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DEON BROWN

@ddeonbrown

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black sonic cowboy
singer • composer • sound system builder
founder @blackamericansoundsystem
@oaklandblackcowboyassociation
THE BREAK ROOM 9.22–12.12

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INTRODUCING “THE BREAK ROOM”: A Sonic Exhibition by Deon Brown / Black American Sound System x @berkeleypubliclibrary @cityofberkeley

On view September 22–December 12, Berkeley Public Library, In the Stax, and Black American Sound System (BASS) led by artist and singer/composer Deon Brown, transforms Berkeley Public Library system with “THE BREAK ROOM” sonic exhibition, a three-month exhibition of immersive listening rooms, sculptural hi-fidelity sound systems, music, and public programming rooted in Black Bay Area hip-hop, jazz, and funk traditions from 1975-2005.

At the center of the exhibition is the premiere of Deon Brown’s forthcoming album JOHN HENRY, which serves as the conceptual and sonic foundation of the exhibition, alongside the debut of the JOHN HENRY Sound System.

“For the last year, I’ve been thinking about what it means to build spaces where Black music can be heard, remembered, felt, and lived inside of. What is means to rest and break in relation to this work. This is what I’ve learned as a result of the machine.”

BLACK AMERICAN SOUND SYSTEM: THE BREAK ROOM
SEPTEMBER 22–DECEMBER 12, 2026
BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY · CENTRAL LIBRARY
2090 KITTREDGE STREET · BERKELEY, CA 94704
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
BLACKAMERICANSOUNDSYSTEM.ORG taken in Berkeley, California by @ddeonbrown

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23 days ago

THE BREAK ROOM made the news.
Last night, the debut of the new exhibition with @blackamericansoundsystem at @berkeleypubliclibrary was featured in a segment for @ktvu2 documenting the work, the sound systems, the spaces, and the ideas behind it. Thank you immensely for this recognition.

What began as an idea became a physical world. Come experience The Break Room, open now through December 12. For more information on programming, archives and more, visit blackamericansoundsystem.org for more information. taken in Berkeley, California by @ddeonbrown

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11 days ago

JOHN HENRY LIVE TEST 001.
JOHN HENRY IS BORN.
THE MACHINE HAS A BODY NOW.

Last night, something became real.

Scenes from my performance at the closing the gallery exhibition “Earthseed Remnants” by @jimmie.flora. Thank you for the space, the witnessing, the energy, and the love surrounding this first emergence. And a big thank you to my partna in crime @bellahangnail for shining so bright.

Shot by the incredible @skisrisky taken in Oakland, California by @ddeonbrown

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15 days ago

ambitionz of a ridah
Oakland Black Cowboy Parade, 2026
@oaklandblackcowboyassociation

what an honor to be in this moment at this time. to have gained such a family and have grown. this legacy is something I hold so close to my heart and is something I look forward to passing through my bloodline.

wild wild west oakland shot by light of da universe @larissa.fawn taken in Oakland, California by @ddeonbrown

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7 hours ago

Inside the main branch of the @berkeleypubliclibrary, there a pair of speakers that look like mountains.

Singer and songwriter @ddeonbrown is the sound designer behind mammoth speakers, which he calls The John Henry Sound System.

They’re part of Brown’s “The Break Room” exhibition, which also features archival posters, a listening station and decades-worth of music created by Black artists.

Brown, the founder of the @blackamericansoundsystem, is the first artist-in-residence in the history of the library’s In The Stax series.

This fall In The Stax will host a number of performances, workshops and listening sessions across multiple Berkeley Public Library sites; the event series is a collaborative effort between @ddeonbrown and Berkeley Public Library Specialist @_readwatchlisten.

Before things kick off this evening with a performance by @connoisseurrat at the Claremont Branch, take a minute and read about what @_readwatchlisten and @ddeonbrown have coming up this fall.

Check the link in my bio for the full story. taken in Berkeley Public Library by @ddeonbrown

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3 days ago

every nigga is a star (juneteenth 2026) taken in San Francisco, California by @ddeonbrown

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3 months ago

taken in Oakland, California by @ddeonbrown

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2 months ago

what a sweet sweet evening it was with @kindredstudiosf. thank you to the homies, friends, and family who came out for this conversation. it was an honor to speak about the preservation and future-forging power of sound through my work in sound systems and the surprise release of Negro Night Prayers out on streaming platforms now. so grateful that God is my boss and that this is the work i get to do. i don’t take it for granted.

thank you immensely to the team at @kindredstudiosf @graceabishop_ @votvylor and @jasthemuse for creating space for artists and for the care you pour into this community. by @ddeonbrown

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3 months ago

yee haw in f minor/life of an Oakland black cowboy taken in Oakland, California by @ddeonbrown

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3 months ago

“Everything Changes” - thank you thank you thank you thank you 100000x for the amazing moment that was this weekend!! i am so honored, overwhelmed, and gracious for the love, support and recognition for these performances. it is in these moments, i know God is real in these spaces and beyond. i am full and inspired by witnessing the work of some of the most incredible artists in the bay area i was able to share the stage with and grow alongside as a recipient of this grant and graduate of the CQC1 cohort. It was an honor to grow along side you. thank you to @qcc_sf for seeing me, uplifting my art, and assisting my transition in music from passion to profession combined. and to the incredible @cbscokes @annerzzz_ known as @montalvostrings, thank you for uplifting me and sharing your gifts as you in my eyes (and I’m sure the worlds eyes), are forces of nature as graceful and powerful as you play (and @tripadviser for being such a lovely human and making this happen!); and it was a complete dream come true to play alongside you. hugs, daps, and kisses to the homies who popped out to both of these sold out shows. lastly, if you have question whether or not this life of passion, art, purpose, and beyond, i am here to remind you i am living proof of the testament as so. and i am just getting started. love, light and for God and art always, ya boy, d.

“Everything Changes”
Nov 9-10th, 2024
Vocals, Composition and Arrangement by: Derwin Deon Brown II
String Accompaniment: @cbscokes @annerzzz_ of @montalvostrings
In performance at the @qcc_sf 2024 CQC1 Fall Cohort Showcase taken in San Francisco, California by @ddeonbrown

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2 years ago

by @ddeonbrown

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9 months ago

i’ve been admiring Deon’s art + energy for some years now, waiting for the alignment of a collaboration. grateful our mediums finally got to play together✨

‘ you can’t hear what you don’t speak’

Metal wrapped custom Hifi Passive two-way loudspeaker —
on view at @karlartsf for In Popular Air, opening this Friday 8/14

Visuals:
Pieces from oil, acrylic and silver foil on pine, oak + walnut.

Build:
Custom birch plywood and oak enclosure with repurposed professional audio components. The system incorporates a 15-inch low-frequency driver and high-frequency horn, with an 8-ohm nominal impedance.

big thank you to @natekang for the photos! by @ddeonbrown

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2 months ago