5 Studio Staples with Dan Deacon
5 Studio Staples with Dan Deacon
Best known for transformative live shows and kaleidoscopic records like Mystic Familiar, Baltimore-based recording artist and performer Dan Deacon is now making a formidable mark as a film and TV composer, where his maximalist approach finds new storytelling scope.
His latest project? Creating the original score for HBO’s ambitious new series, Task, a high-stakes drama that follows an FBI task force in Philadelphia. The soundtrack, released just this month, blends synths with orchestral heft, channelling Deacon’s gift for building tension and catharsis into cinematic form. Alongside this, he recently powered Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance with a muscular, comic-inspired score that cements his place in the blockbuster realm, too.
Dan’s creative process is a testament to playful rigour, equal parts hardware synths, analog tape eccentricity, and deep dives into the ecological systems, as evidenced by his recent Baltimore Aquarium residency. So what defines a cutting-edge composer’s studio staples? Exclusively for The Blank Mag, Deacon shares what these essentials are…
No. 1. Arp 2600
It's nice to get away from my screens and get lost with the 2600. The built-in speakers and semi-modular nature of it allow for extremely easy breaks from work without any setup. It sits nicely on this metal shelf next to my desk, so when I get up to take a break, I can pop over to it and exist within the squiggles for as long as my anxiety allows. The ARP is just a fun synth to play and reminds me of why I started making music in the first place. It's fun.
No. 2. Amazon Basics Mouse
There is no instrument I rely on more than a mouse. I've tried a lot, and most of the nice ones are awful ergonomically, uncomfortable, or poorly designed. I'm left-handed, and many of the nicer mouse options don't have a left-hand version. Plus, I don't need any bells and whistles. A simple two-button Amazon Basics mouse is all I need. It's the least cool thing in my studio, but this wretched little thing works the best for me. However, the wrist pad is vital. I use one for my keyboard and mouse as well. These are also nothing special, but I have brand loyalty to Brila because they fit well on my mouse and keyboard tray.
No. 3. Staedtler Mars Technico 780C Mechanical Lead Holder Pencil
I fell in love with this pencil in college. There was a time when I composed by hand on paper. It was a really meditative process, almost like an additional hobby within composing. Someone got me this pencil as a gift, and it made the entire process even more pleasurable. Shortly after college, all my paper notation scores were destroyed when the apartment above mine caught fire, and my unit got flooded. It was heartbreaking and kind of made me give up the entire process of hand notation, and I stopped using the Staedtler. But a few years ago, I got a desk blotter for jotting down spotting notes, recording quick thoughts, and doodling to let my mind explore, and I got a new Staedtler Mars Technico 780C. Now I can't function without it. When I misplace it, and I often do, I can't really get back to work fully until it's back on my desk.
No. 4 Sierra Miguel Black Beans from 2004
In 2004, I went on my first full US tour. It was a self-booked DIY tour of house shows with me and the other solo act I was on the road with. I was extremely broke and knew we'd make no money at all on this tour, and how eating on the road can be a real money drain. So I bought a 60-day supply of food to bring with me: 60 servings of peanut butter, 60 rice cakes, 60 cans of corn, and 60 cans of black beans. If the house show we were playing didn't offer us food, or if I couldn't dumpster dive something, I knew I had something to fall back on. The car died 30 days into the tour, and my touring companion (whose car it was) flew home. I didn't have a driver's license, a valid ID of any form, a credit card, or a bank account. And honestly, I had no reason to go back home to Baltimore. I really wanted to finish the tour. All I had was the $400 I had saved over the past 30 days, my suitcases of equipment, and the remaining month's supply of peanut butter, rice cakes, corn, and beans. I made bags out of my pants to store the food, spent all of my money, literally every single dollar I had in the world, on a month-long Greyhound Ameripass, and started taking the Greyhound bus from show to show. I didn't have a cell phone or computer, so I'd have to find a library every few days to contact venues and let them know the insane new plan. There were many days I had no money or other food and would be camped out in a remote bus station for 18 hours waiting on a connection. The cold beans, right out of the can, were by far the worst, but I was really glad I had them. I keep this one can of beans from that tour on my desk. It's nice to remember those long-ago, early, crazy tours. The beans remind me to always plan ahead and to be ready to improvise when the plan falls apart.
No. 5. Tuba
I played the tuba in high school. I wasn't very good, and I am worse at it now. It's always in the way, and I don't need it in here, but I like it in here. It's not the best tuba in the world, but it's nice to play from time to time. It's been with me for so long I can't imagine having my studio without it.
