Dan the Automator explained

Dan the Automator
Birth Date:29 August 1966
Birth Name:Daniel M. Nakamura
Birth Place:San Francisco, California, U.S.
Years Active:1986–present

Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966),[1] better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music[2] and the record label 75 Ark.[3]

Early life

Daniel M. Nakamura was born in San Francisco, California, on August 29, 1966. His parents spent time in Japanese internment camps as children.[4] His father worked for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and his mother taught at City College of San Francisco.[5] As a child, he learned to play violin.[6] While in high school, he became immersed in hip hop culture. He graduated from San Francisco State University.[7]

Career

Nakamura started his career as a DJ when he was a teenager.[8] After seeing the younger DJs DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike performing live, he decided to focus on producing tracks.[5] He first gained attention for his work on Kool Keith's 1996 album Dr. Octagonecologyst.[9] His debut EP, Music to Be Murdered By, was released in 1989.[10] He released his debut album A Much Better Tomorrow in 2000,[8] an expansion of his 1996 EP A Better Tomorrow. Keith featured extensively across both versions.

He composed the score for the 2019 comedy film Booksmart,[11] with the soundtrack album released that same year.[12]

Collaborations

In 1999, Nakamura and Prince Paul formed the collaborative project Handsome Boy Modeling School, assuming the alter egos Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell, respectively.[13] Their debut album So... How's Your Girl? featured numerous guest musicians, including Róisín Murphy, DJ Shadow, and Del the Funky Homosapien. They released a second album, White People, in November 2004, with collaborators including RZA, Cat Power, and Mike Patton.[14] Nakamura used the Nathaniel Merriweather pseudonym for his Lovage project with Patton and Jennifer Charles. After Paul briefly left the duo over a business dispute,[15] Handsome Boy Modelling School have since played further shows and spoken of a forthcoming third album.[16]

In 2000, Nakamura joined Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala to form Deltron 3030.[17] They released their eponymous debut album the same year, featuring guest appearances by Sean Lennon and Damon Albarn. In 2001 he produced the debut album of Albarn's "animated" band Gorillaz,[8] appearing as a member of the band, alongside Del the Funky Homosapien. Both later appeared on the second Deltron 3030 record, Event 2, released in September 2013.[18] The album also featured appearances by Jamie Cullum, Emily Wells and Zack De La Rocha, with interludes performed by actors David Cross, Amber Tamblyn and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Nakamura is one half of Got a Girl, along with actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead.[19] The duo's debut album, I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now, was released in 2014.[20] In September 2015, they embarked on a four-city tour of Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles, where they played their entire album live, including a cover of Handsome Boy Modeling School's "I've Been Thinking".[21] [22]

In 2023, Handsome Boy Modeling School released a limited release LP of 7 new songs in collaboration with Fords Gin.[23]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Remix albums

