Dan Deacon
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Daniel Deacon (born August 28, 1981) is an American
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
and
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
ian based in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. Deacon is renowned for his live shows, where large-scale audience participation and interaction is often a major element of the performance. Since 2003, he has released five solo albums, including 2015's ''
Gliss Riffer ''Gliss Riffer'' is the fourth studio album by American electronic musician Dan Deacon. It was released on February 25, 2015, on Domino Records. Background The album's title is combination of the common music term "Gliss", short for glissando, ...
'', released by Domino Records. His work as a film composer includes scoring the 2021 documentaries ''
All Light, Everywhere ''All Light, Everywhere'' is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras. The film had its world premiere at the ...
'' and '' Ascension'', both released as soundtrack albums by
Milan Records Milan Records is a record label located in Los Angeles, California specializing in film scores and soundtrack albums. In addition, Milan boasts an extensive electronic catalog which features down-tempo, chillout, and eclectic electronic releases ...
, as well as
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's ''
Twixt TwixT is a two-player strategy board game, an early entrant in the 1960s 3M bookshelf game series. It became one of the most popular and enduring games in the series. It is a connection game where players alternate turns placing pegs and ...
'' (with
Osvaldo Golijov Osvaldo Noé Golijov (; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor, known for his vocal and orchestral work. Biography Osvaldo Golijov was born in and grew up in La Plata, Argentina, in a Jewish family ...
). His fifth solo studio album, titled ''
Mystic Familiar ''Mystic Familiar'' is the fifth studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. Background ''Mystic Familiar'' marked Dan Deacon's first solo studio record since 2015's ''Gliss Riffer''. In the intervening years, Deacon had tour ...
'', was released January 31, 2020 on Domino.


Life and education

Deacon was born and raised in
West Babylon, New York West Babylon is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,213 at the 2010 census. Geography West Babylon is located at (40.713399, -73.357106). West Babylon is bord ...
on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. He graduated from Babylon High School in 1999 where he was a member of the local ska band Channel 59 alongside Tim Daniels of The Complete Guide to Everything. He later attended the
Conservatory of Music A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger i ...
at
State University of New York at Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase (commonly Purchase College or SUNY Purchase) is a public liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It was fo ...
in
Purchase Purchasing is the process a business or organization uses to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between ...
, New York where, in addition to performing his solo material, he played in many bands, including
tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
for
Langhorne Slim Langhorne Slim is an American singer-songwriter, (born Sean Scolnick on August 20, 1980 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania). He attended high school at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase ...
and guitar in the improvisational
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
band Rated R, and had a small mixed chamber ensemble. He completed his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and
computer music Computer music is the application of computing technology in music composition, to help human composers create new music or to have computers independently create music, such as with algorithmic composition programs. It includes the theory and ap ...
composition. He studied under composer and conductor
Joel Thome Joel Thome (born in Detroit, Michigan) is the conductor and artistic director of Orchestra of Our Time. A Grammy Award recipient, Thome has been acclaimed internationally as an accomplished conductor and composer of classical and contemporary o ...
and
Dary John Mizelle Dary John Mizelle (born June 14, 1940 in Stillwater, Oklahoma) is an American composer of avant-garde classical and jazz music. Life and career Mizelle studied trombone (B.A. California State University, Sacramento) as well as composition (M.A. ...
. In 2004 he moved to
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
and moved into the
Copycat Building The Copycat Building is a former manufacturing warehouse at 1501 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, Maryland, today used as an artists' studio and living space. Built in 1897, it is home to the city's creative class and a landmark of the Station North Arts ...
and, along with friends from SUNY Purchase, formed
Wham City Wham City is an art and performance collective based in Baltimore, Maryland. Members of Wham City include musicians Dan Deacon and Ed Schrader, visual artists Jimmy Joe Roche, Peter Ryan O'Connell, Mason Ross, Adam Endres, Dina Kelberman, April C ...
, an arts and music collective.


