Danger Mouse

The producer who won six Grammys and shaped Adele's 25 alongside Gnarls Barkley and The Black Keys.

via Wikipedia: Danger Mouse (musician) · see source

Danger Mouse, the professional name of Brian Joseph Burton (born July 29, 1977), is an American musician and record producer who has shaped the sound of modern music across multiple genres. While he is celebrated for forming Gnarls Barkley with CeeLo Green and producing hits for The Black Keys, Beck, and Gorillaz, his work extends to Adele's landmark album 25. Nominated for 22 Grammy Awards with six wins, including Producer of the Year in 2011, Burton is recognized by Esquire as one of the "75 most influential people of the 21st century." His career began with remixes and the controversial The Grey Album before evolving into high-profile collaborations that define the 21st-century soundscape.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Brian Joseph Burton

Born

29 July 1977

Birthplace

White Plains, New York, U.S.

Genre

Trip hop
hip-hop
alternative rock
electronica

Occupation

Musician
record producer
songwriter

Instrument

Keyboards
bass
drums
percussion
guitar

Years active

1998–present

Label

30th Century
BMG
Capitol
Lex Records
Parlophone

Lore & Background

Burton's journey began in Athens, Georgia, where he attended the University of Georgia on a telecommunications scholarship. While studying there, he released early trip hop works like The Chilling Effect (1999) and Pelican City / Scanner – Pelican City vs. Scanner (2002). He was introduced to Nirvana, Pink Floyd, and Portishead during this time and remixed local artists including Neutral Milk Hotel. In 2004, he gained prominence with The Grey Album, which combined Jay-Z's The Black Album vocals with instrumentals from the Beatles' The White Album. Originally created for friends, it spread online and was named the best record of that year by Entertainment Weekly. This breakthrough led to collaborations with Damon Albarn on Gorillaz' Demon Days and the formation of Gnarls Barkley with CeeLo Green in 2006.

Reader's Guide

Fans exploring Danger Mouse's discography should note his varied partnerships beyond Gnarls Barkley. He formed Broken Bells with James Mercer of The Shins in 2009, releasing three albums including Into the Blue (2022). As Danger Doom, he collaborated with rapper MF Doom on The Mouse and the Mask, and later worked with emcee Black Thought on Cheat Codes and singer Karen O on Lux Prima. His production credits include Beck's Modern Guilt (2008) and Martina Topley-Bird's The Blue God. In 2011, he won the Grammy for Producer of the Year after being nominated in that category five times. He also produced The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon, and co-wrote U2's "Ordinary Love" (2013) and "Invisible" (2014).

Did You Know?

Gnarls Barkley's single "Crazy" became the first UK number-one single based solely on downloads when released in 2006.
Brian Burton performed in a mouse outfit during his early career because he was too shy to show his face, taking his name from an English cartoon series.
In August and September 2006, Danger Mouse collaborated with artist Banksy to replace 500 copies of Paris Hilton's album in British stores with altered artwork and a 40-minute instrumental song.