Deckard Croix

Eclectic, and at times reclusive, Deckard Croix has managed to escape any major recognition by the public. Known (by those who know him) for his unconventional inclinations and sometimes unpredictable behavior. While his skills range from guitar and keyboard to bass and drums, he is also educated in music theory (counterpoint in particular), recording techniques, and various experimental instruments. He is known for his lo-fi recordings, refusing to record in digital until 2010. He has indicated that krautrock has remained the biggest influence on his original work.

He has often cited early music influences as being Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Keith Jarrett, Robert Wyatt, Tal Farlow, The Velvet Underground, and The Doors. He joined several cover bands around this time, one a Doors cover band (The Lamps), and another, a Led Zeppelin tribute band (with Croix on guitar only) called Carter City.

Carter City being the only one to garner any special recognition, attributed to "their ability to recapture the intensity and improvised quality of the original band" (Kevin Bevacqua). The vocalist, Troy Dunne, was also one of note, nearly matching the vocal quality of Robert Plant. The band remained together for almost two years, then disbanded on friendly terms, seeking alternate projects.

In his late teens, Croix joined the experimental goth band, Three Tales and the City Life which consisted of four members (Croix on guitar, Roland Nauman on drums, Klaus Noyes on bass, and Malcolm Gordon on vocals and synth). This affiliation Croix often describes as "a turning point" in his approach to listening and writing music. It also re-invigorated his interest in studying and performing piano (as well as "the subtleties of organ and synth performance"). The band was short-lived however, and Croix began focusing purely on composing original music and studying keyboard. His focus shifted to composing purely improvisational works whose 'themes' could be rearranged impromptu and still retain the minimalistic quality of the original work.

There are several spoken word recordings he has been a part of. One in particular titled One Arm by Yasunari Kawabata, recorded at a private artist gathering (attended by poets, actors, painters, as well as very few musicians) is over 40 minutes long. Other spoken word recordings he has been involved in are a collection of Edgar Allen Poe poems (with accompanying music by Aubrey Hodges), several poems by Robert Browning (also accompanied by Hodges), a reading of The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares and The Farewell Party by Milan Kundera.

He released his debut lo-fi album, titled Demographic 1 on May 1, 2007. A re-working of an experimental project based on an original poem called Smiling Feline Descendant was released on August 1, 2007. The project involved hundreds of samples recorded by Croix and dozens of contributors, many of them non-musicians. December 24, 2007 was a return to conventional songwriting with the release of the album, Lady Fingers or Stingers, regarded as the sister project to Demographic 1.

Croix released two albums in 2008. The first was a collection of instrumental solo piano recordings in the album, Piano Works Volume One, released June 14. Croix once again returned to conventional songwriting with the album, Portrait, released October 10. The album was very well-received and remains the highest selling album in Croix's discography.

Croix only released a single album in 2009, Electroception, on May 12. The album was a compilation of early recordings that had been remixed (as well as portions re-recorded) and remastered. The album is also noteworthy in that it is the first Croix release that features the artwork of an outside artist (Brian Dixon).

In 2008 and 2009, Croix contributed to the soundtrack of two films directed by Matt Hendricks, Vincent & Vincent and Baby Alligators. Both are pending release and are currently showing in independent film festivals.

Croix has also written a novella titled Limehouse. It is currently undergoing revision; art design by Catherine Faustino Pragata. He has indicated that there will be several adaptations to other forms of media once the book is released. There is no set release date yet.

In 2010, he collaborated with a collection of musicians on an experimental project titled Snapdragon which is based on the unreleased short story Bocca di Leone, written by Croix himself. It was recorded in Sardinia over the course of eleven months; album artwork designed by Italian artist, Alessandra Fusi. Also in 2010, Croix collaborated with experimental composer, Robert Reinhardt in Manhattan, NY for the album project, Mascara. Late 2010, he collaborated on an album project titled, Prenatal Noise Cocoon, with Philadelphia-based psychedelic rock band, The Colored Coat (album artwork designed by gea). All three projects have yet to be released in a physical format, but are available for purchase as .mp3s.

Early in 2011, a live double album recorded on Halloween in Chicago with his improvisational fusion/krautrock trio, Bandersnatch, was released. In the Summer of 2011, a music video of a track from Prenatal Noise Cocoon (Patricia's Loose) was filmed (directed by long-time collaborator, Matt Hendricks).

He is currently the bassist for Atlanta-based indie rock band, Barrel House.