Career


Early student work

His first two releases as a solo artist, ''Meetle Mice'' and ''Silly Hat vs Egale Hat'' were released on
CD-R CD-R (Compact disc-recordable) is a digital optical disc storage format. A CD-R disc is a compact disc that can be written once and read arbitrarily many times. CD-R discs (CD-Rs) are readable by most CD readers manufactured prior to the in ...
on Standard Oil Records in 2003 while he was a student at SUNY Purchase. The albums are collections of both computer music and live recordings of ensemble pieces, and are markedly different from the electronic-pop body of work that began with his first popular record, 2007's ''
Spiderman of the Rings ''Spiderman of the Rings'' is the first studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon, released by Carpark Records Carpark Records is an independent record label based in Washington, D.C. History Carpark Records was establi ...
'', in that most of the pieces are instrumentals and sound collages, and they contain almost no tracks where Deacon sings or uses vocal manipulation. He followed those two albums with a set of records made up of
sine wave A sine wave, sinusoidal wave, or just sinusoid is a curve, mathematical curve defined in terms of the ''sine'' trigonometric function, of which it is the graph of a function, graph. It is a type of continuous wave and also a Smoothness, smooth p ...
compositions, ''Green Cobra Is Awesome Vs The Sun'' and ''Goose on the Loose''. His next two releases were the EPs ''Twacky Cats'' on Comfort Stand Recordings and ''Acorn Master'' on Psych-o-path Records.


