Dan Deacon
Encyclopedia
Dan Deacon is an America
n composer
and electronic music
ian based out of Baltimore
, Maryland
. Since 2003, Deacon has released eight albums under several different labels. Deacon also has a renowned reputation for his live shows, where large scale audience participation and interaction is often a major element of the performance.
, New York
. He graduated from Babylon High School in 1999 where he was a member of the local ska band Channel 59 . He later attended the Conservatory of Music at State University of New York at Purchase
in Purchase
, New York where, in addition to performing his solo material, he played in many bands, including tuba for Langhorne Slim
and guitar in the improvisational grindcore
band Rated R, and had a small mixed chamber ensemble. He completed his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and computer music
composition. He studied under composer and conductor Joel Thome
and Dary John Mizelle
.
In 2004 he moved to Baltimore, Maryland
and moved into the Copycat Building
and, along with friends from SUNY Purchase, formed Wham City, an arts and music collective.
His first two albums as a solo artist, Meetle Mice and Silly Hat vs Egale Hat were released on CD-R
on the Standard Oil Records label in 2003 while he was a student at SUNY Purchase. The albums are both collections of computer music and live recordings of ensemble pieces. They are markedly different from his first popular record, 2007's Spiderman of the Rings
, in that they contain almost no tracks where Deacon sings or uses vocal manipulation. Most of the pieces are instrumentals or sound collages. He followed those two albums with a set of records made up of sine wave
compositions. "Green Cobra is Awesome Vs The Sun" is a 42-minute piece comprising six slowly drifting sine waves. "Goose On The Loose" is a 60-minute piece featuring a Wavetek 180 signal generator
being processed through a DigiTech Whammy
and a Line 6 DL4.
His next two releases were the EPs Twacky Cats
on Comfort Stand Recordings and Acorn Master
on Psych-o-path Records. These were the first releases that contained material with which most of his current listeners would associate him.
Spiderman of the Rings
was Deacon's first commercially distributed full-length album, released by Carpark Records
in May 2007. The album was well received by the press and was included in the Best New Music section of Pitchforkmedia.com. The album was also ranked as number 24 on the website's "Top 50 Albums of 2007".
Ultimate Reality
was released as a DVD in November 2007. It was a return for Deacon to composing music for others to perform. The pieces for percussion and electronics were performed by Jeremy Hyman of Ponytail
and Kevin Omeara of Videohippos. The pieces were set to collaged and heavily altered video created by Deacon's long time friend and collaborator Jimmy Joe Roche
.
Deacon's latest album entitled Bromst
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. It was also very well received. Pitchfork gave it an 8.5/10, and it made it to the "best new music" section. Bromst also ranked #46 in Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2009.
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, Dan Deacon and percussion quartet So Percussion
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. The piece was also performed at the Barbican
for the Steve Reich
Reverberations Festival, May 7, 2001. On February 3rd and 4th the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
conducted by Edwin Outwater
premiered Deacons 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
by Francis Ford Coppola
. On August 1st, 2011 "Purse Hurdler", a composition for a 27 person percussion ensemble, was premiered by the So Percussion Summer Institute at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.
Deacon has performed at several leading art centers including Whitney Museum of American Art
in New York, Getty Center
in Los Angeles, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
in Washington, DC.
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
, Future Islands, and Chester Gwazda. He was accompanied by various acts including Nuclear Power Pants. This tour is also notable for the musicians' use of a veggie oil
powered bus.
In the summer of 2009, Dan Deacon went on tour with two other notable acts, Deerhunter
, and No Age
, 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
in Troy, NY and Connecticut College
in New London, CT due to health complications involving a battle with acute sciatica
, all of which were rescheduled in winter of 2010.
In September 2010 Dan Deacon collaborated with Jimmy Joe Roche
at the Incubate festival
in Tilburg
, 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
, and in the area surrounding Tilburg
. During the festival, the movie was shown at the farm before Deacon's performance.
created a video to accompany the piece. The compilation has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube
. 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
locked in a closet. Deacon has stated numerous times that this is not true.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ian based out of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Since 2003, Deacon has released eight albums under several different labels. Deacon also has a renowned reputation for his live shows, where large scale audience participation and interaction is often a major element of the performance.
Life and music history
Dan was born and raised in suburban Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He graduated from Babylon High School in 1999 where he was a member of the local ska band Channel 59 . He later attended the Conservatory of Music at State University of New York at Purchase
State University of New York at Purchase
Purchase College, State University of New York, is a public four-year college located in Purchase, New York, United States. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York system...
in Purchase
Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York is a hamlet of the town of Harrison, in Westchester County. Its ZIP code is 10577. Its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, for Harrison could have as much land as he could ride in one day...
