Dan Deacon Text Only Press Kit
Short Biography:
Absurdist composer and electronic musician, Dan Deacon, is based in Baltimore,
Maryland. Musically influenced by Devo, Talking Heads, Scratch Orchestra, People
Like Us, Raymond Scott and Conlon Nancarrow, Dan’s music strives to take
contemporary experimental composition and electronic music out of the circle of
the esoteric intellectual gangs and hipster communities, placing it into the more
informal “fun time.” His high-energy performances consist of song-structured
material performed with Casio keyboard, computer, vocoder and many whosits and
whatsits to process his voice and signal generator.
Notable Press Quotes:
Review of 6/18/04 Warehouse Next Door
"Dan Deacon performs an eccentric brand of electronic music that is so distinctive
I don't see how he couldn't be a solo act. His digital torture started somewhere
between demented circus music and warped polka, but quickly took on lots of hints
from more standard pop structures. Even at it's most ordinary, which wasn't very
ordinary by any usual scale, Deacon took great joy in using his computer and other
assorted electronics to twist the sounds beyond any normal expectations, and this
was one of the things I liked best about his stuff. Too many folks use computers
or synths to play loops or back themselves, but really don't use them to do anything
that couldn't be done, more or less, by humans. By contrast, the machine love
in Deacon's stuff was obvious; his sounds are inhuman in all the best ways possible.
The more obvious highlight of Deacon's set was the spastic energy of his performance,
an even more extreme rarity in the often dull laptop arena. Hell, plenty of plain
old rock bands don't have half the nerdly charisma or give off one tenth the sweat
he did during his all too short set. And the energy was infectious; before he
was two songs into his set the Warehouse had erupted into a spontaneous dance
party, and I think we all know exactly how common that is in D.C....there are
few acts out there that could make any kind of an impression following Dan Deacon.
Here's hoping that he makes the trip down the B-W Parkway frequently."
Washington City Paper, June 25-July 1, 2004
“Absolutely amazing...a true musical and compositional genius. Any work
from him is sure to impress.”
OCDJ, Radio DJ WFMU 90.1 Jersey City/New York City
"Dan Deacon is to electronic music as the Simpsons was to television!
Ben Furgal, Artist, benfurgal.com
Review of 5/20/04 Warwick, NY Performance
"The Invader Editorial Board was delighted to attend a recent performance
of the consummate experimental act, Dan Deacon, in Warwick, New York. Invader
editors were ‘shocked and awed’ by the lively and bizarre performance
of Deacon’s dances, screams and emphatic exclamations. The delightful and
eclectic music was created as well as composed by Deacon, and filled the room
and the streets outside with an air of ‘drama, excitement and rapture’."
by Invador Staff, theInvador.org, July, 2004
"With a style reminiscent of everything from Eugene Ionesco to Babar,
Deacon never fails to impress with his frisky lyrics, unrelenting enthusiasm,
and boners."
AbraAdduci, Writer, dirtroadtheatre.org
"Imagine Sifl & Olly produced by Fennesz, and maybe it would be like
this. except, [Twacky Cats EP] is more awesome."
Paul Simpson, RPM Director/Asst. Music Director, WRSU 88.7FM, Rutgers University
Performed With:
Cat Power, Matmos, People Like Us, Rainer Maria, Rasputina, Chinese Stars, MF
Doom, Kool Keith, Dainel Carter, MC Paul Barnum, Prince Paul, Tracy and the Plastics.
The Rapture, Dufus, Jeff Lewis, the Locust, Borbetomagus, Blue Oyster Cult, the
Aquabats, Arab On Radar, the Pietasters, Chris Corsano, Atom and His Package,
World Inferno Friendship Society, Blink 182, Grand Buffet, Oxes, Kid Koala and
many others.