Studio albums

''
Spiderman of the Rings ''Spiderman of the Rings'' is the first studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon, released by Carpark Records Carpark Records is an independent record label based in Washington, D.C. History Carpark Records was establi ...
'' was Deacon's first commercially distributed full-length album, released by Carpark Records in May 2007. The album was well received and was included in the Best New Music section of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
''. The album was ranked as number 24 on the website's "Top 50 Albums of 2007". ''Spiderman of the Rings'' marked the beginning of Deacon's body of recorded work as an electronic-pop musician; Deacon has stated the success of this record "completely changed my life in every possible way." The collaborative video-art piece ''Ultimate Reality'' was released as a DVD in November 2007 by Carpark Records and marked a return to composing music for others to perform. The pieces for percussion and electronics were performed by Jeremy Hyman of
Ponytail A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point ...
and Kevin Omeara of Videohippos. The sonic pieces were set to collaged and heavily altered video created by Deacon's long time friend and collaborator
Jimmy Joe Roche Jimmy Joe Roche is an American visual artist and underground filmmaker, based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a long-time collaborator with Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon. Career Roche's works have been screened in venues and museums all ove ...
. Deacon's next album, entitled ''
Bromst ''Bromst'' is the second studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. It was released on March 24, 2009. Background According to Deacon: "''Spiderman of the Rings'' was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the ...
'', was released on March 24, 2009. It was produced by Chester Gwazda at Snow Ghost Studios in Whitefish, Montana and features live instruments including player piano and a variety of percussion instruments. The album was well received; ''Pitchfork'' gave it an 8.5/10 and placed it into the "best new music" section. The album placed 46th among ''Pitchfork'' "Top 50 Albums of 2009". His album ''
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'' was released on August 28, 2012, on Domino Records in the US. Deacon has described the album as representing his conflicted feelings toward the country and world he calls home: "The inspiration for the music was my love of cross-country travel, seeing the landscapes of the United States, going from east to west and back again over the course of seasons. "The lyrics are inspired by my frustration, fear and anger towards the country and world I live in and am a part of. As I came closer to finishing the album these themes began to show themselves more frequently and greater clarity. There seemed no better world to encapsulate both inspirations than the simple beauty found in the word America." ''
Gliss Riffer ''Gliss Riffer'' is the fourth studio album by American electronic musician Dan Deacon. It was released on February 25, 2015, on Domino Records. Background The album's title is combination of the common music term "Gliss", short for glissando, ...
'' was released on Domino Records on February 25, 2015. Deacon describes the album title as "something that auto-correct wants to make sure that no one can actually type." The album was produced by Deacon alone, who notes that he created the album "trying to confront my own anxieties or insecurities and the stresses in my life." ''Gliss Riffer'' yielded the singles "Feel the Lightning" and "Learning to Relax", as well as a viral video animated in the
exquisite corpse Exquisite corpse (from the original French term ', literally exquisite cadaver), is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule (e.g. ...
style for "When I Was Done Dying", produced by
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
and featuring the work of nine different animators. ''Gliss Riffer'' received four-star reviews from both ''The Guardian'' and ''AllMusic''. In his A− review of the album for ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'', Derek Staples noted that "the universal motifs of his discography are now refracted through a more personal lens", and praised the record's "new lyrical depth". In 2017, Deacon released a 10th-anniversary edition of ''
Spiderman of the Rings ''Spiderman of the Rings'' is the first studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon, released by Carpark Records Carpark Records is an independent record label based in Washington, D.C. History Carpark Records was establi ...
'' that also included the soundtrack to 2007's ''Ultimate Reality''. Deacon produced and co-wrote the album ''
Riddles A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...
'' by
Ed Schrader's Music Beat Ed Schrader's Music Beat is an American two piece rock duo of Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice from Baltimore, Maryland. According to The Boston Hassle, the duo has "a gas pedal/brake pedal sonic narrative, careening without warning between cross-eyed ...
, released March 2, 2018 on Carpark Records. Writing for NPR's ''
All Songs Considered ''All Songs Considered'' is a weekly online multimedia program started in January 2000 by NPR's ''All Things Considered'' director Bob Boilen. At first, the show featured information and streaming audio about the songs used as bumper music on '' ...
'',
Bob Boilen Bob B Boilen (b. April 10, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American musician and media personality. He is the host and creator of NPR's online music show ''All Songs Considered'' and NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series. In 1979 Bob Boilen p ...
described ''Riddles'' as "a fascinating piece of work that is both ugly and beautiful, often at the same time", likening its sound to late-1970s records by
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
and
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their d ...
. Nina Corcoran noted in ''Pitchfork'' that "You can hear Deacon's style, especially that of 2012's ''America'', all over this album: the gleeful piano fluttering in 'Riddles,' the manic percussion buried in fuzz on 'Dizzy Devil,' the thick wall of synth on 'Kid Radium. Deacon's fifth studio album, ''
Mystic Familiar ''Mystic Familiar'' is the fifth studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. Background ''Mystic Familiar'' marked Dan Deacon's first solo studio record since 2015's ''Gliss Riffer''. In the intervening years, Deacon had tour ...
'', was released on January 31, 2020. A first video from the album, for the song "Sat By a Tree" starring
Aparna Nancherla Aparna Nancherla (born August 22, 1982) is an American comedian and actress of Indian descent. She has appeared on '' Inside Amy Schumer'' and has written for ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' and '' Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell''. Nancherla ...
, was released October 29, 2019. The second single from ''Mystic Familiar'', "Become a Mountain", was released on January 13, 2020, with a video by animation studio Rapapawn. In his 4-star review for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Paul Simpson characterized ''Mystic Familiar'' as Deacon's return to "majestically arranged synth pop", characterizing its arrangements as "driving and full of excitement" and finding the album's lyrical themes of nature and inner peace "encouraging and empowering without relying on self-help clichés." For '' Under the Radar'', Scott Dransfield noted that ''Mystic Familiar'' is "far and away his most personal work yet", and concluded that "the best thing about ''Mystic Familiar'' is how the beautiful composition of the music reinforces the power of the lyrics' message." Deacon's remix of the
Future Islands Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals), and Michael Lowry (p ...
single "For Sure" premiered on January 19, 2021.


