Lycaon Pictus is a power trio made up of songwriter Aaron Diskin, producer John Morton, and drummer Simon Marcus, who all met while working with or in the Dieyetribe band Challenge of the Future. Aaron Diskin first cut his teeth in the mid 90s with the now-defunct New York art-rock super group Challenge of the Future, which also featured Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. John Morton studied modern classical and experimental music at Bard College with Ben Boretz and Richard Teitelbaum.

After college, Morton moved to NYC, where he performed primarily as a DJ of electronic and experimental music, often DJing at NYC's legendary SoundLab parties, alongside the likes of I-Sound, Anti-Pop Consortium, Richard Devine, and more. Simultaneously, JM was working as a producer and sound engineer for Diskin's Challenge of the Future band. After the dissolution of COTF, Diskin began to pursue a solo project, and quickly recruited Morton to join him. Lycaon Pictus released the limited edition "Rough Telephone EP" on Dieyetribe Records in early 2003, which Chuck Eddy of the Village Voice listed as one of the top 10 singles of 2003 in the Village Voice Pazz and Jop Critic's Poll.

After a year and a half of performing as a duo with a drum machine, Diskin and Morton decided to invite former Challenge of the Future drummer Simon Marcus into the fold. This changed their sound considerably, and turned Lycaon Pictus into one of NYC's best live bands. Lycaon Pictus released their first full-length album "Deviation Amplifier" in 2004 to much critical acclaim."Deviation Amplifier" finds Lycaon Pictus in mid-evolution from an electronic duo to an art-punk trio, with tracks recorded during both incarnations of the band.

Lycaon Pictus has been slowly building a cult following in NYC and New England, performing in art galleries, bookstores, and various other unlikely venues, as well as the arty nightclubs of NYC. Lycaon Pictus was voted "Best Local Emo Band" in the NY Press 2004 best of Manhattan Reader's Choice Poll.

For more info, go to Lycaon Pictus' website: lycaonpictus.net

 

 

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