Dan "the Automator" Nakamura
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — Dan "the Automator" Nakamura is going to need a refueling come spring.

The prolific producer, best known as Damon Albarn's partner in Gorillaz, is in the final stages of three projects due early next year: his first solo album, the second Handsome Boy Modeling School record, and his latest endeavor, Head Automatica.

The latter, a side project with Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo, just finished recording last week in New York with a session featuring guest vocals from Rancid's Tim Armstrong.

After introducing the Streets at Sunday's Shortlist Music Awards (see "Irish Singer Damien Rice Wins Shortlist Music Prize"), the Automator described the album backstage as a rock record with hardcore and electronic elements.

"What we are trying to do is kind of pick up where Big Audio Dynamite maybe would have been if they were coming out today, or some of the Clash, but more, like, with the combination of the hard drums, hard guitars and the electronic elements," Nakamura said. "I think we came up with something pretty interesting. It should be a fun record."

Nakamura began mixing the album this week and is eyeing a February release, a month or two before he and Prince Paul will drop the follow-up to Handsome Boy Modeling School's So ... How's Your Girl?

All the Automator would reveal about that album is that it'll be influenced by both his and Paul's other work since their 1999 acclaimed debut and might include some of those collaborators.

"Generally we're gonna try to make it not every man's record, but a record that every man should be listening to," he said. "It's a hard call because we need to make sure we keep the correct balance [of underground and commercial appeal], but we don't want to go and push it all to one side or make it too handsome and intimidate the people."

Once the album is released, Handsome Boy Modeling School plan to hit the road for a tour of sorts.

"It's going to be an artistic endeavor of a different style than what people are used to seeing," Nakamura said. "We're probably gonna work on incorporating our video series 'Handsomeness of Steel,' and that might take a little while, and maybe we'll just do more on the infomercial tip. Or we might hook up one of those Tony Robbins-type tours or something. It's hard to say. It might be a speaking engagement thing."

As for the Automator's long-awaited solo debut, Omakase was pushed back from the summer to early next year when MCA recently folded into Geffen Records.

Nakamura hinted Sunday that Beck has joined a list of Omakase guests that includes Busta Rhymes, the Neptunes, Maceo from De La Soul, Black Rob, Beenie Man, Mike Patton, DJ Q-Bert and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto (see "Dan 'The Automator' Plans Busta Rhymes/LeAnn Rimes Duet, Nabs Iron Chef For LP").

"I think we tend to make good songs together, and hopefully we'll continue to do so," Nakamura said of Beck, who has long been rumored to be making an album with the producer.

The Automator released the solo EP A Better Tomorrow in 1996 and re-released it with additional material as A Much Better Tomorrow in 2000. He dropped the mix album Wanna Buy a Monkey? last year (see "Gorillaz, Black Rob Rarities Comped By The Automator").

• Dan The Automator

Dan the Automator
Photo: MTV News

HOLLYWOOD — Dan "the Automator" Nakamura's name is not as recognizable as the projects he's spearheaded, from Handsome Boy Modeling School to Gorillaz, but that could soon change.

Nakamura is finally recording a full-length solo record as the Automator, and he expects to release it in March or April.

The new release will not be as much of a concept album as Handsome Boy, Deltron 3030 or the Dr. Octagon record he engineered for Kool Keith, but it won't be a typical release either.

"It's still formulating as far as the story line goes," Nakamura said at Tuesday's Shortlist concert (see "N.E.R.D. Win Shortlist Prize "). "I'm looking at all the stuff as it comes in and seeing where it all fits together and I'm going to try and tie it up in some matter or another."

Like his past projects, which have featured appearances from the likes of Beastie Boy Mike D, Sean Lennon and DJ Shadow, the Automator's solo record will showcase a flock of his music industry friends. "I want to keep it a surprise, though," he said.

Nakamura, who makes occasional DJ appearances around the world, will promote the album by touring with a full band. "I don't like to just be a lone DJ-type person," he said. "I'm really more of an eclectic-type thing, so turntables, guitar, bass, probably a drummer and girl singer, guy singer, rapper."

The Automator also hopes to release a few other records next year. He and Beck are collaborating on what the latter has said will be his next release. And Dan revealed Tuesday that he and Prince Paul will begin recording the follow-up to Handsome Boy Modeling School's acclaimed 1999 album.