Contemporary classical work

In 2011, Deacon began to work more outside of the indie and pop music scenes and began working in the contemporary classical scene and film scoring. On January 20, 2011, Deacon and percussion quartet
So Percussion Sō Percussion is an American percussion quartet formed in 1999 and based in New York City. Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Cha-Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for th ...
premiered a new piece composed by Deacon titled "Ghostbuster Cook: Origin of the Riddler" at the Merkin Concert Hall in New York as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival. ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
'' magazine listed the performance as one of the top 10 classical music performances of 2011. "Ghostbuster Cook" was also performed at The Barbican for the
Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...
Reverberations Festival, May 7, 2011. On February 3–4 the
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...
conducted by
Edwin Outwater Edwin Maurice Outwater (born 12 April 1971) is an American conductor from Santa Monica, California. About From September 2007 until 2017, he served as the music director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Ontario, Canada. From 2001 to 200 ...
premiered Deacon's first orchestral works, "Fiddlenist Rim" and "Song of the Winter Solstice for orchestra and electronics". On January 21, 2011 it was announced that Deacon would score the film ''
Twixt TwixT is a two-player strategy board game, an early entrant in the 1960s 3M bookshelf game series. It became one of the most popular and enduring games in the series. It is a connection game where players alternate turns placing pegs and ...
'' by
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
. On August 1, 2011 "Purse Hurdler", a composition for a 27-person percussion ensemble, was premiered by the So Percussion Summer Institute at
Le Poisson Rouge (Le) Poisson Rouge (often referred to as LPR) is a music venue and multimedia art cabaret in New York City founded in 2008 by Justin Kantor and David Handler on the former site of the Village Gate at 158 Bleecker Street. The performance space w ...
in New York City. On March 2, 2012, Deacon performed with So Percussion at the
Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher (musician), Edward ...
in Toronto Canada. His compositions "Take A Deep Breath" and "Bottles" from "Ghostbuster Cook: Origin of the Riddler" were performed. On March 20, 2012, Deacon premiered a new composition for a chamber orchestra titled "An Opal Toad with Obsidian Eyes". The piece was premiered at the 2012 Ecstatic Music Festival and was performed by the
Calder Quartet The Calder Quartet (CQ) is a string quartet based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1998 at the University of Southern California, the group takes its name from American sculptor Alexander Calder. The ensemble is currently composed of its ...
, NOW Ensemble and Deacon on electronics controlling a
Disklavier Disklavier is a brand of reproducing pianos manufactured by Yamaha Corporation. The first Disklavier was introduced in the United States in 1987. The typical Disklavier is a real acoustic piano outfitted with electronic sensors for recording and ...
player piano A player piano (also known as a pianola) is a self-playing piano containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism, that operates the piano action via programmed music recorded on perforated paper or metallic rolls, with more modern i ...
. The piece was met with positive reviews. Deacon made his
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
debut on March 26, 2012, as part of the Carnegie Hall's American Mavericks series with So Percussion and
Matmos Matmos is an experimental electronic music duo originally from San Francisco but now residing in Baltimore. M. C. (Martin) Schmidt and Drew Daniel are the core members, but they frequently include other artists on their records and in their per ...
. The concert was a tribute to composer
John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
to celebrate his 100th birthday. The program contained compositions by Cage and others influenced by the composer, including two works by Deacon, "Take A Deep Breath" and "Bottles" from "Ghostbuster Cook: Origin of the Riddler". This concert was also met with positive reviews. In July 2013, Deacon performed with the
Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...
as part of their "Kronos at 40" series of concerts at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
. The quartet and Deacon performed the world premiere of his composition "Four Phases of Conflict" on the evening of July 28, 2013.
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
resident choreographer
Justin Peck Justin Peck (born September 8, 1987) is an American choreographer, director, and dancer associated with New York City Ballet, of which he was appointed Resident Choreographer in July 2014, being the second person in the history of the instituti ...
and Deacon collaborated on "The Times Are Racing", a ballet piece set to Deacon's four-part "USA I-IV" suite from his album ''
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
''. "The Times Are Racing" had its premiere performance on January 26, 2017. Deacon collaborated with the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...
in the
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, often referred to simply as the Meyerhoff, is a music venue that opened September 16, 1982, at 1212 Cathedral Street in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The main auditorium ...
for an evening of performance and curation on January 17, 2019. The evening consisted of three sets: the orchestra presenting a selection of classic works co-curated by Deacon, including pieces by
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
and
Du Yun Du Yun (traditional Chinese: 杜韻, simplified Chinese: 杜韵) is a Chinese-born American composer, performer, vocalist and performance artist. She won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera ''Angel's Bone'', with libretto by Royce ...
; a solo set by Deacon; and a collaborative set with Deacon and members of the orchestra playing expanded arrangements of Deacon's music. This concert was named Best Concert of the year in ''
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
'' magazine's annual Best of Baltimore issue.


