MBE host Jason Bentley introduced Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) as “one of the most talented and prolific artists of our time” and it’s no exaggeration.
He’s worked with everyone from Beck and the Black Keys to Gorillaz and Adele – which is surprising for someone who claims he didn’t even consider music as art until he got to college in Athens, GA!
“I didn’t realize music was art. I thought it was entertainment. And I never wanted to be an entertainer, so I never really considered music.”
Well, needless to say, he had a knack for it and has accomplished quite a bit. He’s hard at work on the new album from Red Hot Chili Peppers and recently finished up with a KCRW favorite, Michael Kiwanuka.
And now, he’s paying it forward. He recently launched a record label so he can support younger artists he believes in.
His first release is the 30th Century Records Volume 1, a psychedelic rock compilation. He says the next one might be hip hop or R&B — but the genre is irrelevant to his approach as a label boss, what’s really important is staying away from whatever seems to be trendy at the moment and instead finding “stuff that I think will still sound good in 10 years or 20 years or more.”
We had so many questions for the Mouse that we only played a handful of the songs he selected for his Guest DJ set, so we wanted to share them all here!
Find the full interview online here (He’s got a great radio voice, don’t you think??)
Danger Mouse’s Morning Becomes Eclectic Guest DJ Set
5 Songs from the 30th Century Records Compilation Vol 1 (out Dec 18!):Apache Sun – “Club Noir”
Maybird – “Big Sun Explosion”
Waterstrider – “Soundless Sea”
Sam Cohen – “Lose Your Illusion (Mix I)”
9 Pound Shadow – “Melody”
5 songs he worked on as a producer:
The Black Keys — “In Our Prime” – Turn Blue
Broken Bells – “Lazy Wonderland” – After the Disco
Martina Topley Bird — “Carnies” – The Blue God
Raury – “Crystal Express” All We Need
The Shortwave Set – “No Social” Replica Sun Machine
5 Other Songs He Loves:
Feminine Complex – “Hide & Seek” – Livin’ Love
Gandalf – “Hang On To A Dream” — Gandalf
The Peter Ivers Band – “Audience of One” — Terminal Love
The Shins – “Sphagnum Esplanade” — Know Your Onion
We All Together – “It’s A Sin To Go Away” — We All Together