As for his most well-known band, Gorillaz (see "Gorillaz Project Partners The Automator With Damon Albarn"), Nakamura said it could be next fall before they record. "Damon is doing a Blur record and so we won't get into it until he's run his course with that."

The Automator released the solo EP A Better Tomorrow in 1996 and re-released it with additional material as A Much Better Tomorrow in 2000. He dropped the mix album Wanna Buy a Monkey? earlier this year (see "Gorillaz, Black Rob Rarities Comped By The Automator").

• Dan The Automator

Dan "The Automator" Nakamura
Photo: MTV News

Even after landing a platinum album with the group Gorillaz, producer Dan "the Automator" Nakamura is busily monkeying around with other projects.

On February 19, Nakamura will release the compilation LP Wanna Buy a Monkey? featuring a Gorillaz B-side titled "Latin Simone" along with other tracks by artists Nakamura has been involved with over the past 10 years.

"Probably the most interesting thing on this record is a song called 'Smoothness,' which is me and Black Rob," Nakamura said last week from his home in San Francisco. "Rob and me used to work together back in 1992, and this stuff has never, ever come out. No one has a copy of it. It was six or seven years before [Rob] was with Puffy, and about five years before I was starting to come out where people knew me. It's real hot, though — straight-up hip-hop, and it's real special to me."

Wanna Buy a Monkey? will also include Nakamura's remix of Air's "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi," the original version of which appears on the 1999 EP Premiers Symptomes, and "X-ecutioners (Theme) Song," his collaboration with the X-ecutioners for the turntablists' upcoming album, Built From Scratch. Also featured are songs by Lovage, his mood music group with former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton ("Stroker Ace") and a cut by his group Deltron 3030, which features Del the Funky Homosapien and turntablist Kid Koala ("Positive Contact").

In addition to songs Nakamura had a hand in, Wanna Buy a Monkey? includes tracks he likes, but had nothing to do with: RZA/Bobby Digital's "La Rhumba," Brand Nubian's "Rockin' It," Tortoise's "Seneca," Doves' "Firesuite," De La Soul's "Bionix," Dilated Peoples' "Clockwork," Masta Ace's "Don't Understand," Zero 7's "Destiny" and Jigmastas' "Don't Get It Twisted."

Nakamura has plenty of other things on his plate at the moment. In the coming year, he plans to finish producing tracks for the solo album by former Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha, which he refused to describe in any detail. "It's different than Rage stuff, but it's heavy," he said, adding that it's too early to tell when the record will be finished or even if the tracks he's worked on will make the album.

The producer will also work on the debut LP by Patton's new band, Peeping Tom, and start digging into a solo disc. He also hopes to start the next record by Gorillaz, who were nominated for a Best Rap Performance Grammy Award on Friday (see "U2, India.Arie Lead Grammy Pack").

"We've done work with Redman and D12 [in the meantime]," Nakamura said, "but we're really gonna try and get back in the studio next year and do our own thing."

Incidentally, Wanna Buy a Monkey? takes its name from a line in the movie "Cabin Boy," which starred Chris Elliott. An episode of Elliott's TV series "Get a Life" spawned the name of the Nakamura/Prince Paul collaboration Handsome Boy Modeling School and their respective aliases, Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell.

For a feature interview with Gorillaz, check out "Gorillaz: In The Cage."

• Dan The Automator
• Gorillaz
• Black Rob

Gorillaz
Photo: Gorillaz.com

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, but you might want to pay attention to the music he's making — especially if he's Blur frontman Damon Albarn or workaholic hip-hop producer Dan the Automator.

The duo's Gorillaz project — which includes such contributors as Miho Hatori from Cibo Matto, Talking Head Tina Weymouth, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Buena Vista Social Club's Ibrahim Ferrer — will finally be hitting U.S. stores June 5.

A band only in the loosest definition of the word, Gorillaz is a high-concept collective of artists and musicians working behind the artwork of Jamie Hewlett, creator of the iconoclastic Tank Girl comic series (see "Gorillaz Project Partners The Automator With Damon Albarn").

Albarn, the Automator and their Gorillaz have been causing a stir on both sides of the pond. Upon its U.K. release two weeks ago, the group's self-titled debut bowed at #7 on the British albums chart, while the single "Clint Eastwood" climbed into the #5 spot. In the United States, their video for the single has been in rotation on both MTV and MTV2.

