The Dust Brothers are a pair of songwriters and

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

consisting of E.Z. Mike ( Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo ( John King). They are famous for the

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...

-based music they produced in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work on the

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

s ''

Paul's Boutique ''Paul's Boutique'' is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, by Capitol Records. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the album is composed almost entirely from samples, and was recorded over two ...

'' by the Beastie Boys, ''

Odelay ''Odelay'' is the fifth studio album by American musician Beck, released on June 18, 1996, by DGC Records. The album featured several successful singles, including " Where It's At", " Devils Haircut", and " The New Pollution", and peaked at numbe ...

'', ''

Midnite Vultures ''Midnite Vultures'' is the seventh studio album by American musician Beck, released on November 23, 1999 by DGC Records. While similar to most of Beck's previous albums in its exploration of widely varying styles, it did not achieve the same blo ...

'' and ''

Guero ''Guero'' is the ninth studio album by American musician Beck, released on March 29, 2005, by Interscope Records. It was produced with John King and Mike Simpson of the Dust Brothers, who had worked with Beck on his 1996 album ''Odelay'', as wel ...

'' by Beck, the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

to the film ''

Fight Club ''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is d ...

'', and "

MMMBop "MMMBop" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on April 15, 1997, as the lead single from their debut full-length studio album, '' Middle of Nowhere'' (1997). The song was nominated for two Grammys at ...

" by

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

. They are based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

History

1980s

Michael "E.Z." Simpson and John "Gizmo" King started working together as the Dust Brothers in 1985 at

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

KSPC KSPC is a non-commercial college and community radio station based in Claremont, California, broadcasting at 88.7 MHz on the FM band and streaming online. It was founded in 1956 as a Pomona College student organization and later expanded t ...

, hosting a weekly hip-hop show called ''The Big Beat Showcase''. They developed writing and producing skills creating music for their show and

DJing A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

and rapping at parties. In 1987, they began

writing Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferred, or digitally represented symbols. Writing systems do not themselves constitute h ...

and producing for the

Delicious Vinyl Delicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles, California. History Michael Ross was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles when he met Matt Dike, a ...

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

. There they wrote and produced tracks on

Tone Lōc Anthony Terrell Smith (born March 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Tone Lōc (), is an American rapper, actor, and producer. He is known for his raspy voice, his hit songs " Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", for which he was nomin ...

, ''

Lōc-ed After Dark ''Lōc-ed After Dark'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Tone Lōc. It was released on January 23, 1989 via Delicious Vinyl. Production was handled by Matt Dike, Michael Ross and The Dust Brothers. The album reached the number-one sp ...

'',

Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album '' Stone Cold Rhymin found international accl ...

's debut album '' Stone Cold Rhymin''', and other Delicious Vinyl releases. They also worked with the Boo Yaa Tribe on the album '' New Funky Nation'', producing several songs on that album. Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys stopped by mutual friend

Matt Dike Matt Dike (December 2, 1961 – January 16, 2018) was an American music executive, record producer, and DJ. He co-founded the hip-hop record label Delicious Vinyl in 1987. In the 1980s, Dike was artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's studio assistant a ...

's apartment, where King and Dike slyly played music intended to be a Dust Brothers album. Horovitz liked what he heard and asked if he could buy the music. The Dust Brothers along with Dike ended up co-writing, producing and mixing the Beastie Boys' second album, ''

'', considered one of the best albums of all time by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' in 2006.

1990s

Beck had the Dust Brothers produce his album ''

'', released in 1996. The album spawned the hits " Where It's At" (#64 on the Hot 100), "

Devils Haircut "Devils Haircut" is a song by the American musician Beck, released as the second single from his fifth album, ''Odelay'' (1996). It peaked at number 94 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart and n ...

" (#94 on the Hot 100), "

The New Pollution "The New Pollution" is a song by American musician Beck, released as the third single from his fifth album, ''Odelay'' (1996). It samples the song "Venus" by Joe Thomas. In the US, the song peaked at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and num ...

" (#74) and " Jack-Ass" (#73). In 1995 the Dust Brothers co-produced Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil's second solo album '' Carved in Stone''. In 1997, they produced a track with Korn called "Kick the P.A." for the ''

Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...

