In 2004, a strange album began to circulate via multiple publications and online fan forums. What is now known as The White Album mashed up the vocals from Jay-Z’s The Black Album with classic Beatles instrumentals. The oddly satisfying combination gained critical acclaim across the board and introduced the world to a man who just began his ultimate domination of modern music. Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse was the mastermind behind The White Album and has gone on to win multiple Grammys and collaborate with some of the most influential musicians working today.
His career may have skyrocketed after his Jay-Z, Beatles mash-up, but it’s not where it started. He began to dabble in music during his time as a telecommunications student at the University of Georgia. At the time he was DJing for the school’s radio station and would perform live mixes in a full mouse suit as a way to hide his identity and pay homage to his favorite animated series Danger Mouse, thus the name. It was during this period that Burton began to experiment with crafting hip-hop instrumentals and diving into the world of trip-hop. Burton began to expand his pallet also, being introduced to the music of Nirvana, Pink Floyd, and Portishead, foreshadowing his future in alternative rock production.
Around 2001 Burton moved over to London for a short period before his first big opportunity in production work. After receiving a demo tape sent in by Burton himself, Lex Records decided to give him a chance and offered him a contract which prompted the new signee to move to Los Angeles. This would lead to his relationship with Brooklyn rapper Jemini The Gifted One, the two began working together in 2002 with the release of their Take Care of Business EP which featured singles and their respective instrumentals that would land on the duo’s 2003 album Ghetto Pop Life.
This lands us where we started, with the release of The White Album and the high praise it garnered, Danger Mouse’s unique approach to instrumental work caught the ear of Damon Albarn who then decided to bring Burton on board to help produce Gorillaz’ sophomore effort, 2005’s Demon Days. His work on that project earned Burton a Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year. 2005 was also the world’s first hint at the super producer’s undeniable work ethic and diversity. Before the year was up we received The Mouse & The Mask, Burton’s collaborative album with the late, great MF DOOM. While his work with the Gorillaz proved Burton’s worldly appeal, his album with the elusive emcee proved that Burton was on track for a complete domination of the music world.
Since his breakthrough project Danger Mouse has been credited on albums with Adele, Norah Jones, The Black Keys, and Beck, just to name a few. While his storied discography can be intimidating for new fans, With the release this week of the new Broken Bells album (featuring Danger Mouse and James Mercer), following the recent spectacular Cheat Codes with Black Thought; Glide has crafted a list of the top ten songs Danger Mouse had a hand in crafting.
Song: “Kids With Guns“
Artist: Gorillaz
Album: Demon Days
Released: 2005
A highlight from Gorillaz’ sophomore album, “Kids With Guns” is an amazing example of how Burton likes to structure his instrumentals. The introductory bass line sets the tone for the song while other sonic elements, including guitar sections and cascading synths, are built around the groovy bass. We’ll see this song structure slowly become a blueprint for Danger Mouse while the rest of his work on Demon Days would add on to the worldwide critical acclaim Burton began to gain with The White Album.
Song: “The High Road”
Artist: Broken Bells
Album: Broken Bells
Released: 2010
Broken Bells is the duo of Danger Mouse and The Shins’ frontman James Mercer. The combination of Burton’s menacing yet light-hearted production work and Mercer’s natural knack for songwriting, their debut self-titled LP became another acclaimed feather in the respective artist’s hats. “The High Road” is track one off of the album and truly set the tone for the group’s subsequent releases.
Song: “The Rose With The Broken Neck“
Artist: Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi (Featuring Jack White)
Album: Rome
Released: 2011
Coming off of one of the most underrated albums in Burton’s discography, “The Rose With The Broken Neck” is a beautiful ballad featuring vocals from the illustrious Jack White. Rome is the collaborative concept album that has Danger Mouse teaming up with Italian film composer Daniele Luppi. Together they created a cinematic masterpiece of an album, combining Luppi’s history of composing and Burton’s experience in more modern music to craft a one-of-a-kind sound. The album follows a love story with Jack White playing the male character and Nora Jones playing the female lead, “The Rose With The Broken Neck” introduces us to White’s character as his haunting vocals navigate the lush strings and catchy drum pattern laid down by Burton and Luppi.
Song: “Cheat Codes”
Artist: Black Thought
Album: Cheat Codes
Released: 2022
Hip-hop fans across the world rejoiced back in 2018 when the elusive lead vocalist of Philadelphia’s The Roots crew began to release solo material outside of the band. Black Thought has been one of the sharpest lyricists in rap for decades and Danger Mouse provided the perfect backdrop for his highly intellectual and witty bars on their 2022 album Cheat Codes. While the album continues to be one of the best releases of the year, the title track is a stand-out. The swing provided in the instrumental forces you to nod your head while Black Thought’s ever-thought-provoking songwriting forces you to replay the song in order to catch his cleverness.