Gorillaz have just been confirmed for England's massive Creamfields festival, to be staged in Liverpool on August 25, according to a spokesperson from the band's label, Virgin.

Just how does a cartoon-based band go about performing live? Easy. The flesh-and-blood bandmembers stand behind a curtain, Wizard-of-Oz-style, while Hewlett's animation is projected onto the makeshift screen. This setup keeps the Gorillaz "shrouded in mystery," the spokesperson said.

Though there isn't a one-to-one ratio between the contributing artists and their animated counterparts, Albarn serves as unofficial head gorilla "2D," the spokesperson said. The rest of the monkey bunch includes bassist "Murdoc," drummer "Russel" and "Noodle" on guitar.

While she couldn't confirm any specific dates, the spokesperson did say Gorillaz have plans to tour both the U.K. and the States.

The track listing for Gorillaz, according to Virgin:

• Re-Hash
• 5/4
• Tomorrow Comes Today
• New Genious (Brother)
• Clint Eastwood
• Man Research (Clapper)
• Punk
• Sound Check (Gravity)
• Double Bass
• Rock the House
• 19-2000
• Latin Simone (featuring Ibrahim Ferrer)
• Starshine
• Slow Country
• M1 A1

• Gorillaz
• Blur
• Dan The Automator
• Cibo Matto
• Ibrahim Ferrer

Dan "The Automator" Nakamura
Photo: Seventy-Five Ark

Lately, Dan Nakamura has been truly living up to his hip-hop alias as "The Automator," with a deluge of endeavors on the way or in the works. In addition to the Gorillaz project he created with Blur frontman Damon Albarn, Nakamura has been working on music with the Prodigy, collaborating further with Albarn, making a record with former Company Flow frontman El-P, planning the follow-up to 1999's Handsome Boy Modeling School LP with Prince Paul, prepping an instrumental companion to last year's Deltron 3030 project with el tha Funkee Homosapien, and preparing a new solo album for release later this year. Despite all the activity, Nakamura was characteristically mellow when speaking from the San Francisco office of his record label, 75 Ark.

"I'm just getting ready to go into the studio," he said calmly. "I just did some stuff for the Prodigy. I was helping work out a mix for their record. Maybe it's the single, I don't know." (According to Nakamura, the British techno troupe's new album isn't quite ready to see the light of day. "I think they're only like a little bit, or maybe halfway, done.") Meanwhile, the instrumental version of Deltron is currently scheduled for a March release on 75 Ark, with the Gorillaz album likely due around the same time on Virgin Records.

Soon after, Nakamura's personal labor of love will hit the shelves: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By is the title of the debut solo album from Nathaniel Merriweather, Nakamura's Handsome Boy Modeling School alias.

"It's kind of loungey, kind of like an American Serge Gainsbourg," Nakamura said of the album. "It's not like the Modeling School thing, it's kind of like the record you put on when you want to get busy." Nakamura has been working on Old Lady for close to a year, and has finished 20 tracks, which he said will eventually be narrowed down to 12. He also explained that unlike many of his other projects, this record will "not be a hip-hop record at all." Nakamura's most recent solo release was the 1997 EP "A Better Tomorrow," which included several tracks with Kool Keith, his partner in Dr. Octagon, and was reissued last year by 75 Ark with added songs. Also in the works is Sammy's Romanians, the Automator's collaboration with El-P, the lead rapper and producer of Company Flow, which disbanded last year. "It's more of a beat record," said Nakamura, adding that the use of vocals will be light. "It's not a rhyming record. It's like 'Bomb Squad 2001'" — referring to the legendary Public Enemy production crew. "It's really heavy stuff." Fans will have to wait a bit for that album, however, as Nakamura said it probably wouldn’t be ready until 2002; it will also be released on 75 Ark.

Nakamura has also recorded yet another track with U.K. pop star Albarn, who is a member of both Deltron 3030 and Gorillaz, for inclusion in a release for the Sony PlayStation 2, although he wasn't clear on the exact nature of its usage.

"It's a track that I think is going to be for some game that they're going to have where you can [do an] interactive remix," he said.

