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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Dan Deacon| image = Dan Deacon 3.jpg| caption = Dan Deacon in 2008| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Daniel Deacon| alias = Pardalince Bird| birth_date = Birth date and age|1981|08|28)Cite news |title=Dan Deacon |date=|url= http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dan+Deacon|periodical= Discogs |accessdate=2009-08-01 |postscript=|birth_place = West Babylon, New York , United States| death_date =| origin = Baltimore , Maryland , United States| instrument = Vocals, Function generator|wave function generator s, Keyboard instrument|keyboard s, trombone , tuba , computer | genre = Electronic music|Electronic , Indie music|indie | occupation =| years_active = 2003—present| label = Domino Records , Carpark Records , Mistletone Records, Wildfire Wildfire Records , Psych-o-Path, Standard Oil Records, Comfort Stand Records| associated_acts = So Percussion , Health , No Age , Lightning Bolt (band)|Lightning Bolt , Jimmy Joe Roche ,| website = http://www.dandeacon.com| current_members = Dan Deacon, Chester Gwazda, Denny Bowen, Dave Jacober, Jordan Kasey| past_members = William Cashion, Gerrit Welmers, Benny Boeldt, Andrew Bernstein, Ryan Syrell, Greg Fox, Kate Levitt, Sam Sowyrda, Stephe Cooper, Kevin O'Meara, Jeremy Hyman, Justin Frye, Andrew Burt, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, Eric Beach| notable_instruments = Wavetek 30 Function Generator| Time Traveler = No Dan Deacon (born August 28, 1981) is an American 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.
Life and Education
Dan was born and raised in suburban Long Island , New York. He graduated from Babylon High School in 1999 where he was a member of the local ska band Channel 59. http://channel59.tripod.com/dan.html He later attended the College or university school of music|Conservatory of Music at State University of New York at Purchase in Purchase, New York|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. http://www2.citypaper.com/news/story.asp? id=13624
Releases
His first two albums as a solo artist, Meetle Mice and Silly Hat vs Egale Hat were released on CD-R 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. 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 consisting of of 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 (company)|Line 6 DL4.
His next two releases were the EPs Twacky Cats on Comfort Stand Recordings and Acorn Master on Psych-o-path Records. Spiderman of the Rings was Deacon's first commercially distributed full-length album, released by Carpark Records in May 2007.Hughes, Josiah. http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx? csid1=131& csid2=4& fid1=37466 "Dan Deacon's High Art Dance Party", Exclaim! , April 2009. The album was well receivedMarc Hogan, " http://www.spin.com/reviews/dan-deacon-spiderman-rings-carpark Dan Deacon, 'Spiderman of the Rings' (Carpark): Baltimore Goofball Packs Ingenious Sonic Punch", Spin.com (accessed September 11, 2009). 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". http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/6753-top-50-albums-of-2007/3/ "Top 50 Albums of 2007", Pitchfork Media, Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
Ultimate Reality was released as a DVD in November 2007 and marked a return to composing music for others to perform. The pieces for percussion and electronics were performed by Jeremy Hyman of Ponytail (band)|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. http://www.carparkrecords.com carparkrecords.com 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 it placed it into the "best new music" section. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12833-bromst/ Bromst also ranked #46 in Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2009. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7744-the-top-50-albums-of-2009/
Contemporary Classical Work
At the 2008 Bang on a can Marathon 'Ultimate Reality Part 3' was performed at 4:30am on June 1st, 2008.
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. New York Magazine listed the performance as one of the top 10 classical music performances of 2011. http://nymag.com/arts/cultureawards/2011/top-ten-classical-performances/ 'Ghostbuster Cook' was also performed at Barbican Centre|The Barbican for the Steve Reich Reverberations Festival, May 7, 2001. On February 3 and 4 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 (film)|Twixt by Francis Ford Coppola .
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 in New York City.
