Clarence Clarity
April 3, 2026
One of the best experimental pop artists.
Who?
Adam Mark Crisp, which you might know as Clarence Clarity
, has been releasing avant-garde pop since 2012. His no compromises production choices, catchy hooks, balanced use of vocal effects such as pitch and autotune, and poetic word choice, make him, in my opinion, the 21st century's best experimental pop artist.
No Now (2015)
The record that got me into CC was No Now
, a cyclical concept album, full of outlandish production choices, from the garbled vocal chops in Let's Shoot Up
to represent heroin addiction and use, to the whispers and coordinates in Tathāgatagarbha
, a seemingly silent track, what you might skip over as an interlude, but that succinctly hides a meaning, one that not even Genius contributors have figured out yet. And this album was released in 2015.
In No Now
, CC wades through religious trauma, substance addiction, manic episodes, conspiracy theories, incestuous fantasies, porn use and any thought cursing his mind. His clear music production prowess is front and centre, making some tracks sound angelic and beautiful, some disgusting and headache inducing. Unlike his future projects, he does not hold back. While this might make the album hard to stomach for some, it makes for a great experience, with plenty of memorable moments.Buck-Toothed Particle Smashers
, Off My Grid
and Cancer™ in the Water
stand out to me as some of the highlights in this album.
LEAVE EARTH (2016–2018)
The now recalled digital exclusive LEAVE EARTH
(2016-2018) is a compilation project that contains scraps and alternate versions of what became THINK: PEACE
. This arduous development process gave fruit to an experimental, still fresh with new ideas, pop record, that is accessible to most people.
From LEAVE EARTH
, I really enjoyed the more introspective tracks, like Untrust in Us Together
and Bipolar Rainbows
. As for all the alternate versions of tracks that got released in THINK: PEACE
, I struggle to understand why anyone would prefer the LEAVE EARTH
cuts.
This project has a hint of hip-hop sprinkled through it, with tracks featuring A. J. Crew
and Shadi
. I quite enjoyed Rafters
! Its chorus got stuck in my head, even if A. J.'s vocal performance is a bit lacking. From this song, we get the On some workout shit
sample that is reused throughout LEAVE EARTH
and THINK: PEACE
.
THINK: PEACE (2018)
THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS
THEY START TO ADD UP
UNDRESS TO OUR CURSES
AND FORGET ME NOTS
THINK: PEACE
is, maybe not a master:piece, but a great crash course into CC's world! There's a lot of romantic pain being expressed in these 11 tracks, in concrete expressions and openness about the nature of these relationships. CC admits to not being present, begging and yearning for connection, and on Tru(e) Love
he admits one of those relationships was probably long distance or online aided. He also opens up on all the troubles a relationship can entail, from feeling cheated on, to being afraid of getting left behind. CC also seems to fight with himself over how attached to his partner he is!
The production is, as always, top notch, with a lot of experimentation and a good balance between accessibility and avant-garde. The use of vocal effects is more restrained than in his previous record, which, along with the simpler vocabulary, and lyrics no longer veiled behind poetic expressionism, makes the vocals easier to understand and the songs more catchy. I enjoy most songs on this record. The mix of sparkly, mellow and gritty textures really makes the entire project pop.
VANISHING ACT I & II (2021–2024)
To me, VANISHING ACT I: NO NOUNS
feels like a promotional release for his music production courses… as opposed to the latter VANISHING ACT II: ULTIMATE REALITY
which contains quite a few polished tracks worthy of attention, of which my favourite is The Greatest Living Musician, Found Dead
, a song about himself, a bipolar musician. Concept that he has explored in plenty tracks at this point, but with a refreshing, self-aware take.
You can tell that his style has evolved over the years, and I believe he still has room to innovate and release yet another classic record. So, tap in when you can! To his past, and future releases.