'' soundtrack; produced the

number one Number One most commonly refers to: * 1 (number) Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song * ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song * ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC * ''n.1 ...

hit "

" for

's first major label album '' Middle of Nowhere''; and created a song on the #1 soundtrack to the

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...

film '' Private Parts'' named "

Tortured Man {{Infobox song , name = Tortured Man , cover = , alt = , type = single , artist = Howard Stern and The Dust Brothers , album = Private Parts Soundtrack , released = 1997 , recorded = 1997 , studio ...

", featuring vocals by Stern. The Dust Brothers also co-produced three songs on

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

album, ''

Bridges to Babylon ''Bridges to Babylon'' is the 21st British and 23rd American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Virgin Records on 29 September 1997. Released as a double album on vinyl and as a single CD, it was supported by t ...

''. The next year, the duo were approached by director David Fincher to assemble the score for the film ''

'', most notably "This Is Your Life", a song featuring lines from the film, including a monologue by the character

Tyler Durden The Narrator is a fictional character and the primary antagonist appearing as the central figure of the 1996 Chuck Palahniuk novel ''Fight Club'', its 1999 film adaptation of the same name, and the comic books '' Fight Club 2'' and '' Fight ...

( Brad Pitt). The same year also saw the Dust Brothers collaborate with

Jeymes Samuel Jeymes Samuel (born July 27, 1979), also known by his stage name The Bullitts, is a British singer-songwriter, music producer and filmmaker. His debut album, ''They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories...'', was issued in 2013. ''The Harder They Fa ...

aka

the Bullitts Jeymes Samuel (born July 27, 1979), also known by his stage name The Bullitts, is a British singer-songwriter, music producer and filmmaker. His debut album, ''They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories...'', was issued in 2013. '' The Harder They ...

on the soundtrack for the film ''

Muppets from Space ''Muppets from Space'' is a 1999 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Tim Hill (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Jerry Juhl, Joseph Mazzarino, and Ken Kaufman. The sixth theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' fran ...

'', recording a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

song " Shining Star". In 1999, the two collaborated with Carlos Santana and

Eagle-Eye Cherry Eagle-Eye Lanoo Cherry (born 7 May 1968) is a Swedish singer and stage performer. His 1997 single "Save Tonight" achieved commercial success in Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom, and was voted song of the year in New Zealand. Cher ...

on Santana's multi-platinum album '' Supernatural''. They received their first Grammy for 'Album of the Year'; after having received numerous nominations for their past work with Beck and as artists for their instrumental song on the '' X-Files'' soundtrack. They also recorded, produced and mixed an album by 'hip pop' group 10 Cents named ''Buggin Out''.

2000s

In the Aughts, the Dust Brothers had continued success, again collaborating with Beck on the album ''

'';

Tenacious D Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. It was founded by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of The Actors' Gang theater company at the time. The duo's name is derived from "ten ...

on their self-titled debut; Linkin Park with a track called "With You" on their first studio album ''

Hybrid Theory ''Hybrid Theory'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, through Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Don Gilmore, the album's l ...

''; remixing the

Styles of Beyond Styles of Beyond was an American underground hip hop group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu) and Takbir Bashir (Tak), Colton Raisin Fisher ( DJ Cheapshot), and produce ...

track "Winnetka Exit" on their promotional CD ''Spies Like Us''; and producing the

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a ...

album ''

The Else ''The Else'' is the twelfth studio album by rock group They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Records in 2007. The album was produced in part by The Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band. ''The Else'' was first available for ...

''.

Controversy with the Chemical Brothers

The Dust Brothers name and

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...

was used by the British duo that eventually became

the Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...

as they began their career. Used as a homage to the American group, they changed their name when they were unable to convince the Dust Brothers to sell the name. Eventually the groups reached an understanding, and the Chemical Brothers' 1997 EP ''

Elektrobank "Elektrobank" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released as a single from their second album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), in September 1997. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Spike Jonze dir ...

'' featured a Dust Brothers remix of the title track.

References

External links

Official websiteAt DiscogsMike Simpson's Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dust Brothers Record producers from California Ableton Live users Beastie Boys Record production duos Grammy Award winners American musical duos Musical groups established in 1985 1985 establishments in California