Ssion

SSION (pronounced "shun") is a multifaceted creative project spearheaded by Cody Critcheloe, consisting of music, videos, art and live performance. It began as a punk band in Kentucky where Critcheloe is from, spent formative years in Kansas City, where it grew into the New York and Los Angeles based project it is today. Working with a rotating list of collaborators, Ssion has been sporadically releasing records for over 10 years while directing music videos for other notable artists. Ssion has also created artwork for Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Fever To Tell" and more recently art direction for Charli XCX's "Doing It" video. Ssion's 2012 release "Bent" garnered huge amounts of international attention and was accompanied by critically acclaimed music videos for "My Love Grows in The Dark", "Earthquake", "Luvvbazaar", and "High" – all produced and directed by Critcheloe. Critcheloe currently lives in New York City.

Ssion
Ssion performing in Chicago, 2014.
Background information
OriginKansas City, Missouri, United States
Years active1996 – current
LabelsDovecote Records, Sleazetone, Version City
Websitession.com

Music

The musical group was formed in Kansas City by vocalist Cody Critcheloe.[1] Ssion self-released their first album "Fucked Into Oblivion" in 1999. In 2003, Ssion made their label debut, releasing the EP "Minor Treat" and the album "Opportunity Bless My Soul" on Version City Records. In 2007, the group released their album "Fools Gold" accompanied with "Clown", a remix EP, on Sleazetone Records. 2011 saw the self-release of “Bent”, which was later re-released by Dovecote Records. The release of "Bent" coincided with a 3-day performance at MoMA PS1.

Ssion's releases have been well received by mainstream press, having appeared in The New York Times, Village Voice, Huffington Post, Interview Magazine and Dazed and Confused.

Critcheloe, known for extravagant shows, performs with a live band and as a DJ. He has toured with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gossip, Fischerspooner and House of Ladosha among others.

Film

Critcheloe directs videos under the Ssion moniker. He has directed commissioned works for Kylie Minogue, Robyn, Peaches, Santigold, Perfume Genius, Liars and CSS among others. He also directs videos for the Ssion musical project.

His first feature film titled "Boy" was released in 2009 and funded by Grand Arts, a non-profit arts organization from Kansas City, MO. It was showcased alongside artwork and installations as part of a grant funded by the Peres Project in LA and Berlin, The Smart Museum in Chicago and The Hole Gallery in New York City & Viktor Wynd Fine Art Inc in London[2] "Boy" is made up of music videos strung together to produce the gay, punk rock equivalent of Forrest Gump.

Discography
  • 1999 – "Fucked into Oblivion" Album, self-released cassette
  • 2001 – "I Don't Want New Wave & I Don't Want the Truth" Album, self-released CD-R
  • 2003 – "Minor Treat" EP, Version City Records
  • 2003 – "Opportunity Bless My Soul" Album, Version City Records
  • 2005 – "World's Worth" 7", Sound Virus Records
  • 2005 – "Glory Wound" Album, self-released CD-R
  • 2006 – "Street Jizz" EP, self-released CD-R
  • 2007 – "Fools Gold" Album, Sleazetone Records
  • 2007 – "Clown" 12" Single & Remixes, Sleazetone Records
  • 2008 – "Street Jizz" 12" Single & Remixes, Sleazetone Records
  • 2009 – "Ah Ma" Remixes EP, Sleazetone Records
  • 2011 – "Bent" Album, Dovecote Records
  • 2014 – "Pink Christmas" with Hunx and His Punx and Samantha Urbani[3]
  • 2018 – "O" Album, Dero Arcade

Video Productions
  • 2005 – Liars, "There's Always Room on the Broom", music video director
  • 2006 – Scream Club & Electrosexual, "I'm Going Crazy",[4] music video director
  • 2006 – SSION, "Street Jizz", music video director
  • 2007 – SSION, "ASAP", music video director
  • 2008 – Tilly and the Wall, "Beat Control", music video director
  • 2008 – SSION, "Ah Ma", music video director
  • 2008 – SSION, "A Wolves Eye", music video director
  • 2008 – SSION, "Credit in the Straight World", music video director
  • 2008 – SSION, "Warm Glove", music video director
  • 2009 – SSION, Bullshit, music video director
  • 2009 – Gossip, Music for Men, infomercial director
  • 2010 – Gossip, Men in Love, music video director
  • 2010 – Peaches, "Billionaire", music video director
  • 2010 – SSION, "Clown", music video director
  • 2011 – CSS, "City Grrrl", music video director
  • 2011 – Santigold, "Big Mouth", music video director
  • 2011 – MNDR, "#1 in Heaven", music video director
  • 2012 – SSION, "My Love Grows in the Dark", music video director
  • 2012 – SSION, "Earthquake", music video director
  • 2012 – SSION, "Feel Good (4-Evr)", music video director
  • 2012 – SSION, "Psy-chic", music video director
  • 2013 – SSION, "Luvvbazaar", music video director
  • 2013 – SSION, "High", music video director
  • 2014 – Dum Dum Girls, "Lost Boys and Girls Club", music video director
  • 2014 – Kylie Minogue, "Sexercize", music video director
  • 2014 – Perfume Genius, "Queen", music video director
  • 2015 – Lower Dens, "To Die in L.A.", music video director
  • 2015 – Brooke Candy, "Renegade", music video director
  • 2018 – SSION, "Comeback", director[5]
  • 2018 – SSION, "At Least The Sky Is Blue", director[6]
  • 2019 – Allie X, "Fresh Laundry", music video director[7]
gollark: So buy shares in organic crystal meth, you're saying.
gollark: But their fortunes ultimately depend on the memes they invest in, so that doesn't work.
gollark: The stable things are *meant* to be firms and users.
gollark: For memes, you get... neither?
gollark: That seems... pretty terrible, as a system? I mean, with stocks, the point is that they pay dividends and give you control of the company.

References
  1. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15682-bent/
  2. "VIKTOR WYND FINE ART INC". www.viktorwyndfineart.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-10-04.
  3. "SSION, Hunx And His Punx, And Samantha Urbani Wish You A "Pink Christmas"". The Fader. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jhbm_aIETI
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLVWlaGFhXE
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to9ggdpiSyk
  7. Allie X – Fresh Laundry, retrieved 2019-09-28
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