Indie musician Dan Deacon has provided the soundtrack to the HBO documentary Well Groomed about competitive creative dog grooming, because who else would? The original score, released on Thursday, follows Deacon’s soundtracks for films such as 2017’s Rat Film and 2018’s Time Trail.
The soundtrack for Well Groomed comes on the heels of the release of Deacon’s fifth studio album, Mystic Familiar. Deacon is known for trippy animated videos for such songs as “When I Was Done Dying”, “Sat By A Tree”, and more.
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The light and upbeat subject matter of Well Groomed provided the ideal inspiration for Deacon’s music. Deacon, a favorite of such programs as Adult Swim‘s Off The Air, paired playful, organic, and even dominating sounds with the visually stunning work of creative dog groomers. The music produced for the documentary was actually a large product of improvisation, as Deacon rounded up previous associates in pianist M.C. Schmidt from experimental duo Matmos, vibraphonist Rich O’Meara, and guitarist Steve Strohmeier. Deacon said of the project,
To me, Well Groomed is about being an artist making art that you find beautiful and fascinating while living in a world where few share those feelings, and making art that you know those outside of your small community may laugh at or condemn. I connected to the sheer euphoria of finding one’s artistic voice and a community to grow that voice with.
The entire Well Groomed soundtrack is available to stream now on digital platforms, and there is also a music video available for “Adriane in Wonderland”. This music video provides a perfect snapshot of both the soundtrack as well as the, shall we say, unusual subject matter of the documentary. Watch the music video for “Adriane in Wonderland” below, and stream Well Groomed on HBO Max.
Dan Deacon – “Adriane in Wonderland” (From ‘Well Groomed’ Original Score) (Official Video)
[Video: Domino Recording Co.]