Daniel M. Nakamura better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer from

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label

75 Ark 75 Ark is a hip hop record label based in San Francisco, California. It was created in 1998 when Toni Isabella, Anne Cook, along with Erik Gilbert and Rachel Matthews of Asphodel Records, left to form and run 75 Ark. NicheMusic was the parent co ...

Early life

Nakamura was born in

on 20 December 1968. His parents spent time in Japanese internment camps as children. His father worked for the

San Francisco Redevelopment Agency The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) was an urban renewal agency active from 1948 until 2012, with purpose to improve the urban landscape through "redesign, redevelopment, and rehabilitation" of specific areas of the city. SFRA demolis ...

and his mother taught at

City College of San Francisco City College of San Francisco (CCSF or City College) is a State school#United States, public community college in San Francisco, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1935, the college plays an important local ...

. As a child, he learned to play violin. While in high school, he became immersed in hip hop culture. He graduated from

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

Career

Nakamura started his career as a DJ when he was a teenager. After seeing the younger DJs

DJ Qbert Richard Quitevis (born October 7, 1969) known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert, is an American turntablist and composer. He was awarded America's Best DJ in 2010, was DMC USA Champion 1991 (solo) and achieved titles as DMC World Champion in ...

and

Mix Master Mike Michael Schwartz (born April 4, 1970), better known by his stage name Mix Master Mike, is an American turntablist best known for his work with Beastie Boys. Life and career Born in San Francisco, California, Mix Master Mike is of German and Fili ...

performing live, he decided to focus on producing tracks. He first gained attention for his work on

Kool Keith Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, known for his surreal, abstract and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool ...

's 1996 album ''

Dr. Octagonecologyst ''Dr. Octagonecologyst'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and Ultramagnetic MCs member Kool Keith, released under the alias Dr. Octagon. Originally titled ''Dr. Octagon'', it was released on May 7, 1996, on Bulk Recordings in t ...

''. His debut EP, ''Music to Be Murdered By'', was released in 1989. He released his debut album ''

A Much Better Tomorrow ''A Much Better Tomorrow'' is the debut studio album by Dan the Automator. It was released on 75 Ark in 2000. It is the expanded version of his 1996 EP, ''A Better Tomorrow''. It features guest appearances from Kool Keith, Neph the Madman, and Poet ...

'' in 2000, 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 ''Booksmart'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two gradua ...

'', with the soundtrack album released that same year.

Collaborations

In 1999, Nakamura and Prince Paul formed the collaborative project

Handsome Boy Modeling School Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip hop producers Dan the Automator ( Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030) and Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz). The collaboration originally lasted ...

, assuming the alter egos Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell, respectively. Their debut album '' So... How's Your Girl?'' featured numerous guest musicians, including

Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first became known in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo Moloko alongside English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of Moloko, she em ...

DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sha ...

, and

Del the Funky Homosapien Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972), better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien (sometimes stylized as Del tha Funkee Homosapien) or Sir DZL, is an American rapper. Music career 1988–1997: Early life and beginnings Born in O ...

. They released a second album, ''

White People White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as ...

'', in November 2004, with collaborators including RZA,

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

, and

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...

. Nakamura used the Nathaniel Merriweather pseudonym for his

Lovage Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a veg ...

, his project with Patton and

Jennifer Charles Jennifer Charles (born Jennifer Asher Zipken; November 15, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, writer, and actor. Along with Oren Bloedow, she co-founded the New York band Elysian Fields. Her work is known for its emotional intensit ...

. After Paul briefly left the duo over a business dispute, Handsome Boy Modelling School have since played further shows and spoken of a forthcoming third album. In 2000, Nakmura joined Del the Funky Homosapien and

Kid Koala Eric San (born December 5, 1974), aka Kid Koala, is a Canadian scratch DJ, music producer, theatre producer, film composer, multimedia-performer and visual artist. His career began as a scratch DJ in 1994. Kid Koala works with genres as eclectic ...

to form

Deltron 3030 Deltron 3030 is an alternative hip hop trio composed of producer Dan the Automator (as the Cantankerous Captain Aptos), rapper Del the Funky Homosapien (as Deltron Zero/Deltron Osiris), and DJ Kid Koala (as Skiznod the Boy Wonder). They also ...

. They released their eponymous debut album the same year, featuring guest appearances by

Sean Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...

and

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...

. In 2001 he produced the debut album of Albarn's "animated" band

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, ...

, appearing as a member of the band, alongside Del the Funky Homosapien. Both would later appear on the belated second Deltron 3030 record, ''Event 2'', released in September 2013. The album also featured appearances by

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...

Emily Wells Emily Wells (born November 20, 1981) is an American multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer whose genres encompass alternative, experimental, hip-hop and classical. In addition to playing instruments such as violin a ...

and

Zack De La Rocha Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against ...

, with interludes performed by actors

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...

Amber Tamblyn Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an American actress and writer. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' as Emily Quartermaine at the age of 11. She followed with a starring role on the pr ...

and

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...

