Extensive pre-planning can sometimes dull the creative spark that initiated a project in the first place. A spontaneous decision to rent a swanky Chicago apartment and film a stylistic music video lends credence to the artist that Nocloud really is: thoughtful, attentive, and able to peel back the layers of his own music to find something deeper for himself and his listeners.
Nocloud claims in an interview his age (28) is what sets him apart within his scene, but there’s arguably much more than that. He’s a solo artist branched off from past band memberships with a drive that shows promise. His sound is certainly alternative, but it’s hard to narrow it down much further. Not yet having a defined sound is far from a powerless move. It’s an example of creation and ambition at work, constantly seeking, always improving.
For a production that was put together “on the fly”, a lovely, laundered outcome was rendered. Directed by Daniel Jordon K and edited elegantly by Tommy Bauer, there’s a lot of subtler themes to unpack in the music video. Modern gothic elements and isolating aesthetics abound. Like reality coming and going a darkly-clad woman pops in and out of Nocloud’s view. The video’s finale flies above a city skyline, explosions dotting the view and suggesting a catastrophic end, or “an existential crisis” plagued by a seemingly inexplicable depression.
Nocloud’s voice floats above Dilly’s production. His lofty vocals complement the acoustic ambiance, but his words suggest anything otherwise. A bittersweet ode to chalky little prescriptions, he sings, “Yellow pills leave red around my eyes, I fall again, I’m fucking up and high.” Although he doesn’t use anymore, it’s important to note how much of a role drugs and the depletion of mental health played in his life, and eventually became a large inspiration for his music.
“Contrary to how my music is perceived, I very much love being alive. But dealing with the side effects of being a human sucks sometimes.”
The song’s beat and vocal cadence are distinctly R&B, but the tidily decorated Chicago apartment suggests something colder. Red splashes among clean white lines and pale surfaces. Glimpses of hope are quickly shattered by mournful lyrics: “I want to run and hide, and wait for you, await my slow demise.” Nocloud likes making videos to accompany songs in order to “convey a whole mood” with different media rather than just audio accompaniments.
Whether Nocloud continues to experiment within alternative genres or finds his place in the indie-R&B pocket is a journey he will find on his own. Stream his subtle ranges online and follow his come-up here.