The Beauty of the Cloud Cult

The beauty of Cloud Cult

Andrew Olson

Reader Weekly

On Saturday (June 4^th) Pizza Luce’ was half-filled at 11:00 PM. Several patrons had nice tables up front giving a great early view. Many of them watched and chatted as Cloud Cult set up their equipment.

There was this big open space up front, but all quiet with anticipation. On the stage a painter set up her canvas, laid her brushes out, and put down plastic on the floor. An organ was placed up front with keys that sparkled like the starry music they would soon play. Two cellos carefully tuned themselves, and a few bangs on the drums signaled it was time.

With a classical opening from the Cellos and the first brush of paint the Cloud Cult experience had started. Soon everyone rushed from every corner to fill the open space up front. The tables were quickly removed and Craig Minowa began to play a promontory electric guitar over the cellos. It was metallic guitar strings colliding with soft elegant hairs on the cellos bows. There was a meeting taking place and the crowd stood in awe at the massiveness of the sound.

It hurt at first, the loudness.. Then it settled inside you, and the pain turned to throbbing. There are things that come out of music played live, the breathing. There are also little intricate flaws that expose humanity, but make art what it is. Art is not perfect, but in that sub-perfect existence lies beauty.

Cloud Cult head out on tour with their new album ADVICE FROM THE HAPPY. Their first hit of the album is the song “Happy Hippo”, and when played live has an unconsciously bizarre feel. It is distorted and dreamy like the subject it was written about. Craig is visited by a hippo in his dreams, and it gives him advise without speaking. The new album is Craig’s rebirth, becoming something organic yet mechanical. A futuristic mystery, wrapped in digital sounds and classical styling. Buy it at the Fetus or on his website:www.cloudcult.com.