. Nakamura is one half of

Got a Girl Got a Girl is an American musical duo formed in 2012 consisting of singer Mary Elizabeth Winstead and music producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. The band's first studio album, '' I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now'', was released i ...

, along with actress

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead (born November 28, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Her first significant role was that of Jessica Bennett (Passions), Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera ''Passions'' (1999–2000). She went on to appear in se ...

. The duo's debut album, '' I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now'', was released in 2014. 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".

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2000) * ''Booksmart: Score by Dan the Automator'' (2019)
Easter Sunday: Music from the motion picture
(2022)

Compilation albums

* '' Wanna Buy a Monkey?'' (2002) * '' Dan the Automator Presents 2K7'' (2006)

Remix albums

*'' Bombay The Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars'' (1998)

EPs

* ''Music to Be Murdered By'' (1989) * ''King of the Beats'' (1990) * ''A Better Tomorrow'' (1996)

Singles

* "Bear Witness III (Once Again)" (2002) * "Rapper's Delight" (2009)

Productions

Dr. Octagon Dr. Octagon is a persona created and used by United States, American rapping, rapper Keith Matthew Thornton, better known as Kool Keith. First appearing on Thornton's 1996 debut solo album, ''Dr. Octagonecologyst''. The album examines the impers ...

- ''

'' (1996) *

Cornershop Cornershop are a British indie rock band best known for their single "Brimful of Asha", originally released in 1997 and, in a remixed version, topping the UK chart in 1998. The band was formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh (singe ...

- ''

When I Was Born for the 7th Time ''When I Was Born for the 7th Time'' is the third studio album by the British indie rock band Cornershop, released on 8 September 1997 by Wiiija. The album received high acclaim from music critics and features the international hit single "Brimfu ...

'' (1997) *

Kalyanji–Anandji Kalyanji–Anandji are an Indian composer duo: Kalyanji Virji Shah (30 June 1928 – 24 August 2000) and his brother Anandji Virji Shah (born 2 March 1933). The duo are known for their work on Hindi film soundtracks, with many evergreen songs ...

- '' Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars'' (1998) *

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spenc ...

- ''

Acme Acme is Ancient Greek (ακμή; English transliteration: ''akmē'') for "the peak", "zenith" or "prime". It may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Acme'' (album), an album by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion * Acme and Septimius, a fictional ...

'' (1998) *

- '' So... How's Your Girl?'' (1999) *

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

- '' XTRMNTR'' (2000) *

- ''

'' (2000) *

- ''

'' (2001) *

- ''

Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By ''Nathaniel Merriweather Presents... Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By'' is the debut studio album by Lovage. It was released by 75 Ark in 2001. It peaked at number 37 on the ''Billboard'' Independent Albums chart. Artwork The album ...

'' (2001) *

Ben Lee Benjamin Michael Lee (born 11 September 1978) is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appe ...

- ''

Hey You. Yes You. ''hey you. yes you.'' is the fourth studio album by Australian musician Ben Lee, released in November 2002. The album peaked at number 45 on the ARIA charts. The single, "Something Borrowed, Something Blue", was voted #22 in the Triple J Hott ...

'' (2002) *

Galactic Galactic is an American jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Origins and background Formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a ...

- '' Ruckus'' (2003) * Handsome Boy Modeling School - ''

'' (2004) *

Head Automatica Head Automatica was an American Rock music, rock band from Brooklyn, New York (state), New York fronted by Daryl Palumbo (also of Glassjaw). History The beginnings of the band stemmed from singer Daryl Palumbo's interests in the hip hop music ...

- ''

Decadence The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of ...

'' (2004) *

- '' Catching Tales'' (2005) *

Teriyaki Boyz Teriyaki Boyz are a Japanese hip hop group from Yokohama, Japan. History The group consists of Keisuke Ogihara, Ilmari and Ryo-Z from Rip Slyme, Verbal (rapper), Verbal from M-Flo, rapper Wise (rapper), Wise and Nigo, the DJ and founder of the ...

- '' Beef or Chicken'' (2005) *

Peeping Tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly reme ...

- ''

'' (2006) *

Little Barrie Little Barrie is an English rock group consisting of Barrie Cadogan (vocals, guitar) and Lewis Wharton (bass, vocals). Virgil Howe contributed drums and vocals from 2007 until his death in 2017. Their sound has drawn from a mixture of influenc ...

- ''

Stand Your Ground A stand-your-ground law (sometimes called "line in the sand" or "no duty to retreat" law) provides that people may use deadly force when they reasonably believe it to be necessary to defend against certain violent crimes (right of self-defense) ...

'' (2006) *

Josh Haden Josh Haden (born 1968 in New York City) is an American musician and singer. He is the founder, bassist and singer of the group Spain. Haden is the son of the late Charlie Haden. Career Haden is the founder, bassist and singer of the group Spai ...

- ''Devoted'' (2007) * Men Without Pants - ''Naturally'' (2008) *

Anaïs Croze Anaïs, full name Anaïs Croze (born August 20, 1976), is a French singer. Her first album, called ''The Cheap Show'', was recorded live in January 2004 and released in 2005. ''The Cheap Show'', a pun on "peep-show", is titled such as she is t ...

