Producer Spotlight Part 2: Danger Mouse vs. Dan the Automator
August 2, 2008 at 10:31 pm
“Woody Allen was an auteur: he did his thing, and that particular thing was completely his own. That’s what I decided to do with music. I want to create a director’s role within music… have to be in control of the project I’m doing. I can create different kinds of musical worlds, but the artist needs the desire to go into that world…. Musically, there is no one who has the career I want. That’s why I have to use film directors as a model.”
-Danger Mouse, “The DJ Auteur” in the New York Times Magazine, June 20 2006.
These two talents have their own distinct styles that they interweave into every track they touch.
Danger Mouse specializes in varying up his beats and rhythms within songs, so that the listener never has to hear the same repetitive drums or samples within a track. It’s a pleasure to listen closely for a skipped bass thud or an extra couple snares thrown in to the end of a loop in any of his hip hop albums. That is to say, he also produces for other genres as well, producing Beck’s recent album Modern Guilt and the debut from The Good, the Bad, and the Queen.
Dan “the Automator” Nakamura boasts a record collection totaling over 15,000, ranging from classical to B-movie soundtracks and into vintage television sound clips. His most easily identifiable characteristic is the myriad of sources and musical tastes reflected in his tracks, as he grew up playing violin but quickly delved into electronica and hip hop. Partnering with scores of producers and MCs, including Prince Paul, Kool Keith, DJ Shadow, and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Nakamura is one of the more well-traveled and eclectic producers out there.
Which do you like better, MdM guests? I find it hard to pick between the two. An interesting point to note is Dan the Automator’s production of the first Gorillaz album, followed by Danger Mouse producing their second album, Demon Days. Small world.
Tell me who you tickles your musical fancy more, and hey, isn’t hip hop music so much more interesting when you know who’s producing it?
Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse- What More Can I Say
The Grey Album (2004)
Danger Mouse & Jemini ft. The Pharcyde- Medieval
Ghetto Pop Life (Lex Records, 2003)
Danger Doom- A.T.H.F.
The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph, 2005)
Dan the Automator
Dr. Octagon- Bear Witness
The Octagonecologyst (DreamWorks, 1996)
Dan the Automator- My Guru
Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars, and Sitars (1998)
Handsome Boy Modeling School ft. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien- Magnetizing
So…How’s Your Girl? (Tommy Boy, 1999)
Image: fensterbme
Mouse… hands down.
I mean, mad respect for Dan’s work with Del and the first gorillaz album, solo stuff is rad as well. But Gnarls, Demon Days, and The gray album alone show Danger’s versatility and talent are from a new place with a new spin. Very fresh music.
Dan did one of the darkest, sickest hip hop albums of all time with Octagynacologist, a true classic. And he did a WHOLE FUCKING ALBUM where Del not only doesn’t sound like a dweeb, but is entirely fun to listen to for an hour. That takes more talent than can be measured.
It’s kind of an out of context argument (straight, uncut dope hip-hop (diverse input) vs. producer who walks wherever his attention takes him (diverse output)), so it makes picking between two equally talented producers even harder. Maybe time will show who rocks the boards harder with more work and more interesting music.
From the point that I heard Pelican City - Rhode Island, I put Danger Mouse in my top three producers list next to Automator and Shadow. Over the past 8 years I’ve seen DM put out a lot of great stuff like Ghetto Pop Life, Dangerdoom, and all the mashups but Automator has been relatively quiet the past few years. He’s done a lot of remixes the 2K7 album and Crudo, but nothing like A Better Tomorrow, Lovage, or Deltron 3030.
Overall, I’ve got to put Automator on top. DM continues make great music, but in my opinion, Automator’s got more classics under his belt and I’ve got faith him to create more. Hopefully we’ll see it in Deltron Event II.
My first visit to motel de moka in awhile, and the first thing I see is the record shop photo. (I really love browsing through a good used record store!)
Anyway, I have no opinion about the two record producers, but that Deep Purple-Machine Head album that’s in the foreground of the photo changed my life, many years ago. =)
For me, Dan the Automator wins hands down. Dangerdoom just isn’t as compelling an album as Dr. Octagon, there isn’t the consistancy of mood and to be honest, Dangermouse’s beats are just so-so. Just about every Automator project is a classic, not just conceptually, (like Dangermouse’s Grey Album, a good idea in theory, but not so wonderful after the novelty wears off,) but musically.
But to be fair, the Automator has really slowed down, what has he done lately?
true true, automator has slowed down. I suppose he’s working on a new Deltron album, maybe Gorillaz? We shall see….Danger Mouse is keeping really busy, however, expect to keep hearing his name behind a myriad of albums, whether in hip hop or rock.
I need some computer mouse
definitely danger mouse. wow my ears dug this.