Cloudkicker is the alias of Ben Sharp's one-man instrumental metal project. Breaking onto the scene in the mid-2000s, Mr. Sharp released his complex, catchy, and edgy music online via his
bandcamp page and quickly gathered a devoted following by indie junkies, metalheads, and instrumental music fans alike.
Cloudkicker has forever stayed a one-man project based out of Sharp's home in Columbus, Ohio and Sharp doesn't profit from his music other than custom-paid orders through merch on his aforementioned website. He even releases some of his stuff for free. He has a steady job in some career of something, (I don't think he's released what exactly he does for privacy purposes) and music is truly more of a hobby for him than an expectation. Due to this, his sound has greatly evolved over the years with little outside pressure and in his own words "he has created many compilations of songs and they don't necessarily sound the same as other compilations of songs that he has created."
Yep. Wise words.
Cloudkicker is one of the most consistent underground solo musicians out there, and is well worth checking out. Instrumental music has a way of becoming dull and repetitive for listeners unacquainted with it, but due to half his releases being of EP length and many others branching into different moods, they're incredibly listenable and a great place to start if you're trying to get into instrumental music.
The production is top-quality for an independent artist too.
As of this writing, his discography is:
The Discovery - 2005
The Map Is Not The Territory - 2008
Portmanteau - 2009
]]][[[ - 2010
Beacons - 2010
Let Yourself Be Huge - 2011
Loop - 2011
Fade - 2012
