Cameron Deas
Encyclopedia
Cam Deas is an English born musician. He has released CDs, cassettes and records on various independent record labels.
Most notably playing the 12 String Guitar, his music ranges from solo composed and improvised guitar pieces to mixes of acoustic and electronic sounds, which "conjures up an air of ancient smoke-wreathed ritual with ghostly moans and 12 string acoustic guitar ragas that disappear into cascades of echo, haze and distortion."
Influences behind the music of Cam Deas include the usual Takoma players such as Robbie Basho
, John Fahey
as well as minimalists such as Charlemagne Palestine
and improvisors such as Derek Bailey.
Cam Deas has performed alongside artists such as Alasdair Roberts, Jack Rose
, James Blackshaw
, Pocahaunted, Corsano-Flower Duo, Greg Weeks
(of Espers
), Burial Hex and Jozef van Wissem
among many others. He has extensively toured across Europe, and on the way he has also appeared twice on Amsterdam's VPRO
radio to doing a session and interview. In 2009 Deas performed in Pauleskerk as part of Incubate festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Cam Deas has a small (in stature) but extremely dedicated following in Sheffield and on the internet. This rise in popularity is seen by the sales of his releases which invariably sell-out "super fast" according to his label's website.
Musical career
Deas has released numerous LPs and EPs on CDr, cassette and vinyl on the record labels Blackest Rainbow, Great Pop Supplement, Dead Pilot and Dirty Demos among others.Most notably playing the 12 String Guitar, his music ranges from solo composed and improvised guitar pieces to mixes of acoustic and electronic sounds, which "conjures up an air of ancient smoke-wreathed ritual with ghostly moans and 12 string acoustic guitar ragas that disappear into cascades of echo, haze and distortion."
Influences behind the music of Cam Deas include the usual Takoma players such as Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho was an American composer, guitarist and pianist, and one of the pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in America.-Biography:...
, John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
as well as minimalists such as Charlemagne Palestine
Charlemagne Palestine
Charlemagne Palestine is an American minimalist composer, performer, and visual artist...
and improvisors such as Derek Bailey.
Cam Deas has performed alongside artists such as Alasdair Roberts, Jack Rose
Jack Rose (guitarist)
Jack Rose was an American guitarist originally from Virginia and later based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rose is best known for his solo acoustic guitar work. He was also a member of the noise/drone band Pelt....
, James Blackshaw
James Blackshaw
James Blackshaw is a Hastings-based guitarist and pianist, born in 1981. Blackshaw primarily plays an acoustic 12 string guitar and has been compared to Bert Jansch, Robbie Basho, John Fahey, Jack Rose, and Leo Kottke. To enable his fingerstyle playing, Blackshaw has grown long picklike fingernails...
, Pocahaunted, Corsano-Flower Duo, Greg Weeks
Greg Weeks
Greg Weeks is an American singer-songwriter based in Philadelphia. His music has been described as folk, acoustic, psychedelic and experimental. He is best known as a founding member of the psychedelic folk-rock band Espers. Weeks has released four solo albums and has guest-recorded with many...
(of Espers
Espers
Espers may refer to:*Esper, a term used in science fiction and the field of parapsychology*Esper , a class of people from the Akira manga and film*Espers , a Philadelphia based folk group**Espers , their eponymous debut album...
), Burial Hex and Jozef van Wissem
Jozef van Wissem
Jozef van Wissem is a Dutch minimalist composer and lute player.Composer and lutenist Jozef van Wissem is devoted to what he terms “The Liberation of the Lute”...
among many others. He has extensively toured across Europe, and on the way he has also appeared twice on Amsterdam's VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
radio to doing a session and interview. In 2009 Deas performed in Pauleskerk as part of Incubate festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Cam Deas has a small (in stature) but extremely dedicated following in Sheffield and on the internet. This rise in popularity is seen by the sales of his releases which invariably sell-out "super fast" according to his label's website.
Solo and Collaborative
- Twig Fingers (Live Series) CDr (Pepto Records) 2007
- About A Train CDr (Dead Pilot Records) 2008
- Five Bells CDr (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2008
- Five Bells CDr Reissue (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2008
- For The Silver Waters, Sing! CDr+Cassette (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2008
- Untitled 3" CDr + T Shirt (Dead Pilot Records) (2008)
- My Guitar Is Alive and It's Singing LP (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2009
- My Guitar Is Alive and It's Singing CDr (No Label) 2009
- Untitled Blues Part I & II 7" (The Great Pop Supplement) 2009
- Blind Chance Limited CDr (No label) 2010
- Blind Chance LP (Present Time Exercises/Blackest Rainbow Records) 2010
- Deas & Denton S/T CDr (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2010
- Deas & Denton's Inferno LP (Present Time Exercises) 2010
- Quadtych Volume One LP (Present Time Exercises) 2011
- Quadtych Volume Two LP (Present Time Exercises) 2011
- Quadtych CD (Present Time Exercises) 2011
- It was in the month of January Book+CDr (Kaugummi) 2011
- Outgrowing The Wretched Cradle (with Jack Allett) (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2011
Splits/Compilations
- V/A - caterpillars. head swells and mind melts. a compilation record. CDr (No Statement Records) 2007
- Cam Deas/Sindre Bjerga Split - Dirty CDr 026 (Dirty Demo's) 2007
- Cam Deas/Anonymeye Split 3" CD (Curt Recordings) 2008
- V/A - This Is Music CDr + Tape Compilation (Sunburnt Tongue Recordings) 2008
- Cam Deas/Spoono Tour LP (Blackest Rainbow Records) 2009