Dan the Automator

Dan the Automator
Nakamura performs at a Handsome Boy Modeling School concert
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Nakamura
Also known as	Nathaniel Merriweather
Born	August 29, 1966 San Francisco, California[1]
Genres	Hip hop, electronica, trip hop, alternative hip hop, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Producer, arranger, engineer,
Instruments	Synthesizer, sampler, drum machine
Years active	1986 to present
Associated acts	Got a Girl Miles Kane DJ Shadow Kasabian Handsome Boy Modeling School Gorillaz Deltron 3030 Kool Keith Lovage Head Automatica Mike Patton DJ Quest Emily Wells Depeche Mode Pillowfight Exodus

Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is an American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence (1996-2001).

Nakamura is a classically trained violinist and started DJing when he was a teenager.^[2] He first gained fame producing Kool Keith's 1996 album Dr. Octagonecologyst.^[3] Nakamura's studio, dubbed The Glue Factory, was a recording workshop for DJ Shadow, Latyrx and other artists on the Solesides label.^[2]

Alongside Prince Paul, Nakamura formed the collaborative project Handsome Boy Modeling School in 1999, assuming the character Nathaniel Merriweather. In 1999, he joined with Del tha Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala to form Deltron 3030. He also produced Gorillaz's debut album^[2] and is currently one half of Got a Girl, along with actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead.^[4] Among his other current projects, he formed a band with Mike Patton called Crudo.

Discography

This list does not include singles, remixes or instrumental album versions.

• Music To be Murdered By (EP) (1989)
• A Better Tomorrow (1996)
• A Much Better Tomorrow (2000)
• Wanna Buy a Monkey? (2002)
• Dan the Automator Presents 2K7 (2006)

Production

• Dr. Octagonecologyst (Kool Keith) (1996)
• When I Was Born for the 7th Time (Cornershop) (1997)
• Scream 2: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) (1997)
• Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars (with DJ Shadow) (1998)
• ACME (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) (1998)
• So... How's Your Girl? (Handsome Boy Modeling School) (1999)
• Deltron 3030 (Deltron 3030) (2000)
• Gorillaz (Gorillaz) (2001)
• Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By (Lovage) (2001)
• Hey You. Yes You. (Ben Lee) (2002)
• Ruckus (Galactic) (2003)
• White People (Handsome Boy Modeling School) (2004)
• Decadence (Head Automatica) (2004)
• Peeping Tom (Peeping Tom) (2006)
• Naturally (Men Without Pants) (2008)
• The Love Album (Anaïs Croze) (2008)
• West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (Kasabian) (2009)
• Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy (Dredg) (2011)
• Colour of the Trap (Miles Kane) (2011)
• Velociraptor! (Kasabian) (2011)
• Kinshasa One Two (DRC Music) (2011)
• Pillowfight (Pillowfight, duo with Emily Wells) (2013)
• Event 2 (Deltron 3030) (2013)
• I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now (Got a Girl) (2014)
• Blood In, Blood Out (Exodus) (2014)

Single

• "Earth People" – Dr. Octagon (1995)
• "3000" – Dr. Octagon (1996)
• "Blue Flowers" – Dr. Octagon (1996)
• "Good Ships" – Cornershop (co-produced with Tjinder Singh) (1997)
• "Sleep on the Left Side" – Cornershop (co-produced with Tjinder Singh) (1997)
• "Magnetizing" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (1999)
• "Rock 'n' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (1999)
• "The Truth" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (1999)
• "The Projects (P Jays)" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (1999)
• "Sunshine" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (2000)
• "Virus" – Deltron 3030 (2000)
• "Battlesong" – Deltron 3030 (2000)
• "Tomorrow Comes Today" – Gorillaz (2000)
• "Positive Contact" – Deltron 3030 (2001)
• "Time Keeps On Slipping" – Deltron 3030 (2001)
• "Clint Eastwood" – Gorillaz (2001)
• "19-2000" – Gorillaz (2001)
• "Rock the House" – Gorillaz (2001)
• "Make The People Sway" – The Magic Disco Machine (from One Big Trip)
• "The World's Gone Mad" – Handsome Boy Modeling School (co-produced with Prince Paul) (2004)
• "Underdog" – Kasabian (co-produced with Serge Pizzorno)
• "City Rising From the Ashes" – Deltron 3030 (2013)
• "Melding of the Minds" – Deltron 3030 (2013)
• "What Is This Loneliness?" – Deltron 3030 (2013)
• "Do You Remember" – Deltron 3030 (2014)

References

1. "California Births, 1905-1995". Family Tree Legends Records Collection (Online Database). Pearl Street Software, 2004-2005. Accessed 27 December 2009.
2. Comaratta, Len (August 29, 2010). "Whatever Happened no To: Dan the Automator". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
3. Downs, David (November 20, 2008). "Kool Keith and KutMasta Kurt". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
4. Salomon, Dan (2014-07-22). "Dan The Automator And Mary Elizabeth Winstead On Being A Band ...". Fast Company. Retrieved 2014-05-02.

External links

• Dan the Automator on Myspace
• Dan the Automator discography at Discogs
• Slate article on demand for Dan the Automator in music projects
• Dan the Automator at AllMusic
• Dan the Automator page at Yahoo! Music
• Waxpoetics' Automator Interview (by David Ma)
• Interview with R.U. Sirius