On March 2, 2012 Deacon performed with So Percussion at the Royal Academy Of Music in Tornto 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 OpalToad with Obsidian Eyes." The piece was premiered at the 2012 Ecstatic Music Festival and was performed by the Calder Quartet , NOW Ensemble and Deacon on electronics controlling a Disklavier player piano . The piece was met with positive reviews http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/arts/music/the-ecstatic-music-festival-at-merkin-concert-hall.html "New York Times: Building Sonic Textures On Buzzes and Pulses"
Deacon made his Carnegie Hall debut on March 26th as part of the Carnegie Hall’s American Mavericks series with So Percussion and Matmos . The concert was a tribute to composer John Cage 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. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/arts/music/so-percussion-at-zankel-hall.html "New York Times:Bring Out Your Ringtones, and Other Requests for Accompaniment"
Live shows
Dan Deacon is famed for his live shows. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=104056205 "NPR: Dan Deacon, In Concert" 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 , 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 biofuel|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. http://pitchfork.com/news/35480-no-agedeerhunterdan-deacon-super-mega-awesome-tour-dates-revealed/ "Pitchfork: No Age/Deerhunter/Dan Deacon Super Mega Awesome Tour Dates Revealed"
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, New York and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut due to health complications involving a battle with acute sciatica , all of which were rescheduled in winter of 2010. http://pitchfork.com/news/37112-dan-deacon-hospitalized-with-back-problems-shows-canceled/ "Pitchfork: Dan Deacon Hospitalized With Back Problems, Shows Canceled"
Viral video
Deacon recorded the track "Drinking out of Cups". In 2006, Liam Lynch (musician)|Liam Lynch created a video to accompany the piece. The compilation has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube .cite web | url = http://www.evolvehappy.com/2009/07/06/dan-deacon-on-drinking-out-of-cups/ | title = Dan Deacon on 'Drinking Out Of Cups' | publisher = EvolveHappy.com | date = 2009-07-06 | accessdate = 2010-04-13 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.cite web | url = http://pitchfork.com/news/35868-dan-deacon-on-the-drinking-out-of-cups-video-i-have-never-done-acid/ | title = Dan Deacon on the 'Drinking Out of Cups' Video: 'I Have NEVER DONE ACID' | publisher = Pitchfork.com | date = 2009-07-09 | accessdate = 2010-04-13
In September 2010 Dan Deacon collaborated with Jimmy Joe Roche at the Incubate (festival)|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.Citation needed|date=March 2011
Stage composer
Power Moves Forever Quest (2011, with Dan Breen, Josh Van Horne, Chase O'Hara)
Discography
A Green Giant 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 Cats (Comfort Stand Records, 2004)
Porky Pig (Standard Oil Records New Music Series, 2004)
Acorn Master (Psych-o-Path Records, 2006)
Spiderman of the Rings (Wildfire Wildfire, 2007)
The Crystal Cat (7" single, Carpark Records, 2007)
February 2005: performed "Ohio" on WSAV , Savannah, GA 's local NBC affiliate
February 13, 2006: featured on Liam Lynch (musician)|Liam Lynch 's podcast Lynchland . Portions of Deacon's song "Big Big Big Big Big" are also used for Lynchland 's opening and closing credits on each episode.
May 26, 2006: performed again on WFMU
October 25, 2007: featured on Public Radio International 's The Sound of Young America . http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2007/10/podcast-dan-deacon.html
April 5, 2009: featured on National Public Radio 's All Things Considered . http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=102752117
May 29, 2009: featured on American Public Media 's Sound Opinions . http://soundopinions.org/archive/2009/may.html#guestdeacon
December 4, 2009: named artist of the year by The Athens Blur magazine in Athens, Georgia http://www.athensblur.com
February 12, 2011: performed for KRUI-FM website and logo launch party.
Charts
August 1, 2006: Acorn Master hits #162 on the CMJ Radio 200 charts.
March 24, 2009: Bromst hits #199 on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Top 200 charts.
Awards
Silly Hat vs. Egale Hat #18 in Top 30 most played albums on WFMU in November 2003
Meetle Mice Third Best Album of 2003 on Top Ten Albums by OCDJ
Best Solo Performer 2005 Baltimore City Paper Critics Poll
Best Solo Performer 2006 Baltimore City Paper Readers Poll
Acorn Master #1 in Top 30 played albums on WFMU in July 2006
Spiderman of the Rings named Best New Music on Pitchfork Media in May 2007 with a 8.7 rating
Bromst named Best New Music on Pitchfork Media in March 2009 with a 8.5 rating
Awarded "Best Awesome" by COOL! magazine
Spiderman of the Rings named one of the best records of 2007 by CMJ New Music Monthly
"Crystal Cat" Single listed in top 100 singles of 2007 by Rolling Stone magazine
Spiderman of the Rings named one of the 25 best records of 2007 by Pitchfork Media
Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH USA, March 2012
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, Romania, 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
References
Reflist
External links
Commons category
Official website| http://www.dandeacon.com
* myspace|dandeacon
http://www.babelgum.com/4025663/vice-versus-wham-city.html Wham City video profile
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/dan-deacon-at-cmj/ Dan Deacon interview for the New York Times
http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_entertainment/dandeacon/ Dan Deacon's electronic jungle — A June 2007 Associated Press interactive piece with Dan Deacon explaining his instruments.
http://www.stateofmindmusic.com/entry/1380/Dan-Deacon:-The-New-Face-of-Beauty/ Dan Deacon: The New Face of Beauty' from State of Mind Winter 09
http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/points.aspx? csid1=131 Dan Deacon article April 2009
http://www.musictowers.com/news/features/interview-dan-deacon-breaking-the-ice/ Music Towers article
http://musosguide.com/dan-deacon-london-fabric/11809 Muso's Guide live review - Fabric London
http://bostonist.com/2009/05/15/dan_deacon_at_the_middle_east.php Photo gallery of live performance
http://web.archive.org/web/19990209012254/members.tripod.com/~Channel59/ Channel 59 official band website
Persondata | NAME = Deacon, Dan | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = August 28, 1981 | PLACE OF BIRTH = West Babylon, New York , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Deacon, Dan Category:American electronic musicians Category:State University of New York at Purchase alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Baltimore, Maryland Category:1981 births