, New York where, in addition to performing his solo material, he played in many bands, including tuba for Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim is an American singer-songwriter, . Scolnick attended high school at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, part of the SUNY system.He began to gain public notice through several years of touring with the...
and guitar in the improvisational grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band Rated R, and had a small mixed chamber ensemble. He completed his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and computer music
Computer music
Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of computing technology in music composition; particularly that stemming from the Western art music tradition...
composition. He studied under composer and conductor Joel Thome
Joel Thome
Joel Thome 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 orchestral music, as well as a strikingly effective conductor of opera and other...
and Dary John Mizelle
Dary John Mizelle
Dary John Mizelle is an American composer.Mizelle studied trombone as well as composition and participated in the New Music Ensemble at the University of California, Davis, where he participated in a course led by Karlheinz Stockhausen...
.
In 2004 he moved to Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and moved into the Copycat Building
Copycat Building
The Copy Cat Building is a Baltimore, Maryland landmark containing artists' live/work/paint spaces.The 1905 Baltimore City atlas shows the copycat building occupied by the Crown Cork & Seal bottle cap company...
and, along with friends from SUNY Purchase, formed Wham City, an arts and music collective.
His first two albums as a solo artist, Meetle Mice and Silly Hat vs Egale Hat were released on CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
on the Standard Oil Records label in 2003 while he was a student at SUNY Purchase. The albums are both collections of computer music and live recordings of ensemble pieces. They are markedly different from his first popular record, 2007's Spiderman of the Rings
Spiderman of the Rings
Spiderman of the Rings, released by Carpark Records on May 8, 2007 is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" was #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and "Wham City" was #30 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2007"...
, in that they contain almost no tracks where Deacon sings or uses vocal manipulation. Most of the pieces are instrumentals or sound collages. He followed those two albums with a set of records made up of sine wave
Sine wave
The sine wave or sinusoid is a mathematical function that describes a smooth repetitive oscillation. It occurs often in pure mathematics, as well as physics, signal processing, electrical engineering and many other fields...
compositions. "Green Cobra is Awesome Vs The Sun" is a 42-minute piece comprising six slowly drifting sine waves. "Goose On The Loose" is a 60-minute piece featuring a Wavetek 180 signal generator
Signal generator
Signal generators, also known variously as function generators, RF and microwave signal generators, pitch generators, arbitrary waveform generators, digital pattern generators or frequency generators are electronic devices that generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals...
being processed through a DigiTech Whammy
Digitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...
and a Line 6 DL4.
His next two releases were the EPs Twacky Cats
Twacky Cats
Twacky Cats, released by Comfort Stand Records in 2004, is an EP by American electronic musician Dan Deacon. Each song explores a different style. "Arms Saloon" is a sampled based piece drawing samples from the works of Buddy Holly and Deacon's signature FM modulated sine waves dominating it. "Lion...
on Comfort Stand Recordings and Acorn Master
Acorn Master
Acorn Master, released by Psych-o-Path Records in 2006 , is an EP by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.-Track listing:#"Two Friends" — 1:55#"Big Big Big Big Big" — 2:46#"Moses vs. Predator" — 3:48#"Its My Fault" — 3:39...
on Psych-o-path Records. These were the first releases that contained material with which most of his current listeners would associate him.
Spiderman of the Rings
Spiderman of the Rings
Spiderman of the Rings, released by Carpark Records on May 8, 2007 is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" was #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and "Wham City" was #30 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2007"...
was Deacon's first commercially distributed full-length album, released by Carpark Records
Carpark Records
Carpark Records is an American independent record label based in Washington, D.C. .-Signed artists:* 242.pilots* Beach House* Cloud Nothings* Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez* Belong* Casino Versus Japan* Class Actress...
in May 2007. The album was well received by the press and was included in the Best New Music section of Pitchforkmedia.com. The album was also ranked as number 24 on the website's "Top 50 Albums of 2007".
Ultimate Reality
Ultimate Reality
Ultimate reality is a term used in philosophy to indicate the underlying nature of reality, see:*Absolute *Reality*Brahman*God*Haqq*Dharmakaya*Mysticism...
was released as a DVD in November 2007. It was a return for Deacon to composing music for others to perform. The pieces for percussion and electronics were performed by Jeremy Hyman of Ponytail
Ponytail (band)
Ponytail was a 4-piece art rock band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on the label We Are Free. Their sound has been compared to Deerhoof as well as Ecstatic Sunshine, since Dustin Wong was a founder of that band, and due to the band's experimental guitar work and unique vocal stylings...
and Kevin Omeara of Videohippos. The pieces were set to collaged and heavily altered video created by Deacon's long time friend and collaborator Jimmy Joe Roche
Jimmy Joe Roche
Jimmy Joe Roche is an American visual artist and underground filmmaker, based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a long-time collaborator of the Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon.-Career:Roche's works have been screened in venues and museums all over the U.S...