Song: “Benzi Box“
Artist: MF DOOM (Featuring Cee-Lo Green)
Album: The Mouse & The Mask
Released: 2005
MF DOOM has been your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper since before you might’ve even heard your first DOOM verse. The mask-wearing rapper has made a career off of cartoon references and off-kilter rhyme schemes that leave listeners perplexed at his wordplay. “Benzi Box” features an incredible hook from the legendary Cee-Lo Green and the instrumental Burton crafted here attempts to match MF DOOM’s all-over-the-place style of songwriting. The fuzzy keys are mashed with high-pitched piano chords that are meticulously placed in an attempt to keep up with DOOM’s charisma.
Song: “Just A Thought”
Artist: Gnarls Barkley
Album: St. Elsewhere
Released: 2006
Gnarls Barkley is the duo of Danger Mouse and the ever-changing vocalist Cee-Lo Green. Rumor has it that back in 1998 Burton was able to perform an opening DJ set for a Goodie Mob concert at his college, at the time Green was a key member of the group. The story goes that Burton and Green were able to meet briefly and in this time, Green was handed a demo tape of beats that Burton had made. Green has no recollection of said demo tape, so the truth to this story remains a mystery. The duo began to work together when Green’s manager at the time picked Burton as a client and suggested the two meet. What came out of it was a creatively ambitious album filled with colors and over-the-top personality. “Just a Thought” is a deep cut on their 2006 debut, St. Elsewhere, and one that deserves more recognition. Green croons about the feeling of hopelessness over distorted drums and twangy chord progression, the combination creating an emotional listening experience. The textures Burton created on this record could not be more perfect for Green to pen one of the most personal songs of his career.
Song: “Ministry“
Artist: Karen O
Album: Lux Prima
Released: 2019
When the iconic lead singer of the New York alternative band Yeah Yeah Yeahs decided to go solo, the world was her oyster. After the acclaim of her solo debut, 2014’s Crush Songs, the frontwoman had her picking of who to work on a follow-up with, and thank goodness she went with Danger Mouse. Their album Lux Prima is a gorgeous body of work and one that deserves its flowers. Track 2 from the project, “Ministry” is a prime example of the duo’s chemistry. Burton’s stirring string sections provide a lush canvas that Karen O takes full advantage of with a falsetto-laced melody.
Song: “Modern Guilt”
Artist: Beck
Album: Modern Guilt
Released: 2008
By 2008, multi-dimensional artist Beck had already established himself as a primer songwriter of his generation. Combine decades of song-crafting with otherworldly production and you get Modern Guilt, Beck’s 10th studio album produced entirely by Burton himself. The 10-track album is filled with memorable moments but none as unforgettable as the title track, “Modern Guilt”. Burton mixes his many influences, combining a classic tempo with electronic elements for a refreshing sound that allows Beck to lay down terrific harmonies and flex his ever-impressive songwriting.
Song: “Knuckle Sandwich”
Artist: Jemini The Gifted One
Album: Ghetto Pop Life
Released: 2003
Using elements of the music that came from his hometown of Brooklyn, Jemini The Gifted One reached a creative Milestone on his 2003 album Ghetto Pop Life. The combination of modern elements and classic hip-hop cadences makes this album a lost gem in the genre of rap. Burton’s history in the sub-genre of trip-hop allowed him to chop samples like a veteran and create hard-hitting, left-field instrumentals. “Knuckle Sandwich” is a stand out due to its simple yet effective use of a small horn section that smooths out the edges of jazz-inspired drum patterns.
Song: “Phoenix”
Artist: A$AP Rocky
Album: LONG.LIVE.A$AP
Released: 2013
The world had its eyes on A$AP Rocky leading up to his 2013 studio debut, and the Harlem emcee did not disappoint. The album is filled with Rocky’s take on his wide array of influences and spawned some massive radio hits. One of the best but least talked about tracks from the LP is the Danger Mouse-produced the song “Phoenix”. Here we see Rocky explore the trappings of fame over an ambient yet fulfilling instrumental crafted by Burton. The sinister piano chords that start the song and drive the verses are met with haunting choir sections and in-your-face drums. The abstract nature of this instrumental allowed Rocky to explore a new, personal approach to his songwriting and made for arguably the most underrated song of his discography.
