Gloom Balloon is the debut solo project by Patrick Tape Fleming, the founder of the indie rock band The Poison Control Center. That band has played over 1,000 shows, released 3 critically acclaimed records, opened for Jeff Mangum, Pavement, and Of Montreal, toured with Apples In Stereo, and was named 2011 Live Act of the Year by Steven Hyden at the AV Club.

After a 13 month tour the band decided to go into hibernation. This left Tape Fleming alone in a deep depression with no artistic outlet, so he began painting. He called his first piece Gloom Balloon. This 6-foot tall painting is indicative of his emotional and mental state at the time. It was on the cusp of committing suicide that Gloom Balloon learned of the death of his musical hero, Bill Doss of The Olivia Tremor Control. In that moment, Gloom Balloon decided to live.

Translating abstract explorations on canvas into music, Gloom Balloon has created a harrowing set of unflinchingly personal songs. Enlisting co-producer Christopher Ford (Christopher the Conquered) and string arranger H.D. Harmsen, the music mixes classical instruments with modern electronics. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.