.
Deacon's latest album entitled Bromst
Bromst
Bromst is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.- Production and background :According to Deacon: "Spiderman of the Rings was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the sake of partying...
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. It was also very well received. Pitchfork gave it an 8.5/10, and it made it to the "best new music" section. Bromst also ranked #46 in Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2009.
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, Dan Deacon and percussion quartet So Percussion
So Percussion
So Percussion is an American percussion quartet based in New York City.Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for its work with composers such as Steve Reich, David Lang, Paul Lansky, Martin...
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. The piece was also performed at the Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
for the Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
Reverberations Festival, May 7, 2001. On February 3rd and 4th the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is a Canadian orchestra based in the twin cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario. Its home venue is Centre In The Square in Kitchener, Ontario. Music Directors and Principal Conductors have included Raffi Armenian , Chosei Komatsu , Martin Fischer-Dieskau and...
conducted by Edwin Outwater
Edwin Outwater
Edwin Maurice Outwater is an American conductor from Santa Monica, California, United States.Outwater is the Music Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Ontario, Canada...
premiered Deacons 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
TwixT is a two-player abstract strategy game invented by Alex Randolph. It is a member of the connection game family, along with games such as Hex, Havannah, Y, PÜNCT and *Star...
by Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
. On August 1st, 2011 "Purse Hurdler", a composition for a 27 person percussion ensemble, was premiered by the So Percussion Summer Institute at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.
Deacon has performed at several leading art centers including Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
in New York, Getty Center
Getty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
in Washington, DC.
Live shows
Dan Deacon is famed for his live shows. When playing solo he 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
So Percussion
So Percussion is an American percussion quartet based in New York City.Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for its work with composers such as Steve Reich, David Lang, Paul Lansky, Martin...
, Future Islands, and Chester Gwazda. He was accompanied by various acts including Nuclear Power Pants. This tour is also notable for the musicians' use of a veggie oil
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
powered bus.
In the summer of 2009, Dan Deacon went on tour with two other notable acts, Deerhunter
Deerhunter
Deerhunter is an American four-piece indie rock group originating from Atlanta, Georgia. The band, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt, have described themselves as "ambient punk," though they incorporate a wide range of genres, including noise rock, art...
, and No Age
No Age
No Age is a two-person American indie rock group consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Allen Spunt. The band is based in Los Angeles and is currently signed to Sub Pop records...
, 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
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in Troy, NY and Connecticut College
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
in New London, CT due to health complications involving a battle with acute sciatica
Sciatica
Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, or...
, all of which were rescheduled in winter of 2010.
In September 2010 Dan Deacon collaborated with Jimmy Joe Roche
Jimmy Joe Roche
Jimmy Joe Roche is an American visual artist and underground filmmaker, based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a long-time collaborator of the Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon.-Career:Roche's works have been screened in venues and museums all over the U.S...
at the Incubate festival
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, 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
Hilvarenbeek is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium.- Population centres :The municipality of Hilvarenbeek also includes the following villages with their own churches: Baarschot, Biest-Houtakker, Diessen, Esbeek and Haghorst.In addition, the...
, and in the area surrounding Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
. During the festival, the movie was shown at the farm before Deacon's performance.
Viral video
Deacon recorded the track "Drinking out of Cups". In 2006, Liam LynchLiam Lynch
Liam Lynch may refer to:*Liam Lynch , general in the Irish Republican Army*Liam Lynch , musician, writer, and movie director...
created a video to accompany the piece. The compilation has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. 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
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
locked in a closet. Deacon has stated numerous times that this is not true.
Stage composer
- Power Moves Forever Quest (2011, with Dan Breen, Josh Van Horne, Chase O'Hara)
Discography
- A Green Cobra Is Awesome vs. the Sun (single EP, 2003)
- Goose on the Loose (2003)
- Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat (2003)
- Meetle Mice (2003)
- Live Recordings 2003 (2004)
- Twacky CatsTwacky CatsTwacky Cats, released by Comfort Stand Records in 2004, is an EP by American electronic musician Dan Deacon. Each song explores a different style. "Arms Saloon" is a sampled based piece drawing samples from the works of Buddy Holly and Deacon's signature FM modulated sine waves dominating it. "Lion...
