RandoMax Radio's Producers Guild - Episode #1.5: The Automator

By now, you two have hopefully listened to the first episode in the revamped Producers Guild series, which focused solely on the breadth and depth of the production work of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. Whether or not you found your new favorite song in that mix is up to you - I don't run your life, I just like every song I selected for that inaugural run. But a mere eighteen tracks only skims the surface of what the man has done throughout his career: a thorough examination requires a much deeper dive than the novice-level course I had set up previously.

In other words, I want to get weird.


First off, if you haven't listened to the first Automator episode, even though you clicked on the link to continue reading this post for some reason, I urge you to do so, especially if you aren't as familiar with his work as you would like. Episode 1.5 is designed as more of a junior/senior or graduate-level course, and while you'll likely enjoy the music I've chosen for this new mix, you'll miss out on the references and nuances, and also I think you'd just really like the first mix. Oh look, here's a link to it.

Anyway, on to today's post. Those of you two who are familiar with Nakamura's work solely as a part of Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030, or even Handsome Boy Modeling School may find yourselves a bit in the weeds here, as while his trademark stamp is all over the eighteen songs on today's mix, we've switched the genres up significantly, as the man himself is wont to do. His first entry focused on some of his better-known collaborations, hence the multiple Dr. Octagon tracks (including one that apparently can't really be found online, you're welcome), the Gorillaz production, that Deltron song, and a handful of remixes that found Nakamura taking his turn at applying his worldview to the sonics of artists as diverse as Depeche Mode and Dean Martin.

Episode 1.5, in turn, deviates from some of that original recipe in order to paint The Automator's career with broader strokes. The Bay Area deejay-turned-producer-slash-classically-trained musician never stays in one place for too long, which I find to be a part of his charm. He seems to get bored easily, and constantly challenging himself is one way to stave off creative stagnation. Hip hop is in his DNA, and he always seems to come back to it eventually (which kind of reads like my relationship with this blog, if I'm being honest), but that doesn't mean rap is the only genre he pays attention to. Which is something I've been trying to tell you two since 2007: listening to only rap music doesn't leave a lot of room for you to expand your horizons. Your favorite artists listen to a wide spectrum of music: don't limit yourselves.

Nakamura has not just ventured into arenas such as rock, R&B, jazz, pop, and others, he's overstayed his welcome in many of these genres, oftentimes pissing off his hosts and eating all of the food in their fridge. Episode 1.5 is my attempt to showcase a select few of these collaborations found off the beaten path, which hopefully means that some of these songs will be surprising for you. I say that, but some of this shit you're definitely going to be familiar with.

PRODUCERS GUILD EPISODE #1.5: THE AUTOMATOR
1. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Sunshine (featuring Sean Lennon, Money Mark, Father Guido Sarducci, Josh Haden, and Paula Frazer)
2. Interpol - Slow Hands (Dan the Automator Remix)
3. The Automator - It's Over Now (featuring Kool Keith)
4. Pillowfight - Get Your Shit Together
5. Lateef the Trithspeaker - Left Alone
6. Peeping Tom - Mojo (featuring Rahzel and Dan the Automator)
7. Soquelle - Strangers
8. King Tech & MC Sway - Saying U Want More (Break It On Down)
9. Anaïs - Qui Cest La Fille Sur La Photo
10. Got a Girl - Put Your Head Down
11. Redman - Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get In Da Club) (Gorillaz Remix)
12. Dredg - The Thought of Losing You
13. Dr. Octagon - Red Eye
14. Cibo Matto - King of Silence (Dan the Automator Remix)
15. Kasabian - I Hear Voices
16. Lyrics Born - Always Fine Tuning (featuring Dan the Automator)
17. Dan The Automator - Steeplechase (Sittin' On 22's)
18. Lovage - Pit Stop (Take Me Home)

This time around, I've highlighted some more of Nakamura's pop side, whether in English or not. You did read that right, there is a Redman remix included here, and it's the real deal: there's also a Gorillaz song that features Reggie Noble floating around out there that I could have used instead, but I like the subdued energy The Automator gives Redman's animated vocals on "Let's Get Dirty". As an accompaniment of sorts to the Depeche Mode remix I included the first go-round, there's an Interpol remix here that doesn't sound like Nakamura did much to it at first, but it creeps in. I've included tracks from two of Nakamura's more recent side projects, Pillowfight (alongside Emily Wells) and Got a Girl (with actress/singer Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The MC Sway you see above is, yep, that dude from radio and MTV, and yes, he raps on here. And even though I included Lovage on the first entry, it was a track that inexplicably left Faith No More's Mike Patton out of the loop, so to make up for that he appears twice on here. You can listen to it below.



Let me know what you think of both the mix(es) and the series in general. These bonus episodes are something I'd like to continue doing for two reasons: (1) eighteen tracks (a self-imposed restriction, but a necessary one, I feel) usually isn't enough to capture the scope of a producer's contributions to the art form, and (2) I want to drop these when the next proper entry is ready (hint, hint). 

Comments, suggestions, thoughts, questions, and the like go below. Subscribe directly on the Mixcloud site to receive updates on when new mixes are posted, and let your friends who also love niche music blogs run by writers who seem to be having much more fun crafting podcast episodes than they do actually writing anything.

Speaking of, new (written) content coming sooner than you think.

Have fun, kids.

-Max