DANCE MYTH – The Shapes We Make

Beschreibung

For Dan art and music is what it’s always been: a journey, making rougher ideas smoother, something to look at, sit with, and a place to hold emotion and thought.

Making music started early for him in the 90s, in the Ozark mountains of the US, when he began to make his brand of ‘lo-fi emo hip-hop’ using the name Listener. Dan went on to record eight albums in the hip hop duo Labklik and three albums in the hip hop group Deepspace5 as ‘Listener’. In 2002 he started touring full time as a solo artist under the name, and has since played thousands of shows in over 30 countries zig zagging across the globe. In 2007 and 2008 Listener became a band with Dan as the vocalist, bass guitar, and horn player. This non-stop touring period in Listener transitioned their music into what it is today with their unique musical voice coupled with Dan’s vocal brand and channeled poetry. He calls the music “Talk Music”. Dan is stepping out on his own once again and has created one of the most personal and connected albums of his career in “The Shapes We Make”. Dan continues to strive to combine all the loves of his life with a balance of time at home, building art, playing shows, creating music solo and in the band Listener, through his work as a painter, and as a mental health therapist at his practice in Kansas City.

An idea/mantra he has used since his early days in making art has been:
“Making the music that you are going to need, but you just don’t know it yet.”

Dan’s good friend Chris Nelson helped him put his music into practice in front of an audience, and thus, Listener—Dan’s first band—was born. Armed with their raw songs about life and a vision to share this music with everyone, Smith and Nelson began touring and growing as a duo. They played gigs every night and everywhere they could, and concertgoers watched Smith scream and sweat his way through the songs. The duo became accustomed to being on the road together every day and evolved from musical partners in crime to best friends. Their music became more experimental and diverse. 2008-2009 was essentially one continuous tour, so they began writing and recording the next Listener album, „Wooden Heart,“ while on the road. Smith had recited some of the lyrics of „Wooden Heart“ as spoken word poetry, but the lyrics were quickly adapted into songs.

The album quickly became a fan favorite and created a worldwide following. This album marked the beginning of expanding touring activities worldwide and also their first contact with Sounds of Subterrania.

As with so many artists, the coronavirus pandemic brought a sharp disruption to the band. Dan focused on the beginning of his career and began working on a solo album. His experience as a talk therapist, all his experiences as a touring artist, social upheaval, and, of course, the changed perspective that comes with aging, led him to rediscover his poetry and use music as a supporting element. Of course, he finds himself in the great American singer/songwriter tradition here, only enriched in a much more modern interpretation.