Danger Mouse

Verified Timeline

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.

In Their Own Story

In 2006, Gnarls Barkley released St. Elsewhere, featuring the international hit "Crazy," which became the first UK number-one single based solely on downloads. The band toured as an opening act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium World Tour, with future Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer in the lineup. Burton continued to produce diverse projects, including Sparklehorse's Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain and albums with The Black Keys: Attack & Release, Brothers, El Camino, and Turn Blue. In 2016, he produced, performed on, and co-wrote songs for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' eleventh album, The Getaway. His work on Adele's 25 stands alongside his production of Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts, Electric Guest's Mondo, Portugal. The Man's Evil Friends, and ASAP Rocky's At.Long.Last.ASAP.

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?

• Danger Mouse won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2011 after being nominated five times in that category.
• The Grey Album combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from the Beatles' The White Album and was ranked best record of the year by Entertainment Weekly.
• 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.