{{Short description|American musical duo}} {{Unreliable sources|date=February 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = group_or_band | name = Clown Core | genre = {{hlist|Grindcore|jazz|electronica|avant-garde|extreme metal}} | years_active = {{hlist|2008–2011|2017–present}} | website = {{URL|https://clowncore.computer/}} }}
'''Clown Core''' (stylized as '''ClownC0re''') is an American musical duo. It is composed of two anonymous artists who wear clown masks, speculated to be drummer Louis Cole of the indietronica and jazzfunk band Knower and Sam Gendel, a saxophonist and frequent Cole collaborator.<ref name="cali">{{Cite web |last=Kuhn |first=Sarena |date=October 17, 2020 |title=Clown Core's 'Van' is artful absurdity |url=https://www.dailycal.org/2020/10/07/clown-cores-van-is-artful-absurdity/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=The Daily Californian}}</ref> Their eponymous album ''Clown Core'' was released in 2010. The album ''Toilet'' followed eight years later. Their album ''Van'' was released in 2020. The EP ''1234'' released in 2021. Their projects are all self-released.
==History==
Clown Core's YouTube channel was created in November 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/Clownc0re |title= ClownC0re |website= YouTube |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> Their first video is a performance of their song "Surreal Cereal" from their ''Clown Core'' album.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThqjMOaWdQo |title= Surreal Cereal- Clown Core |website= YouTube |date= November 23, 2008 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> They released their eponymous debut album ''Clown Core'' in March 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://clowncore.bandcamp.com/album/clown-core-2010 |title= clown core (2010) |date= March 1, 2010 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref>
After uploading on their channel semi-frequently, they disappeared completely in 2011. After three years of complete silence, they uploaded a video titled "?" that featured the question "What happened to Clowncore" in red text.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adBB7MMrKT0 |title= ? |website= YouTube |date= August 12, 2014 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> They then disappeared again for another 3 years before returning with a video titled "º" which featured audio of a spectrogram featuring the clowns with bold text on the top that read "WE ARE IN A TOILET", along with morse code at the end which when decoded read "WE ARE STILL ALIVE".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2zhjyHMfRQ |title= º |website= YouTube |date= September 16, 2017 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> They uploaded two more teasers, videos titled "i"<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2zhjyHMfRQ |title= i |website= YouTube |date= October 9, 2017 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> and "≈".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2zhjyHMfRQ |title= ≈ |website= YouTube |date= November 28, 2017 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref>
After eight years, their second album ''Toilet'' released in March 2018,<ref>{{cite web |url= https://clowncore.bandcamp.com/album/toilet |title= toilet |date= March 3, 2018 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> accompanied by music videos of them performing the tracks in a portable toilet. These music videos were also shown on Adult Swim's Smalls program, exposing them to a wider audience.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://laughingsquid.com/clown-core-hell-porta-potty/ |title= Clown Core Performs Their Bizarre Song 'Hell' While Inside of a Large Porta Potty |author= Justin Page |date= March 19, 2018 |website= Laughing Squid |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> Celia Woitas of the German magazine ''Metal Hammer'' described the music as "far removed from any music genre".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Woitas|first=Celia|date=April 13, 2018 |title=Clown Core: Neuer Song 'Truth and Life'|journal=Metal Hammer}}</ref> In his review of the song "Hell" (2018) and analysis of the accompanying music video, Axl Rosenberg of heavy metal news website MetalSucks called the project "a masterpiece of modern art" and described the song as "genre-defying".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.metalsucks.net/2018/03/15/clown-core-a-masterpiece-of-modern-art |title= Clown Core: A Masterpiece of Modern Art |author= Rosenberg, Axl |date= March 15, 2018 |website= MetalSucks |publisher= The Orchard, a Sony Company |access-date= September 11, 2022}}</ref> Mick R. of ''New Noise Magazine'' shared the latter view: "Clown Core simply defies categorization."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://newnoisemagazine.com/bandcamp-of-the-day-clown-core/ |title= Bandcamp of the Day: Clown Core |date= October 14, 2020 |website= www.newnoisemagazine.com |author= R., Mick}}</ref>
In August 2020, the duo uploaded a video titled "infinite realm of incomprehensible suffering",<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1i_P5HoFEU |title= infinite realm of incomprehensible suffering |website= YouTube |date= August 29, 2020 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> featuring new music and audio at the end which features another spectrogram that shows the clowns along with bold text at the top which reads "IT HAS BEGUN", teasing a new project. In September 2020, they released their third album ''Van'',<ref>{{cite web |url= https://clowncore.bandcamp.com/album/van |title= van |date= September 23, 2020 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> accompanied by music videos for all the tracks, showcasing them playing the music in a 1997 Toyota Previa minivan while an unknown driver wearing a balaclava mask drives them to various locations. Sarena Kuhn of The Daily Californian in her review of the album described the duo as "a talented duo of musicians with a gimmick or even your own worst nightmare, they are undeniably difficult to ignore."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://dailycal.org/2020/10/07/clown-cores-van-is-artful-absurdity |title= Clown Core's 'Van' is artful absurdity |author= Sarena Kuhn |date= October 7, 2020 |website= The Daily Californian |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref>
In April 2021, they released their first EP ''1234'',<ref>{{cite web |url= https://clowncore.bandcamp.com/album/1234 |title= 1234 |date= April 16, 2021 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref> and embarked on their first tour in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1evrgV-3c |title= clown core tour |website= YouTube |date= July 1, 2022 |access-date= September 29, 2023}}</ref>
== Discography == * ''Clown Core'' (2010) * ''Toilet'' (2018) * ''Van'' (2020) * ''1234'' (2021) * ''Live'' (2024)
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://clowncore.computer/}} * {{YouTube | user = Clownc0re}} <!-- * {{Link Discogs | soort = artist | id = 6362857}} I switched that off for now, as idk yet, how to make it work. If you do, feel free & thx! -->
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Category:American musical duos Category:Avant-garde music groups Category:Masked musicians