Cloud released their debut studio album, Pain Olympics, via Meat Machine Records on July 17, 2020, preceded by four singles, The Next Fix, Ouster Stew, Tunnel Vision and Favour Your Fortune, released between May 2019 until October 2020. The record was received favourably, based on the album receiving an average score of 87 from 8 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]

On July 8, 2021, the group were named as the winners of the Hi-Fidelity Award, a prize for Canadian recording artists use of innovation within their music videos at the 2021 Prism Prize.[18]

On May 11, 2022, Crack Cloud announced their second album, Tough Baby, released September 16, 2022, via Meat Machine, with the release of the album's first single, Please Yourself.[19] The album's self-titled second single was released on July 8, 2022.[20] Costly Engineered Illusion, the album's third single was released September 1. 2022.[21]

On May 15, 2024, the group revealed they had signed to American independent label, Jagjaguwar, and announced their third studio album, Red Mile, set to be released July 26. 2024. The announcement was in-tandem with the album's first single, "Blue Kite".[22] Follow-up single, "The Medium" was released soon after on June 18. 2024.[23]

Members

Current

  • Zach Choy – lead vocals, drums, synthesizer, film editor, producer, songwriter, percussion (2015–present)
  • Will Choy – lead guitar, backing vocals (2018–present)
  • Bryce Cloghesy – saxophone, lead guitar, sampler (2017–present)
  • Jesse Atkey – saxophone, sampler, backing vocals (2018–2022; 2024–present)
  • Eve Adams – vocals (2024–present ; associate 2018–2024)
  • Mackenzie Cruse – singer, vocals, graphic design (2024–present ; associate 2018–2024)
  • Aleem Khan – keyboards, synthesizers, bongos, backing vocals (2021–present) guitar, bass, organ (2023–present)
  • Nat Philipps – saxophone (2022–present)
  • Aidan Pontarini – production, creative director, film editor (2023–present) [24]
  • Emma Acs – vocals (2024–present)
Crack Cloud – live @ Molotow Club in Hamburg, Germany (November 2022)

Former

  • Patrick Seager – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2016–2017)
  • Jon Reynolds – lead guitar, saxophone, backing vocals (2016–2017)
  • Will Johnson – lead guitar, bass, backing vocals (2016–2017)
  • Henry Hsieh – rhythm guitar (2016–2017)
  • Jon Varley – lead guitar, backing vocals (2017–2019)
  • Noah Varley – bass, saxophone (2017–2019)
  • Kelsie Hjorleifson – bass (2018)
  • Daniel Robertson – keyboards, synthesizers, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2018–2021)[25]
  • Megan Magdalena – bass, backing vocals (2020–2021)[26]
  • Mohammad "Mo" Ali Sharar – rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards, sampler, backing vocals, production, graphic design, film editor (2016–2022)[27]
  • Garnet Aroynk Muhammad – rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals (2019–2022)[28]
  • Camryn Sproule – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals (2022)
  • David Proctor – lead guitar, bass, backing vocals (2022)
  • Mikhail Oreshkov – guitar, bass, backing vocals (2022)
  • Jared Drake – bass, backing vocals (2016–2017; 2023–2024)

Associates

  • Alex Burke – choir, percussion
  • Nicolas Dirksen – engineering, mixing, strings, additional percussion, additional synths
  • Missy Donaldson – singer, vocals
  • Silvia Fioretti – choir, percussion
  • Richard Guy – production
  • Oliver Hamilton – violin
  • Victoria Hamblett – choir, percussion
  • Wei Huang – graphic design, lettering
  • Annalisa Iembo – sound engineer
  • Syd Kemp – choir, percussion, mixing
  • Amy Lowe – graphic design, assistant choreography
  • Jennilee Marigomen – photography
  • Magdalena McLean – violin
  • Sage Aronyk Muhammad – percussion, vocals
  • David Novotny – guitar, lap steel, flute
  • Eris Nyx – artist, activist, community organizer[8][29]
  • Arthur Sajas – flute, choir, percussion
  • Eden Solomon – dancer, choreography
  • John Paul Stewart – engineering, mixing, processing
  • Joseph Stone – saxophone, percussion
  • Gam Traynor – cello
  • Aga Ujma – harp, vocals
  • Jing Wang – photography, graphic design, assistant choreography

Discography

Studio Albums
Live Albums
  • Crackin Up: Live In London (2023)
EPs
  • Crack Cloud (2016)[30]
  • Anchoring Point (2017)[12]
Compilations
  • Crack Cloud (2018)[31]
  • Live Leak (2020)

Music videos

As "Crack Cloud"

