The prolific Brian Burton (left), better known as Grammy-winning hip-hop producer Danger Mouse, is maintaining his relentless pace with a number of projects in the works. And yes, this does include a new album from Gnarls Barkley, his collaboration with Cee-Lo Green (right) of Goodie Mob fame.
Danger Mouse became an overnight sensation when his mash-up mix of vocal tracks from Jay-Z’s The Black Album and samples from The Beatles’ White Album appeared on the internet. Danger Mouse gained even more attention when EMI tried to halt any further production of the album. Soon after, Burton garnered praise as one half of Dangerdoom, a collaboration with MF Doom for Adult Swim.
Ironically, Danger Mouse later ended up producing Demon Days, the second studio album from EMI artist Gorillaz. The album earned Burton a Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year, and since then, the sought-after producer has returned to the studio with the likes of The Rapture and Sparklehorse.
Most recently, Danger Mouse finished producing British songstress Martina Topley-Bird’s long-awaited sophomore album, The Blue God, and a new album from the London-based Shortwave Set tentatively titled Replica Sun Machine. Blues-rock duo The Black Keys currently have the producer back in the studio working on an untitled release set for 2008 on Nonesuch.
Back on the Gnarls Barkley front, the only information about their upcoming release — besides the news that it might be out as early as the end of 2007 — is that Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse have been holed up in an Atlanta-area ranch creating what one can only hope will be a continuation of the soulful, innovative sound that characterized their 2006 release, St. Elsewhere.
Danger Mouse: www.dangermousesite.com
Gnarls Barkley: www.gnarlsbarkley.com
Dangerdoom: www.dangerdoom.com