CLOUDDEAD
Encyclopedia
Clouddead was a musical group consisting of the experimental
hip hop
musicians Doseone
(Adam Drucker), Why? (Yoni Wolf), and Odd Nosdam
(David Madson). Generally Drucker and Wolf provide the group's vocals while Madson produces the music. Occasionally Madson's vocals can be heard, while Drucker and Wolf provide music, especially for the group's second album.
Clouddead's sound is notoriously hard to define, and although it is undoubtedly grounded in "traditional" hip-hop, influences as varied as electronica
, psychedelic music
and indie rock
can be heard. Because of this non-traditional take on hip-hop, more conservative elements of the rap community have characterized Clouddead as "smartarse surrealism
", with some elements of the community rejecting the notion that the group can be classed as hip hop at all, ignoring Doseone's request to "just call it hip hop".
Clouddead's first six 10″ singles were compiled in 2001 as a self-titled compilation album. Printed on the sleeve of "Dead Dogs Two" is "this is cLOUDDEAD number 9 of ten", indicating that as of Ten, Clouddead, as a group, have finished making music. In an interview around Tens release, Drucker hinted that tensions between Madson and Wolf, as well as each member's heavy workload, had hastened the group's demise.
The group's name came from a nonsensical knock-knock joke
Drucker's sister told him when she was five years old.
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
musicians Doseone
Doseone
Adam Drucker, better known as Doseone , is an American MC, artist, and poet from Idaho. Dose is known for his nasal, high pitched, fast polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics. He often simultaneously performs synth, sampler, or keyboard on stage. His words tend to express upon topics of...
(Adam Drucker), Why? (Yoni Wolf), and Odd Nosdam
Odd Nosdam
Odd Nosdam is a musician, DJ, artist, and co-founder and ex-art director of record label/collective Anticon.Nosdam was first noticed for the drone and warped pop of his former group cLOUDDEAD ; he has worked closely with Mike Patton on his Peeping Tom project and remixed tracks by a variety of...
(David Madson). Generally Drucker and Wolf provide the group's vocals while Madson produces the music. Occasionally Madson's vocals can be heard, while Drucker and Wolf provide music, especially for the group's second album.
Clouddead's sound is notoriously hard to define, and although it is undoubtedly grounded in "traditional" hip-hop, influences as varied as electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
can be heard. Because of this non-traditional take on hip-hop, more conservative elements of the rap community have characterized Clouddead as "smartarse surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
", with some elements of the community rejecting the notion that the group can be classed as hip hop at all, ignoring Doseone's request to "just call it hip hop".
Clouddead's first six 10″ singles were compiled in 2001 as a self-titled compilation album. Printed on the sleeve of "Dead Dogs Two" is "this is cLOUDDEAD number 9 of ten", indicating that as of Ten, Clouddead, as a group, have finished making music. In an interview around Tens release, Drucker hinted that tensions between Madson and Wolf, as well as each member's heavy workload, had hastened the group's demise.
The group's name came from a nonsensical knock-knock joke
Knock-knock joke
The knock-knock joke is a type of joke, probably the best-known format of the pun, and is a time-honored "call and answer" exercise.It is a role-play exercise, with a punster and a recipient of wit.The standard format has five lines:...
Drucker's sister told him when she was five years old.
Singles
- "Apt. A" (2000)
- "And All You Can Do Is Laugh" (2000)
- "I Promise Never to Get Paint on My Glasses Again" (2001)
- "JimmyBreeze" (2001)
- "(Clouddead Number Five)" (2001)
- "Bike" (2001)
- "The Sound of a Handshake" / "This About the City" (2002)
- "Dead Dogs Two" (2004) (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#101)
Other releases
- The Peel Session (2001)
- Collaged at Mom's (limited edition instrumentals) (2007)
See also
- Why?
- Odd NosdamOdd NosdamOdd Nosdam is a musician, DJ, artist, and co-founder and ex-art director of record label/collective Anticon.Nosdam was first noticed for the drone and warped pop of his former group cLOUDDEAD ; he has worked closely with Mike Patton on his Peeping Tom project and remixed tracks by a variety of...
- DoseoneDoseoneAdam Drucker, better known as Doseone , is an American MC, artist, and poet from Idaho. Dose is known for his nasal, high pitched, fast polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics. He often simultaneously performs synth, sampler, or keyboard on stage. His words tend to express upon topics of...
- Anticon.
- SubtleSubtle (music)Subtle is a music group consisting of Adam Drucker, Jeffrey Logan, Dax Pierson, Jordan Dalrymple, Alexander Kort, and Marty Dowers. Although both Adam and Jeff have strong ties to the anticon. music collective, Subtle is not on the Anticon roster. Subtle started as an Oakland-based band in 2001...