Live shows

Deacon's reputation was birthed by his live shows. When playing solo he usually performs on floor level within the audience, his musical devices being set up on a low table, and surrounded by the crowd. In stark contrast to Deacon's electronic performances, the Bromst tour was with a 14-person ensemble of members of various Baltimore bands including
So Percussion Sō Percussion is an American percussion quartet formed in 1999 and based in New York City. Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Cha-Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for th ...
,
Future Islands Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals), and Michael Lowry (p ...
, and Chester Gwazda. He was accompanied by various acts including Nuclear Power Pants. This tour is also notable for the musicians' use of a
vegetable oil Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fat ...
powered bus. In the summer of 2009, Dan Deacon went on tour with two other notable acts,
Deerhunter Deerhunter is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Bradford Cox (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Moses Archuleta (drums, electronics, sound treatments), Lotus Plaza, Lockett Pundt (guitar, ...
, and
No Age No Age is an American noise rock duo consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Allen Spunt. The band is based in Los Angeles, California, and was signed to Sub Pop records from 2008 to 2013. No Age's fourth studio album, ''S ...
, on the "No Deachunter" tour. In the fall of 2009, Dan Deacon was forced to cancel the small remainder of his North American tour, which included shows at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...
in
Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...
and
Connecticut College Connecticut College (Conn College or Conn) is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. It is a residential, four-year undergraduate institution with nearly all of its approximately 1,815 students living on campus. The college w ...
in
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
due to health complications involving a battle with acute
sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities like heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often described ...
, all of which were rescheduled in winter of 2010. For his ''America'' tour, Deacon created a smartphone app that synchronizes with the live show. It is usually used during the song "True Thrush".


Digital video

Deacon recorded the track " Drinking Out of Cups". In 2006, Liam Lynch created a video to accompany the piece. The compilation has been viewed more than 20 million times on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. As the video spread, rumors of what the video was and how it was made quickly began forming. One popular rumor is that it is a recording of someone on
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
locked in a closet. Deacon has stated numerous times that this is not true. He collaborated with Wham City Comedy, on ''
Live Forever as You Are Now with Alan Resnick ''Live Forever as You Are Now with Alan Resnick'' is a television special written, created and directed by Alan Resnick and Ben O'Brien for Adult Swim, as part of the Infomercials series. The special is presented as a parody of self-help infome ...
'', an infomercial parody, created for
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
and "Showbeast" the web series created and directed by
Ben O'Brien Ben O'Brien (born November 4, 1984) is an American comedian and filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland. They are a member of the Wham City arts collective and founding member of Wham City Comedy. They have directed videos for Adult Swim and Merge Rec ...
.