EPs

Singles

Productions

Film Music/Scoring

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Daniel M Nakamura, Born 08/29/1966 in California CaliforniaBirthIndex.org . 2024-11-20 . californiabirthindex.org.
  2. Web site: Handsome Dan, Automator Man. Miami New Times. Zac. Crain. November 25, 1999. September 27, 2019.
  3. Web site: Nathaniel Merriweather. Phoenix New Times. Brendan Joel. Kelley. January 17, 2002. September 27, 2019.
  4. Web site: He's sold millions of albums. Handsome, too. Calls Beck a pal. The Automator a rock star? No.. San Francisco Chronicle. Jane. Ganahl. November 29, 2004. October 11, 2019.
  5. Web site: Dan the Automator follows his own lane to food, movies, 'Always Be My Maybe'. San Francisco Chronicle. Peter. Harlaub. July 12, 2019. September 27, 2019.
  6. Web site: Automater for the People. Electronic Musician. James. Rotondi. March 1, 2001. September 27, 2019.
  7. Web site: Holiday gifts with a Gator connection. San Francisco State University. Adrianne. Bee. December 17, 2004. September 27, 2019.
  8. Web site: Whatever Happened To: Dan the Automator. Consequence of Sound. Len. Comaratta. August 29, 2010. September 27, 2019.
  9. News: Back to the Future With the Automator. The Washington Post. Richard. Harrington. January 19, 2001. September 27, 2019.
  10. Web site: Alchemist of Alternative Rap. Los Angeles Times. Marc. Weingarten. February 17, 2002. September 27, 2019.
  11. Web site: Broke a Couple of Rules: Movie Scores with Dan the Automator. PopMatters. Paul. Carr. July 18, 2019. September 27, 2019.
  12. Web site: Exclusive: Check out this track from Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's score to Olivia Wilde's Booksmart.. The 405. Wess. Haubrich. May 10, 2019. October 11, 2019. October 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191011085839/https://www.thefourohfive.com/film/article/exclusive-check-out-this-track-from-dan-the-automator-nakamura-s-score-to-olivia-wilde-s-booksmart-155. dead.
  13. Web site: Cartoon capers. The Guardian. Dorian. Lynskey. November 4, 2004. September 27, 2019.
  14. Web site: White People by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Genius. en. June 19, 2018.
  15. Web site: January 10, 2006 . May 10, 2009 . Prince Paul Talks Post-Handsome Boy Plans. PitchforkMedia.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20080307162229/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/35685-prince-paul-talks-post-handsome-boy-plans/page_1. March 7, 2008.
  16. Web site: Handsome Boy Modeling School To Play A Reunion Show at Record Store Day Party in New York City . mxdwn.com . April 19, 2022 . April . Rose . September 28, 2022.
  17. Web site: The Future is Deltoron 3030. Interview. Emma. Brown. October 9, 2013. September 27, 2019.
  18. Web site: For your ears only: The funky homosapien returns, but worth it? . Haering . Bradley . October 12, 2008 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20081210175628/http://www.thedailyaztec.com/2.7443/1.794055 . December 10, 2008.
  19. Web site: Deltron 3030's Dan the Automator and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Video for "Did We Live Too Fast" Would Make Ernest Hemingway Proud. Vice. Eric. Sundermann. June 17, 2014. September 27, 2019.
  20. Web site: Hear Dan the Automator and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Cinematic 'Did We Live Too Fast'. Spin. Nim. Barshad. June 3, 2014. May 14, 2020.
  21. News: Exclusive Interview: Got a Girl. The Owl Mag. May 14, 2017. en-us. October 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021215905/http://www.theowlmag.com/news/exclusive-interview-got-a-girl/. dead.
  22. News: Live Review : Got A Girl @ Largo at the Coronet, Los Angeles 9/28/15. The Owl Mag. May 14, 2017. en-us. June 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170624184013/http://www.theowlmag.com/live-reviews/live-review-got-a-girl-largo-at-the-coronet-los-angeles-92815/. dead.
  23. Web site: Music to Drink Martinis to .
  24. Web site: EXODUS: 'Blood In Blood Out' Special Guests, Bonus Tracks Revealed. Blabbermouth.net. October 16, 2014. September 3, 2014.
  25. Web site: Various - Scream 2 (Music From The Dimension Motion Picture). November 14, 2020. Discogs. November 18, 1997 . en.
  26. Web site: Archive-Corey-Moss. Elvis, Electronic Music Flow Together On 'Ocean's Eleven' Disc. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114063117/http://www.mtv.com/news/1451401/elvis-electronic-music-flow-together-on-oceans-eleven-disc/. dead. November 14, 2020. November 14, 2020. MTV News. en.
  27. Web site: Various - Blade II The Soundtrack. November 14, 2020. Discogs. en.
  28. Web site: Tony Hawk's Underground (Video Game 2003). November 14, 2020. IMDb.
  29. Web site: Music from Californication S1E01. November 14, 2020. Tunefind. en-us.
  30. Web site: Music from The Sopranos S6E14. November 14, 2020. Tunefind. en-us.
  31. Web site: Watch Dan the Automator's 'Money Monster' music video. November 14, 2020. EW.com. EN.
  32. Web site: Carlin. Shannon. How Randall Park's Rap Song About Punching Keanu Reeves Ended Up in Always Be My Maybe. November 14, 2020. Pitchfork. June 3, 2019 . en-us.
  33. Web site: July 12, 2019. July 13, 2019. Peter. Hartlaub. Dan the Automator follows his own lane to food, movies, 'Always Be My Maybe'. November 14, 2020. San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. en-US.

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