via//chicago

np: "Surprise Stefani" - Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon can be a lot to take. He's kind of like that hyperactive genius kid that everyone knew in grade school, the one nobody could stand to be around. Not because he was annoying per se, but just because he'd rather invent new ways to make every game "more awesome" than actually just playing the game. Always bouncing from idea to idea, barely allowing anyone within earshot to take a breath. Deacon's live shows are certainly no exception, between songs he is breathlessly exhorting the audience to split down the middle, form circles, do crazy dances, count backwards, etc etc. It's nothing less than exhausting.

For me, Deacon's recorded works suit me just fine, where I can take him on my own terms without the hippy-dippy mumbo-jumbo and the annoying fans. Where I can appreciate the Baltimore musician for what he really is at heart, a truly outstanding and inventive modern composer.

Take "Surprise Stefani", the sixth track of his 2009 release Bromst, as a perfect example of his compositional skills. It starts out calmly with a modulating vocal sample that is quickly joined by some slow, spacey synths that wouldn't sound out of place on an early-80s science fiction soundtrack. Just as you start to get lulled in, everything drops out to be be replaced by layers upon layers of chopped up and manipulated vocal samples over sparse, droning keyboards. It's briefly disorienting, but pretty soon you become too overwhelmed to notice. Your ears are busy trying to pick out just one vocal melody or rhythm to latch onto, but it's a worthless exercise - there is just enough variation in each layer to have you jumping at each twitch. It's a neat trick and repeated listens reveal just how structured this is, this isn't mere chance and chaos. Eventually the vocals drop off and the focus turns to the drums and twinkling xylophone, one of Deacon's signature moves. Listening to this section on headphones is even more of a trip, as the modulation jumps from channel to channel. Finally the drone drops out and the last twenty seconds leaves us with bright, shiny and surprisingly tuneful xylophone.

It's difficult to express the experience of hearing this song in words, one would be far better served giving this one a spin for themselves. The point of this entry is to call attention to that aspect of Deacon's music that seems to be overlooked when the attention is on his live antics and cartoon vocals. Namely, Deacon is a composer more than he is your typical "indie" musician. His work pulls almost directly from the minimalism of Steve Reich and the looped oscillations of John Adams, and should almost be approached in a similar way. That's how his work has clicked for me at any rate, maybe that approach will work for you. I'm still not going anywhere near his live show though.