Film composer and curator

In September 2010, Deacon collaborated with video artist
Jimmy Joe Roche Jimmy Joe Roche is an American visual artist and underground filmmaker, based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a long-time collaborator with Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon. Career Roche's works have been screened in venues and museums all ove ...
at the Incubate festival in
Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
, The Netherlands. While in residency there, Deacon and Roche worked on a new piece of video art. Material was shot at 't Schop, a farm in
Hilvarenbeek Hilvarenbeek () is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium. The biggest tourist attraction is called Beekse Bergen, consisting of a safari park, amusement park/playground, holiday bungalow park, a ...
, and in the area surrounding
Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
. During the festival, the movie was shown at the farm before Deacon's performance. Together with Jimmy Joe Roche and film critic Eric Allen Hatch, Dan Deacon curated and hosted the Gunky's Basement Film Series, a
Maryland Film Festival The Maryland Film Festival is an annual five-day international film festival taking place each May in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival was launched in 1999, and presents international film and video work of all lengths and genres. The festival ...
series of films that are favorites of these friends and collaborators, including ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...
'', '' The Shining'', and '' Something Wild''. Deacon's score for
Theo Anthony Theo Anthony is an American film director, editor, and cinematographer from Baltimore, Maryland known for his documentary films, including 2016's '' Rat Film''. Anthony's work draws inspiration from the experimental film essays of directors s ...
's 2017 documentary ''
Rat Film ''Rat Film'' is a 2016 documentary directed by American filmmaker Theo Anthony employing techniques of essay and collage. Plot The documentary uses rat infestation in Baltimore as a starting point to explore issues of segregation, redlining, ...
'' was issued on October 13, 2017 as the inaugural release on the new Domino Soundtracks imprint. During the recording of the score, Deacon experimented with the rodent subjects, placing rats onto a custom fiberglass table with sensors on each corner. "I thought it would be interesting to set up a group of theremins to be controlled by rats moving around an enclosure (the volumes and pitches would always be fluctuating based on where/how the rats moved)", he explained in a statement. "Using the data and patterns collected from the rat Theremin performance, as well as impulse data from recordings of rat brain activity, I began to compose the bulk of the score." Deacon appears as himself in the 2014 film ''
Song One ''Song One'' is a 2014 American romantic drama film written and directed by Kate Barker-Froyland in her directorial debut. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Ben Rosenfield, and Mary Steenburgen. In the film, Franny Ellis returns home t ...
''. In November 2018, Deacon released ''Time Trial'', his original soundtrack score to Finlay Pretsell's cycling documentary. Deacon's scores for both ''Rat Film'' and ''Time Trial'' were nominated for Best Original Score in the annual
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...
. Other films scored by Deacon include the feature documentaries ''Well Groomed'' and ''And We Go Green'', and the
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
30 for 30 ''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series un ...
short ''Subject to Review''. Deacon also contributed original music to the score of
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's 2011 horror film ''
Twixt TwixT is a two-player strategy board game, an early entrant in the 1960s 3M bookshelf game series. It became one of the most popular and enduring games in the series. It is a connection game where players alternate turns placing pegs and ...
'', starring
Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...
. Deacon scored three projects that premiered at the 2021
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
: Albert Birney and
Kentucker Audley Andrew Michael Nenninger (born November 13, 1981), known professionally as Kentucker Audley, is an American filmmaker and actor. He appeared on the 2007 ''Filmmaker Magazine'' list of 25 New Faces of Independent Film. He founded the independent f ...
's narrative feature '' Strawberry Mansion'',
Theo Anthony Theo Anthony is an American film director, editor, and cinematographer from Baltimore, Maryland known for his documentary films, including 2016's '' Rat Film''. Anthony's work draws inspiration from the experimental film essays of directors s ...
's documentary feature ''
All Light, Everywhere ''All Light, Everywhere'' is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras. The film had its world premiere at the ...
'', and the documentary series ''Philly D.A.'' In 2021, Deacon also scored
Jessica Kingdon Jessica Kingdon is a Chinese American director and producer. She was nominated for the 2022 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for directing the documentary ''Ascension''. Career Kingdon received her BA from Columbia University in 2009 ...
's feature documentary '' Ascension'', which premiered at the 2021
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
, winning both Best Documentary Feature and the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director. Deacon's scores for '' Ascension'' and ''
All Light, Everywhere ''All Light, Everywhere'' is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras. The film had its world premiere at the ...
'' were both nominated for Outstanding Original Score at the 2022
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...
, with '' Ascension'' taking home the prize in that category.