Finally, there's the matter of the highly anticipated follow-up to Handsome Boy Modeling School's So...How's Your Girl?, which will reunite Nakamura with fellow top-rung producer Prince Paul. "We should be back in the studio in February or March," said Nakamura. "We're doing a couple of DJ shows together, in February, and we're going to work on our schedules, but we're definitely doing the second one in the spring. It probably won't come out until the early part of next year." Regarding recent speculation that both Albarn and Radiohead singer Thom Yorke were scheduled to appear on the project, Nakamura would only comment cagily: "Oh, that would be nice. You know, who knows? They could use the Handsome Boy training, but we'll see." So … How's Your Girl? featured contributions from Beastie Boy Mike D., Moloko's Roisin Murphy, DJ Shadow, Sean Lennon, Alec Empire and others.

• Dan The Automator
• Handsome Boy Modeling School

Damon Albarn
Photo: MTV News

Just months after releasing the futuristic Deltron 3030 project with rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura has already completed yet another concept album, this time with Blur frontman Damon Albarn, as the creative force behind Gorillaz. A truly unique band — its members are officially cartoon characters — Gorillaz incorporates the talents of a number of modern-music luminaries, as well as the visual skills of Jamie Hewlett, creator of the animated character Tank Girl.

"I brought in different people to be on the record," said Nakamura, who produced Gorillaz' upcoming debut as well as the abstract hip-hop classic Dr. Octagonecologyst (with Kool Keith) and Handsome Boy Modeling School's So...How's Your Girl? (with Prince Paul). "Del rhymes on it, Kid Koala scratches on it — the 3030 people — and Miho [Hatori] from Cibo Matto sings on it a little bit. Tina [Weymouth] and Chris [Frantz] from the Tom Tom Club do some stuff on it and Ibrahim Ferrer from Buena Vista [Social Club] did some stuff." Albarn also plays a major role in Gorillaz. In fact, with all of the collaborating he and Nakamura were doing, an Albarn solo album has been rumored to be in the works for months now. Those rumors, Nakamura said, are untrue.

"Well, the reason they say that is because he appears on most of the cuts," he clarified. "Basically, this is what they would consider to be his solo record." However you look at it, Gorillaz is an appealing concept. A visit to the band's Web site (www.gorillaz.com) reveals how much time and energy went into the creation of this truly 21st century group and its surrounding world. The site provides full-length audio tracks, the video for the album's first single, "Tomorrow Comes Today", a tour through Gorillaz headquarters, and other interactive treats.

The only question is whether Gorillaz — whose members go by the aliases Murdoc, 2D, Russell and Noodle — actually exist outside of the cartoon realm. Although he admitted to "trying to make the new Josie and the Pussycats," Nakamura insisted that Gorillaz are real — "in the hip-hop sense." While the animated members of Gorillaz don't have clear-cut counterparts in the three-dimensional world, some easy comparisons can be made. 2-D, the lanky, wild-haired British frontman is an obvious version of Albarn, while American beat-master Russel is part Automator, part Del. Satan-obsessed bassist Murdoc, meanwhile, seems to be a completely original creation, and Noodle, the 10-year-old Japanese guitarist, was most likely influenced in part by Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori.

Nakamura approached the nature of the band slyly, while elaborating elusively on the myth. "Me and Damon found these kids called the Gorillaz," he said. "They're kind of like Deee-Lite, [who] had a DJ from France, a beat guy from Japan and [a] singer from New York ... Well, it's kind of like this little collective that had some ideas ... so they were like, 'Could you help us?' ... So I ended up taking some of their little snippets and producing an album out of it." "Tomorrow Comes Today," the first Gorillaz release, came out in the U.K. in November, with the second single currently scheduled to be "Clint Eastwood," a track that reunites the Deltron crew: Nakamura, Del, Albarn and Kid Koala.

While no official release date has been set for the Gorillaz debut, the album is slated to come out in the U.S. on Virgin Records in the next few months, according to a spokesperson for the label, with live dates in the works. Exactly how the live shows will be presented remains a mystery, however, even to the Automator himself. "We haven't gone into the rehearsal mode, or anything like that," he said. "I don't really know what my role would be, to tell you the truth." As for who exactly will be involved, Nakamura could only speculate, once again insisting that the Gorillaz themselves would somehow make a real-world appearance. He did confirm that Albarn would appear on the tour. With so much unknown about this musical entity, one sentiment he expressed about the impending experience is certain: "It should be interesting."

• Gorillaz
• Dan The Automator
• Blur
• Handsome Boy Modeling School