Title Year Album
"Image Craft" 2016 Anchoring Point
"Swish Swash" 2017
"Uncanny Valley" 2018 Non-album single
"The Next Fix" 2019 Pain Olympics
"Crackin Up" Non-album single
"Ouster Stew" 2020 Pain Olympics
"Tunnel Vision"
"Favour Your Fortune"
"Please Yourself" 2022 Tough Baby
"Tough Baby"
"Costly Engineered Illusion"
"Blue Kite" 2024 Red Mile
"The Medium"

As "Crack Cloud Media Studio"

Title Year Album
"Elastic"
(ZDBT & Slim Media Player featuring Prado) 		2021 ELASTIC
"Preoccupation"
Black Marble 		Fast Idol

Recognition

Prism Prize

The Prism Prize is a national, juried award established to recognize outstanding artistry in the Canadian music video production community. The Hi-Fidelity Award is presented to a recording artist (band or musician) who has used video art to represent their work in a consistently creative and innovative way.[32]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2021 Crack Cloud Hi-Fidelity Award Won

References

  1. ^ Greenhorn, Sean (May 2, 2019). "Crack Cloud: 'We make art about destructive patterns so that we can reflect, contextualise and correct them'". The List. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Berman, Stuart (July 21, 2020). "Crack Cloud: Pain Olympics". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Wright, Lisa (July 17, 2020). "SALVATION ARMY: CRACK CLOUD". DIY. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Simpson, Dave (November 16, 2018). "Crack Cloud: how they used punk as a therapy against addiction". The Guardian. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Clarke, Patrick (August 8, 2019). "Clear Skies: An Interview With Crack Cloud". The Quietus. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Quietus | News | Crack Cloud Detail Second Album, 'Tough Baby'". The Quietus. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Taylor, Sam (May 15, 2024). "Crack Cloud have confirmed their new album 'Red Mile', and their biggest headline show to date". Readdork.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  8. ^ a b St. Denis, Jen (April 15, 2021). "For One Day, BC Activists Handed Out Clean Heroin and Cocaine'". The Tyee.
  9. ^ Crack Cloud interview: ‘It's based on true shit’. 3VOOR12. July 23, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "Canadian Trademarks Details: Concerned Children's Advertisers & Design — 1181945 – Canadian Trademarks Database – Intellectual property and copyright – Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada".
  11. ^ "PSA Collection – Concerned Children's Advertisers". YouTube.
  12. ^ a b McNamara, Jamie (June 27, 2017). "Crack Cloud – Anchoring Point". BeatRoute. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Introducing: Canada collective Crack Cloud construct something radically new out of post-punk's past". Le Guess Who?. July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Crack Cloud". Levitation-france.com.
  15. ^ "Damon Albarn, Crack Cloud & more added to End of the Road Festival 2021 lineup". Endoftheroadfestival.com. August 5, 2021.
  16. ^ "Roskilde festival 2019 the Cure Crack Cloud Black Midi". Louderthanwar.com. July 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Pain Olympics by Crack Cloud". Metacritic. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  18. ^ "Haviah Mighty's Thirteen wins 2021 Prism Prize for top Canadian music video". CBC News, July 26, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Crack Cloud Announce Tough Baby, Share "Please Yourself" Video". Pastemagazine.com. May 9, 2022.
  20. ^ "Crack Cloud Share "Tough Baby," Title Track from Their Forthcoming Album". Pastemagazine.com. July 6, 2022.
  21. ^ "PCRACK CLOUD – COSTLY ENGINEERED ILLUSION (Official Video)". YouTube. September 1, 2022.
  22. ^ "Crack Cloud Announce New Album 'Red Mile': Hear "Blue Kite"". Stereogum.com. May 15, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  23. ^ https://readdork.com/news/crack-cloud-single-the-medium/
  24. ^ McAllister, Sam. "Crack Cloud | Pitch Perfect PR". Pitchperfectpr.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "Peace Chord". Tinangelrecords.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Reddit – Dive into anything". Reddit.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  27. ^ "Reddit – Dive into anything". Reddit.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  28. ^ "Canadian supergroup Mock Media share their debut single, "Modern Visions"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  29. ^ "Overdose Awareness Rally DTES 2021". YouTube.
  30. ^ "Crack Cloud". Bandcamp. May 2, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  31. ^ Konemann, Liam (July 11, 2018). "Crack Cloud: The Vancouver collective finding recovery in dancing post-punk". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  32. ^ "2021 Hi-Fidelity Award – Prism Prize". Prism Prize.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crack_Cloud&oldid=1244137719"