Discography


Solo studio records

* ''
Spiderman of the Rings ''Spiderman of the Rings'' is the first studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon, released by Carpark Records Carpark Records is an independent record label based in Washington, D.C. History Carpark Records was establi ...
'' (Wildfire Wildfire / Carpark Records, 2007) * ''
Bromst ''Bromst'' is the second studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. It was released on March 24, 2009. Background According to Deacon: "''Spiderman of the Rings'' was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the ...
'' (Carpark Records, 2009) * ''
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'' (Domino, 2012) * ''
Gliss Riffer ''Gliss Riffer'' is the fourth studio album by American electronic musician Dan Deacon. It was released on February 25, 2015, on Domino Records. Background The album's title is combination of the common music term "Gliss", short for glissando, ...
'' (Domino, 2015) * ''
Mystic Familiar ''Mystic Familiar'' is the fifth studio album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. Background ''Mystic Familiar'' marked Dan Deacon's first solo studio record since 2015's ''Gliss Riffer''. In the intervening years, Deacon had tour ...
'' (Domino, 2020)


Extended plays & singles

* ''Green Cobra Is Awesome vs. the Sun'' (single, 2003) * ''Porky Pig'' (Standard Oil Records New Music Series, 2004) * ''Twacky Cats'' (Comfort Stand Records, 2004) * ''Acorn Master'' (Psych-o-Path Records, 2006) * ''The Crystal Cat'' (7" single, Carpark Records, 2007) * ''Dan Deacon/Adventure Split'' (12" single, Carpark Records, 2009) * ''Woof Woof'' (single, 2009)


As producer

*
Ed Schrader's Music Beat Ed Schrader's Music Beat is an American two piece rock duo of Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice from Baltimore, Maryland. According to The Boston Hassle, the duo has "a gas pedal/brake pedal sonic narrative, careening without warning between cross-eyed ...
, ''
Riddles A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...
'' (Carpark Records, 2018)


Other releases

* '' Meetle Mice'' (2003) * ''Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat'' (2003) * ''Goose on the Loose'' (2003) * ''Live Recordings 2003'' (2004) * ''Ultimate Reality'' (soundtrack) (Carpark Records, 2008) * ''
Twixt TwixT is a two-player strategy board game, an early entrant in the 1960s 3M bookshelf game series. It became one of the most popular and enduring games in the series. It is a connection game where players alternate turns placing pegs and ...
'' (soundtrack) (with
Osvaldo Golijov Osvaldo Noé Golijov (; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor, known for his vocal and orchestral work. Biography Osvaldo Golijov was born in and grew up in La Plata, Argentina, in a Jewish family ...
, 2011) * ''I Said No Doctors!'' ( Dymaxion Groove, 2017) * ''
Rat Film ''Rat Film'' is a 2016 documentary directed by American filmmaker Theo Anthony employing techniques of essay and collage. Plot The documentary uses rat infestation in Baltimore as a starting point to explore issues of segregation, redlining, ...
(Original Soundtrack)'' (Domino Soundtracks, 2017) * ''Time Trial (Original Soundtrack)'' (Domino Soundtracks, 2018) * ''Well Groomed (Original Soundtrack)'' (Domino Soundtracks, 2020) * '' Ascension (Original Soundtrack)'' (Milan Records, 2021) * ''
All Light, Everywhere ''All Light, Everywhere'' is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras. The film had its world premiere at the ...
(Original Soundtrack)'' (Milan Records, 2021) * '' Strawberry Mansion (Original Soundtrack)'' (Milan Records, 2022) * '' Hustle (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)'' (Netflix Music, 2022)


