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 ...

-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 c ...

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 Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar, programming) ...

, ''

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'' by

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical colla ...

, 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 soundtrac ...

to the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

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 List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

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 radio ...

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 ...

, 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's

, '' Lōc-ed After Dark'',

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 acc ...

'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 ''New Funky Nation'' is the debut studio album by the Samoan-American hip hop band Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. It was released in 1990 via 4th & B'way Records/Island Records. Recording sessions took place at Image Recording Studios and Paramount Studios i ...

'', producing several songs on that album. Adam Horovitz of the

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 event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'' in 2006.

1990s

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 Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961), best known by the stage name Vince Neil, is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 format ...

's second solo album '' Carved in Stone''. In 1997, they produced a track with

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

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: A ...

'' 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 band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

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 th ...

''. The next year, the duo were approached by director

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. F ...

to assemble the

score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian ...

for the film ''

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

monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...

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 C ...

(

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

). 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 F ...

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 relea ...

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 Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

and Eagle-Eye Cherry on Santana's multi-platinum album ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

''. They received their first

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for 'Album of the Year'; after having received numerous nominations for their past work with

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 '' Guero'';

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 Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...

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 dr ...

album '' The Else''.

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 ot ...

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