(Comfort Stand Records, 2004) - Porky PigPorky PigPorky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts using the fat little pig...
(Standard Oil Records New Music Series, 2004) - Acorn MasterAcorn MasterAcorn Master, released by Psych-o-Path Records in 2006 , is an EP by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.-Track listing:#"Two Friends" — 1:55#"Big Big Big Big Big" — 2:46#"Moses vs. Predator" — 3:48#"Its My Fault" — 3:39...
(Psych-o-Path Records, 2006) - Spiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the Rings, released by Carpark Records on May 8, 2007 is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" was #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and "Wham City" was #30 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2007"...
(Wildfire Wildfire, 2007) - The Crystal CatThe Crystal Cat"The Crystal Cat" is a song by Baltimore electronic musician Dan Deacon, released as a 7" single on blue translucent vinyl in 2007. It was featured on Deacon's Carpark Records debut, Spiderman of the Rings. The song was ranked #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the Best 100 Songs of 2007....
(7" single, Carpark Records, 2007) - Ultimate RealityUltimate RealityUltimate reality is a term used in philosophy to indicate the underlying nature of reality, see:*Absolute *Reality*Brahman*God*Haqq*Dharmakaya*Mysticism...
(soundtrack) (Carpark Records, 2008) - BromstBromstBromst is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.- Production and background :According to Deacon: "Spiderman of the Rings was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the sake of partying...
(Carpark Records, 2009)
Media appearances
- July 23, 2003: performed on WFMUWFMUWFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
- February 21, 2004: performed again on WFMU
- February 2005: performed "Ohio" on WSAV, Savannah, GA's local NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate - February 13, 2006: featured on Liam LynchLiam Lynch (musician)Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
's PodcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
Lynchland. Portions of Deacon's song "Big Big Big Big Big" are also used for Lynchlands opening and closing credits on each episode. - May 26, 2006: performed again on WFMU
- October 25, 2007: featured on Public Radio InternationalPublic Radio InternationalPublic Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
's The Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young America is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California and distributed by Public Radio International...
. http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2007/10/podcast-dan-deacon.html - April 5, 2009: featured on National Public Radio's All Things ConsideredAll Things ConsideredAll Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102752117 - May 29, 2009: featured on American Public MediaAmerican Public MediaAmerican Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
's Sound OpinionsSound OpinionsSound Opinions is a radio talk show focusing on rock music. It airs Friday night at 8 PM CST and Saturday morning at 11 AM CST on Chicago Public Radio. The show is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot and features interviews with musicians and industry figures as well as featuring current music...
. http://soundopinions.org/archive/2009/may.html#guestdeacon - December 4, 2009: named artist of the year by The Athens Blur Magazine in Athens, GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaAthens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
http://www.athensblur.com - February 12, 2011: performed for KRUI-FMKRUI-FMKRUI-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, the station is licensed to Student Broadcasters Inc. KRUI began at the University of Iowa in 1952 as KWAD, and in 1968 the station's call letters changed to KICR...
website and logo launch party.
Charts
- August 1, 2006: Acorn MasterAcorn MasterAcorn Master, released by Psych-o-Path Records in 2006 , is an EP by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.-Track listing:#"Two Friends" — 1:55#"Big Big Big Big Big" — 2:46#"Moses vs. Predator" — 3:48#"Its My Fault" — 3:39...
hits #162 on the CMJ Radio 200 charts. - March 24, 2009: BromstBromstBromst is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.- Production and background :According to Deacon: "Spiderman of the Rings was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the sake of partying...
hits #199 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top 200 charts.
Awards
- Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat #18 in Top 30 most played albums on WFMUWFMUWFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
in November 2003 - Meetle Mice Third Best Album of 2003 on Top Ten Albums by OCDJ
- Best Solo Performer 2005 Baltimore City PaperBaltimore City PaperBaltimore City Paper is a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. Current owner Times-Shamrock Communications purchased the paper in 1987...
Critics Poll - Best Solo Performer 2006 Baltimore City PaperBaltimore City PaperBaltimore City Paper is a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. Current owner Times-Shamrock Communications purchased the paper in 1987...
Readers Poll - Acorn MasterAcorn MasterAcorn Master, released by Psych-o-Path Records in 2006 , is an EP by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.-Track listing:#"Two Friends" — 1:55#"Big Big Big Big Big" — 2:46#"Moses vs. Predator" — 3:48#"Its My Fault" — 3:39...
