Meet Baltimore’s electronic extraordinaire
by Matt Simon | July 18, 2008 at 8:05 am
Posted in Baltimore, celebrity, entertainment, music
Dan Deacon
It’s electronic music, with a twist.
His music has led him from Montana to Australia.
But, before he takes the stage at Whartscape on Sunday, in his adopted hometown of Baltimore, Dan Deacon chatted with b about his music.
To hear a part of the interview, click the play button on the player below.
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M.S.: How did you get into music?
D.D.: My dad. He had a pretty extensive record collection and a CD collection. I think as a little kid it was hard not to be surrounded by some music, mainly like the Beatles, the Kinks, Rolling Stones and Moody Blues and classic rock type stuff. But, it just got me very interested.I’ve always been very drawn to performing and it just sort of happened.
M.S.: What did you originally want to do in college?
D.D.: I went to Purchase for political science and drama studies. And hated both.
I was just sort of dicking around and I realized that in my spare time, all I was doing was working on music — writing music. And friends suggested that I try out for the Music Conservatory. I got in, and that was that.
M.S.: How would you explain your music to someone who has never heard it before?
D.D.: Techno bull**** dude. *laughs*
It’s pop-based, um, weird music.
M.S.: Where are some of your favorite places your music has taken you?
D.D.: Australia was really beautiful. I enjoyed Ireland quite a bit. Looking forward to going to Brazil and China. I really like Kansas City and Montana. Calgary is really nice.
M.S.: What are you hoping to do with your music?
D.D.: I’m just hoping to continue to write music that I enjoy and find unique to myself. True to my musical tastes and desires. And continue to challenge myself as a composer and performer. I don’t want to get lazy. It’s easy to fall into the comforts of a particular style.
I often start off my set by saying that I hope the audience likes the songs. But, if not, it doesn’t matter.
But, I would definitely hope that people take something away — especially when it’s performed live. I want them to feel like they are a part of something rather than just a spectator. I hope they enjoy it and hopefully they are in a better place than they were before they watched it.
M.S.: Do you have a favorite song that you perform?
D.D.: I guess it depends on the show. But, I do really enjoy performing a song called “Paddling Ghost.”
It’s not released yet. It’ll be on my next record [which will be my eighth].
Dan Deacon
For details, click HERE.
He is also a founding member of a collective formed in 2003 called WHAM City.
For information on WHAM City, click HERE.
To listen to some of Dan’s work, click HERE.
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July 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Techno?
What a joke. Maybe the writer should have done his homework first.
No offense to DD but this guy is far from what techno is.
Please stop giving our music a bad name by using it as a coverall term for ALL electronic music.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
You're right. I changed the techno references to electronic music. Thank you for pointing that out. I'm sorry for the error.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:55 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Ummm..hate to break it to you. Techno IS the coverall term for electronic music. At least it was originally - before some people decided it was something else. Or something.
Who cares what someone calls your music? Do your thing and do it well, then it won't matter.
!
p.s. Techno, as you define it, had a bad name LONG before Matt Simon stepped into the mix.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:28 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Um...hate to break it to you, but techno is the coverall term for electronic music for the ignorant and uninitiated.
Who cares what someone calls your music? Well as a music producer, I'd like my music to be labeled correctly so that it can be marketed to the correct demographic.
You don't sell/market/promote trance music to techno listeners. Judging from your post, you obviously don't know this.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:09 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Bitch please - I was going to electronic music events (happy?) long before you were beating on pots and pans in your mom's kitchen. Orbit parties? Check. Storm raves? Check. Citrus Club? Check. Nasa? Check. ORIGINAL Soundfactory? Check. Webster Hall and Limelight before crystal meth? Yep, I was there...in the vip with Michael Alig.
I'm the unintiated...but you're the douchebag "music producer" that wants to make sure his crappy trance is promoted to right audience? Maybe you should check the roots of electronic music lady. The point was never to become a world famous name and market anything - the point was to get a group of like minded people together and all catch the same vibe and have a really good time. Then crumbsnatching wannabes like you came and ****ed it up. Don't tell me about the scene my friend - I was there. And we didn't care if it was trance, house, two-step garage, breaks, acid or whatever...we just wanted to have a good time. Everything got played in one night.
I've forgotten more about "the scene" than you could ever absorb in three lifetimes. You're a parasite...you killed it and made it plastic.
Live with that.
!
July 18th, 2008 at 11:38 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
wow, ycktr, zero for three this round.
pretty sad that DD is the apparent pinnacle of the Bmore music scene. used to be a great techno party at the Depot once a month, but since that folded, there's hardly ever a reason to go out, unless you love pretentious affected hipsters wanking away.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:00 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Oh, let's make it 0 for 4. Coming from a Morrisy fan, YCKTR, your labling of everything electronic as Techno is not only categorically incorrect but it's insulting to afficianados. I'm sure you would agree, if you heard face melting techno, that not only did it create it's own category itself but deserves to be seen in it's own light.
Notice how I try my damndest not to mention DD? Talented? Maybe. Techno? Not.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:05 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Ok I am not Dan Deacon fan by any means. However I just wanted to point on that techno definitely had a bad name before Matt Simon or YCKTR.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Damn glowsticks and whistles.
Someone needs to choke on one of those things.
But seriously, you are right dex, techno has had a bad name for awhile, and its due to misrepresentation (i.e techno = all electronic music), bad producers, kandi ravers, drugs, etc...
July 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'm just surprised it took b this long to print an article about dan deacon
July 18th, 2008 at 1:44 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
It kinda seemed to us like Whartscape might be the best peg for it. You goin'?
July 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Yupper, I have a few friends involved in it so I'm obliged to show some support. Saturday's gonna be a pretty fantastic day for local acts. I *doubt* that I'll be able to hang until the Who is the Tunafish Man? show however.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
all kinds of things have "bad names", depending on who you ask. I wouldn't ask DD's fans for opinions on much. "look how clever, ironic, and non-chalant I am" is not a message that fascinates me.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:01 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
a better interview with dan:
http://auralstates.com/2008/07/countdown-to-whartscape-ground-zero-feat-dan-deacon-cex.html
July 18th, 2008 at 5:19 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
tomorrow I am gonna go to artscape then I am going to go to whartscape and then I am going to eat a burrito and have fartscape
July 18th, 2008 at 7:00 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
For the first time you actually got a little chuckle out of me...
!