Cloud Control: Artist You Should Know

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Australia has been one of the world’s richest wellsprings of musical sounds for the past couple of years.

Maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising, seeing as it’s a big place!  But the quality and diversity of new Australian music is noteworthy, with such impressive artists as The Boat People, The Bamboos, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Cut Copy, The Middle East, The Temper Trap, Architecture in Helsinki, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Tame Impala.

Now, add Cloud Control to this list.

From the rural Blue Mountains region outside of Sydney, Cloud Control offer a pastoral variation on the modern psychedelic rock sound, like a cross between Field Music and fellow countrymen Tame Impala.  I was first introduced to their music by a track I heard online last summer called “Ghost Story”, which tells of a (literally) hair-raising tale over a throbbing, primal beat and a spookily-reverbed, wordless vocal hook.

It got me from the start and is now a perennial for every Halloween set I DJ.  But further digging revealed a series of great singles released since 2007.  Every track I heard I loved.

Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why) by Cloud Control Download it by clicking here!!
Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why) by Cloud Control by infectiousmusicuk

I discovered they had released a full album called “Bliss Release” in 2010 to such great acclaim it was nominated, then won the Australian Music Prize.  But it languished as a difficult-to-find import.

Ghost Story by Cloud Control
Ghost Story by Cloud Control by infectiousmusicuk

Finally the album is getting US distribution next month, so the magic of Cloud Control can be shared with all us yanks!

Plus they are coming to town for a gig at the Satellite here in LA Wednesday night, which I sure ain’t gonna miss.

ERIC J. LAWRENCE

Gold Canary by Cloud Control- Download it by clicking here!!