Seattle Subsonic

Danger Mouse Gives EMI The Middle Finger

May 21st, 2009

Maybe you’ve heard this, maybe you haven’t, but über-hip producer Danger Mouse has recently told his record label to fuck off. In what’s being described as an “on-going legal dispute” between industry dinosaur EMI and DM, Dark Night of the Soul will not be put out by the label, despite its online availability and its impressive supporting cast. The highly successful DJ/beatmaker—in cahoots with Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous) and outlandish overlord of the bizarre and preeminent auteur David Lynch—has opted to “release” his new album simply as a blank CD-R, and with a book of photographs spawned from the netherworld that is Lynch’s brain. The CD will supposedly come with the simple message of “use however you see fit”. That means go get it at the online getting place.

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In an ever-evolving music industry, this is just the latest in the line of radical ways artists are releasing their music (“their” is the operative word in that phrase). From Radiohead’s “pay what you will” formula, to myspace players filled with full albums, all the way down to small local musicians handing out digital download cards at their shows, the landscape is changing and corporate labels are being left in the fucking dust. I think it’s a pretty bold move for Danger Mouse, and I hope it pays off. For my money, DM is the marquee producer worth the hype. Forget the bloated, over-consumed crap produced by Timbaland, T-Bone Burnett, Pharrell, or Kanye West, Danger Mouse is more talented, more interesting and more innovative than any of them.

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The news caused me to ponder all the projects of his I’ve enjoyed and the list is long: Gorillaz (with Damon Albarn), his 2004 collaboration with Jemini (Ghetto Pop Life = awesome), with Cee-Lo in Gnarls Barkley (loved both albums), and took the Black Keys in great new direction on Attack & Release. Not to mention his DANGERDOOM work with MF Doom, his revitalization of Beck‘s career with Modern Guilt, and, of course, The Grey Album that put him on the map. Now he’s working with David-fucking-Lynch?! How cool is that?

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You can go listen to the album right now on NPR. It includes a guest list worthy of any record shelf: Black Francis, Iggy Pop, Suzanne Vega, James Mercer, the Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas, Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Vic Chestnutt, and Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals). My favorites, naturally, are the songs with Black Francis and Iggy Pop. The title track with David Lynch is top notch, too (sounds like his movies!).

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Here’s Pitchfork’s report.