#1 in Top 30 played albums on WFMUWFMUWFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
in July 2006 - Spiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the Rings, released by Carpark Records on May 8, 2007 is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" was #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and "Wham City" was #30 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2007"...
named Best New Music on Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
in May 2007 with a 8.7 rating - BromstBromstBromst is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon.- Production and background :According to Deacon: "Spiderman of the Rings was very carefree and youthful – sort of partying for the sake of partying...
named Best New Music on Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
in March 2009 with a 8.5 rating - Awarded "Best Awesome" by COOL! Magazine
- Spiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the RingsSpiderman of the Rings, released by Carpark Records on May 8, 2007 is an album by the American electronic musician Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" was #84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and "Wham City" was #30 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2007"...
named one of the best records of 2007 by CMJ New Music MonthlyCMJ New Music MonthlyCMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between... - Crystal Cat Single listed in top 100 singles of 2007 by Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Magazine - Spiderman of the Rings named one of the 25 best records of 2007 by Pitchfork Media
Festival appearances
- SXSW 2007,2008, 2011 Austin, TX
- NXNW 2007, Portland, OR
- CMJ 2007, New York, NY
- Virgin Festival 2007, Baltimore, MD
- Pitchfork Music Festival 2007, Chicago, IL
- Laneway Festival 2008, Australia
- Coachella 2008, Indio, CA
- Future Days Festival 2008, Dublin, Ireland
- Dot to Dot 2008, UK
- Electric Picnic 2008, Ireland
- Sled Island Music Festival 2008, Calgary, AB Canada
- Bumbershoot 2008, Seattle, WA
- TIM Festival 2008, Brazil
- Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008, Austin, TX
- Langerado Festival 2008, Big Cypress, FL
- Fuck Yeah Fest 2008, Los Angeles, CA
- Golden Plains Festival 2009, Australia
- Transmodern Festival 2009, Baltimore, MD
- Primavera Sound, 2009, Barcelona, Spain
- Lollapalooza 2009, Chicago, IL
- Villette Sonique 2009, Paris, France
- Big Ears Music Festival, Knoxville, TN
- Treasure Island 2009, San Francisco, CA
- Campus A Low Hum, Bulls, New Zealand
- Transmediale 2010, Berlin, Germany
- MtyMx 2010, Monterrey, Mexico
- Sperm Festival, Prague, Czech Republic
- Donau Festival 2010, Krems, Austria
- Bonnaroo 2010, Manchester, TN
- Whartscape 2005-2010, Baltimore, MD
- Haldern Festival 2010, Germany
- Incubate 2010, The Netherlands
- High Zero 2010, Balitmore, MD
- MoogfestMoogfestMoogfest is a three-day electronic music festival that takes place in Asheville, North Carolina, United States, every year since 2010 towards the end of October. The festival is held in Asheville because it is the city where Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer and...
2010, Asheville, NCAsheville, North CarolinaAsheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active... - Iceland Airwaves 2010, Iceland
- Ecstatic Music Festival 2011, NYC
- 35 Conferette 2011, Denton, TX
- SXSW 2011, Austin, TX
- Transmodern Festival 2009, 2011, Baltimore, MD
- B.O.M.B. Fest 2011, Hartford, CT
- OFF Festival 2011, Katowice, Poland
- Terraneo Festival 2011, Šibenik, Croatia
- La Route Du Rock 2011, Saint-Malo, France
- Fuck Yeah Fest 2011, Los Angeles, CA
- Rocktucket 2011, Pawtucket, RI
- Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011, Austin, Texas
- Moogfest 2011, Asheville, NC
Museum and Art Institution performances
- National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest Romanian, April 2010
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD USA, July 2009
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA USA, June 2009
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH USA, June 2009
- Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, Detroit, USA, May 2009
- Fort Worth Museum of Art, Fort Worth, TX USA, April 2009
- The Hirshorn Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC USA, November 2008
- Detroit Museum of Modern Art, Detroit, MI USA, October 2008
- The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA USA, July 2008
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY USA, February 2008
- Model Arts Centre and Niland Gallery, Sligo, Ireland, December 2007
- Corcoran Museum, Washington, DC USA, November 2007
- The Walters Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD USA, February 2007
External links
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- Wham City video profile
- Dan Deacon interview for the New York Times
- Dan Deacon's electronic jungle — A June 2007 Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
interactive piece with Dan Deacon explaining his instruments.
- Dan Deacon article April 2009
- Pitchfork article
- Music Towers article
- Muso's Guide live review - Fabric London
- Photo gallery of live performance
- http://web.archive.org/web/19990209012254/members.tripod.com/~Channel59/ Channel 59 official band website