Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon’s newest score, for the HBO dog-grooming documentary Well Groomed, follows the release of his fifth studio album Mystic Familiar and is the latest addition to his collaborative repertoire which includes soundtracks for films Rat Film, Time Trial, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt, as well as works with the NYCBallet, LAPhil, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Well Groomed immerses the viewer in the colorful and surreal subculture of competitive creative dog grooming, a world where prizes are awarded transforming dogs into flamboyant living art objects. The lighter tone and largely upbeat subject matter of the documentary offered Deacon an opportunity to compose with more playful tones and organic instrumentation not usually found in his work such as vibraphone, guitar, and piano. From Vangelis-inspired soundscape to Krautrock-influenced anthems, the Well Groomed soundtrack channels the ecstatic energy of Deacon’s legendary live shows more than any of his film work to date.

(Photo Credit: Phil Kilne)