Collaborations


Film scores


Television scores


Charts

*August 1, 2006: ''Acorn Master'' hits #162 on the
CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
Radio 200 charts. *March 24, 2009: ''Bromst'' hits #199 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Top 200 charts. *September 15, 2012: ''America'' hits #147 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 charts, and #5 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums charts *March 14, 2015: ''Gliss Riffer'' hits #2 on the ''Billboard'' Top Dance/Electronic Albums charts


Awards

* ''Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat'' #18 in Top 30 most played albums on
WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...
in November 2003 * ''Meetle Mice'' Third Best Album of 2003 on Top Ten Albums by OCDJ * Best Solo Performer 2005 ''
Baltimore City Paper ''Baltimore City Paper'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. The most recent owner was the Baltimore Sun Media Group, which purchased the paper in 2014 from Ti ...
'' Critics Poll * Best Solo Performer 2006 ''Baltimore City Paper'' Readers Poll * ''Acorn Master'' #1 in Top 30 played albums on
WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...
in July 2006 * ''Spiderman of the Rings'' named Best New Music on ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' in May 2007 with an 8.7 rating * "Wham City" was listed #30 on ''Pitchfork'' "Top 100 Tracks of 2007" * Awarded "Best Awesome" by ''COOL!'' magazine * ''Spiderman of the Rings'' named one of the best records of 2007 by ''
CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
'' * "The Crystal Cat" Single listed in top 100 singles of 2007 by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine * ''Spiderman of the Rings'' named one of the 25 best records of 2007 by ''Pitchfork'' * ''Bromst'' named Best New Music on ''Pitchfork'' in March 2009 with an 8.5 rating * Performance with
So Percussion Sō Percussion is an American percussion quartet formed in 1999 and based in New York City. Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Cha-Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for th ...
at the
Merkin Concert Hall Merkin Hall is a 449-seat concert hall in Manhattan, New York City. The hall, named in honor of Hermann and Ursula Merkin, is part of the Kaufman Music Center, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School, a community arts school, and the Spec ...
as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival named one of the top 10 classical music performances of 2011 by ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
'' magazine * ''Gliss Riffer'' named Best Album of 2015 by ''Baltimore City Paper'' * ''
Rat Film ''Rat Film'' is a 2016 documentary directed by American filmmaker Theo Anthony employing techniques of essay and collage. Plot The documentary uses rat infestation in Baltimore as a starting point to explore issues of segregation, redlining, ...
(Original Soundtrack)'' nominated for Best Original score in the 2018
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...
* ''Spiderman of the Rings'' / ''Ultimate Reality'' 10th anniversary show named Best Concert of 2018 by
WTMD WTMD (89.7 FM) is an adult album alternative-formatted public radio station owned by Your Public Radio, previously licensed to Towson University and located in Towson, Maryland. The station serves Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Histo ...
(89.7 FM) * BSO Pulse performance with the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...
named Best Concert of 2019 by ''Baltimore'' magazine * ''Time Trial (Original Soundtrack)'' nominated for Best Original score in the 2019
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...
* '' Ascension (Original Soundtrack)'' wins top award Outstanding Original Score in the 2022
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...
* ''
All Light, Everywhere ''All Light, Everywhere'' is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras. The film had its world premiere at the ...
(Original Soundtrack)'' nominated for Outstanding Original Score in the 2022
Cinema Eye Honors The Cinema Eye Honors are awards recognizing excellence in nonfiction or documentary filmmaking and include awards for the disciplines of directing, producing, cinematography and editing. The awards are presented each January in New York and have b ...


References


External links

* *
Wham City video profile

Dan Deacon interview for the ''New York Times''

Dan Deacon's electronic jungle
— A June 2007 Associated Press interactive piece with Dan Deacon explaining his instruments. {{DEFAULTSORT:Deacon, Dan American electronic musicians State University of New York at Purchase alumni Living people Musicians from Baltimore 1981 births People from West Babylon, New York Domino Recording Company artists Carpark Records artists