- ''The Love Album'' (2008) *

Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karlof ...

- ''

West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum ''West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum'' is the third studio album by British indie rock band Kasabian, which was released on 5 June 2009. It was the band's first album not to feature Christopher Karloff, the band's lead guitarist and songwriter wh ...

'' (2009) *

Dredg Dredg (stylized as dredg) is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band's lineup consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer and pianist Dino Campanella. Originally sta ...

- ''

Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy ''Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Dredg Dredg (stylized as dredg) is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band's lineup consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mar ...

'' (2011) *

Miles Kane Miles Peter Kane (born 17 March 1986) is an English musician, best known as a solo artist and the co-frontman of the Last Shadow Puppets. He was also the former frontman of the Rascals, before the band announced their break-up in August 2009. ...

- ''

Colour of the Trap ''Colour of the Trap'' is the debut solo album by English musician Miles Kane, released on 6 May 2011. The album peaked to number 11 on the UK Albums Chart. Clémence Poésy is featured on the track "Happenstance" and Noel Gallagher is featured ...

'' (2011) *

Lateef the Truthspeaker Lateef Daumont, better known by his stage name Lateef the Truthspeaker, or mononymously as Lateef, is a hip hop artist from Oakland, California (United States). He is a member of several hip hop groups such as Latyrx, Lateef and the Chief, and t ...

- ''

Firewire IEEE 1394 is an interface standard for a serial bus for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer. It was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Apple in cooperation with a number of companies, primarily Sony an ...

'' (2011) * Kasabian - ''

Velociraptor! ''Velociraptor!'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Kasabian, released on 16 September 2011. The album has been described as expanding upon the neo-psychedelic feel of their previous album ''West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum'' with ...

'' (2011) * DRC Music - ''

Kinshasa One Two ''Kinshasa One Two'' is an album recorded by Damon Albarn alongside ten producers of the newly established DRC Music (Democratic Republic of the Congo Music) group, to benefit Oxfam's work in Congo. Background Recorded in Kinshasa, Democratic ...

'' (2011) * Pillowfight - ''Pillowfight'' (2013) * Jamie Cullum - ''

Momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If is an object's mass an ...

'' (2013) * Deltron 3030 - ''

Event 2 ''Event 2'' is the second album by hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030. The album was released on September 30, 2013. It is the group's first album since their 2000 debut, ''Deltron 3030'' and a narrative sequel. Production history Production be ...

'' (2013) *

- '' I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now'' (2014) * Dr. Octagon - '' Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation'' (2018)

Film Music/Scoring

Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, Timot ...

- "Right Place Wrong Time" (1997) *

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The fil ...

- "The Projects (P Jays)" (2001) *

Slackers A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic. Origin According to different sources, the term ''slacker'' dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sch ...

- "Rock n' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)," "Holy Calamity" (2002) *

Blade II ''Blade II'' is a 2002 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by David S. Goyer. A sequel to ''Blade'' (1998), it is the second installment in the ''Blade'' franchise, fol ...

- "Gorillaz on my Mind" (2002) *

Tony Hawk's Underground ''Tony Hawk's Underground'' is a skateboarding video game and the fifth entry in the '' Tony Hawk's'' series after ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4''. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, ...

- "A Better Tomorrow," "Positive Contact'' (2003) *

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' is a skateboarding video game, the sixth entry in the '' Tony Hawk's'' series after ''Tony Hawk's Underground''. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the PlaySta ...

- "Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)" (2004) *

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

- "Fallen" (2005) *

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word) ''Californication'' is a portmanteau of California and fornication, appearing in ''Time'' on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. ...

- "Mojo" (2007) *

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

- Stage 5 Remix (2007) * Scott Pilgrim vs The World - "Slick (Patel's Song)" (featuring Satya Bhabha), "Ninja Ninja Revolution" (2010) *

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...

- "The Truth" (2015) *

Money Monster ''Money Monster'' is a 2016 American crime thriller film directed by Jodie Foster, with a screenplay by Jamie Linden, Alan Di Fiore, and Jim Kouf from a story by Di Fiore and Kauf. The film stars George Clooney (who also co-produced), Julia Ro ...

- "What Makes the World Go Round? (Money!)" "Da Da Da" (2016) *

- Original Score & Music * Always Be My Maybe - "Hello Peril" "I Punched Keanu Reeves" (2019) * Broken Bread - Original Score Season 1 (2019) *

Holidate ''Holidate'' is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by John Whitesell, from a screenplay by Tiffany Paulsen. It stars Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Jake Manley, Jessica Capshaw, Andrew Bachelor, Frances Fisher, Manish Dayal and Kristin Che ...

- Original Score (2020) * Dash & Lilly - Original Score (2020) * Salt & Pepa - Music (2021) *

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

- Original Score (2022)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Living people 1966 births American musicians of Japanese descent American hip hop record producers Record producers from California Hip hop musicians from San Francisco Businesspeople from San Francisco San Francisco State University alumni Lovage (band) members Head Automatica members Deltron 3030 members