Crack Cloud is a Canadian music and multimedia collective known for its unique fusion of art punk, post-punk, new wave, avant-garde, progressive pop, electro-punk, industrial hip-hop, and experimental music.
Led by drummer and vocalist Zach Choy, the band incorporates many multimedia elements into their performances, making them more than just a band.
Focusing on visual storytelling, Crack Cloud has been recognized for its thought-provoking and innovative approach to music.
contour
- Origin: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Genres: Art punk, post-punk, new wave, avant-garde, progressive pop, electronic punk, industrial hip-hop, experimental
- Active Years: 2015 to Present
- Tags: Crack Cloud Media, Studio Meat Machine, Tin Angel
- Members: Zach Choy, William Choy, Mohammad Sharar, Garnet Aroynk, Bryce Cloghesy, Jesse Atkey, Aleem Khan
- Past members: Jon Varley, Noah Varley, Daniel Robertson
history
Crack Cloud was founded in 2015 as a solo project of vocalist and drummer Zach Choy. Originally based in Calgary, Alberta, the project relocated to Vancouver in 2018, with most of the members coming together through various addiction and mental health programs.
Choy describes Crack Cloud as “Healing Mechanism”, using their art to reflect, illuminate, and correct destructive patterns.
The group’s logo is an obvious reference to the exclamation point used by “Children’s Concern,” a series of public service announcements that aired on Canadian television in the 1990s and early 2000s.
This selection reflects Crack Cloud’s commitment to addressing important issues through music.
Crack Cloud released its debut EP in 2016, and followed it up with another EP titledAnchor PointThe two EPs were later re-released in 2018 as a compilation album of the same name.
The band has gained international recognition through live performances and participation in festivals such as Levitation, End of the Road and Roskilde.
In 2020, Crack Cloud released its debut studio album,Pain Olympics,” received critical acclaim. The album produced four singles, including “Next step to fix” and “Eviction stew.”
Their second studio album “Strong baby》 was announced in 2022 and released on September 16.
member
- Zach Choy: vocals, drums, synthesizer, film editor, producer, songwriter, percussionist
- Mohammed “Mo” Ali Shallal: rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards, sampler, backing vocals, production, graphic design, film editor
- Will Choy: lead guitar, backing vocals
- Garnet Aroynk: rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals
- Bryce Cloghesy: saxophone, lead guitar, sampler
- Jesse Atkey: saxophone, sampler, backing vocals
- Aleem Khan: keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals
Discography
Studio albums:
Live album:
- Crash: Live in London
EP:
- Split Cloud
- Anchor Point
make out
Crack Cloud has been recognized for their innovative approach to music videos. In 2021, they received the Prism Prize for High Fidelity, which is given to a recording artist who demonstrates consistent creativity and innovation in their music videos.
The collective’s unique visual style and storytelling have earned them a loyal following and critical acclaim.
Prism Award
The Prism Awards are prestigious awards recognizing outstanding artistic achievement in Canadian music video production.
Crack Cloud’s pioneering use of video art to present their work in a consistently creative and innovative way has earned them the High Fidelity Award at the 2021 Prism Awards.
