Dan the Automator

Biography

Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark.

Early life

Daniel M. Nakamura was born in San Francisco, California, in 1966. His parents spent time in Japanese internment camps as children. His father worked for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and his mother taught at City College of San Francisco. 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.

Career

Nakamura started his career as a DJ when he was a teenager. After seeing the younger DJs DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike performing live, he decided to focus on producing tracks. He first gained attention for his work on Kool Keith's 1996 album Dr. Octagonecologyst. His debut EP, Music to Be Murdered By×Music to Be Murdered By1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1Music to Be Murdered By5:40A2Get Down to the Funky Sound5:09B1Do You Wanna Dance5:10B2Bonus Noise3:03B3Bonus Noise2:18B4Bonus Noise1:52B5Bonus Noise0:35, was released in 1989. He released his debut album A Much Better Tomorrow×A Much Better Tomorrow18 July 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1A Better Tomorrow5:572King of NY3:533I Want da Mic3:524Sleep5:105Wiling3:566Cartoon Capers4:4574:173:478Buck Buck4:269The Truth4:5910It’s Over Now5:3211A Better Tomorrow, Part 27:01 in 2000, an expansion of his 1996 EP A Better Tomorrow. Keith featured extensively across both versions. In 2002, he released the compilation album Wanna Buy a Monkey?×Wanna Buy a Monkey?2002 · Album · Compilation,DJ-mixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro1:242Rockin’ It3:343Smoothness4:364Positive Contact4:095Le soleil est près de moi (Dan the Automator remix)6:356Destiny4:497Seneca4:068Firesuite2:049Stroker Ace3:5710The Rhumba3:4011Latin Simone (original version)3:0912Bionix2:1713Don’t Understand1:4514Don’t Get It Twisted2:2815X-ecutioners (Theme) Song4:0216Clockwork3:53 In 2006, he released another compilation titled Dan the Automator Presents 2K7, which served as the soundtrack album for NBA 2K7. He composed the score for the 2019 comedy film Booksmart, with the soundtrack album released that same year.

Collaborations

In 1999, Nakamura and Prince Paul formed the collaborative project Handsome Boy Modeling School, 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, DJ Shadow, and Del the Funky Homosapien. They released a second album, White People, in November 2004, with collaborators including RZA, Cat Power, and Mike Patton. Nakamura used the Nathaniel Merriweather pseudonym for his Lovage project with Patton and Jennifer Charles. After Paul briefly left the duo over a business dispute, Handsome Boy Modeling School have since played further shows and spoken of a forthcoming third album.
In 2000, Nakamura joined Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala to form Deltron 3030. They released their eponymous debut album the same year, featuring guest appearances by Sean Lennon and Damon Albarn. In 2001, he produced the debut album of Albarn's "animated" band Gorillaz, appearing as a member of the band, alongside Del the Funky Homosapien. Both later appeared on the second Deltron 3030 record, Event 2, released in September 2013. The album also featured appearances by Jamie Cullum, Emily Wells and Zack De La Rocha, with interludes performed by actors David Cross, Amber Tamblyn and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Nakamura is one half of Got a Girl, along with actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead. 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".
In 2023, Handsome Boy Modeling School released a limited release LP of 7 new songs in collaboration with Fords Gin.
In 2025, Nakamura was announced as one of the remixers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup theme, representing the San Francisco Bay Area.

Studio albums

A Much Better Tomorrow (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. Octagonecologyst (1996)
Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997)
Kalyanji–Anandji - Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars (1998)
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Acme (1998)
Handsome Boy Modeling School - So... How's Your Girl? (1999)
Primal Scream - XTRMNTR (2000)
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 (2000)
Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)
Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By (2001)
Ben Lee - Hey You. Yes You. (2002)
Galactic - Ruckus (2003)
Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People (2004)
Head Automatica - Decadence (2004)
Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales (2005)
Teriyaki Boyz - Beef or Chicken (2005)
Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (2006)
Little Barrie - Stand Your Ground (2006)
Josh Haden - Devoted (2007)
Men Without Pants - Naturally (2008)
Anaïs Croze - The Love Album (2008)
Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009)
Dredg - Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy (2011)
Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap (2011)
Lateef the Truthspeaker - Firewire (2011)
Kasabian - Velociraptor! (2011)
DRC Music - Kinshasa One Two (2011)
Pillowfight - Pillowfight (2013)
Jamie Cullum - Momentum (2013)
Deltron 3030 - Event 2 (2013)
Got a Girl - I Love You but I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now (2014)
Exodus - "Black 13" (2014)
Dr. Octagon - Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation (2018)
Black Keys - Ohio Players (album) (2024)
Dan the Automator - Dan the Automator Presents: Good Advice for Suckers (2024)

Film music/scoring

Scream 2 - "Right Place Wrong Time" (1997)
Ocean's Eleven - "The Projects (P Jays)" (2001)
Slackers - "Rock n' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)," "Holy Calamity" (2002)
Blade II - "Gorillaz on my Mind" (2002)
Tony Hawk's Underground - "A Better Tomorrow," "Positive Contact'' (2003)
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 - "Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)" (2004)
Charmed - "Fallen" (2005)
Californication - "Mojo" (2007)
The Sopranos - Stage 5 Remix (2007)
Scott Pilgrim vs The World - "Slick (Patel's Song)" (featuring Satya Bhabha), "Ninja Ninja Revolution" (2010)
Better Call Saul - "The Truth" (2015)
Money Monster - "What Makes the World Go Round? (Money!)×What Makes the World Go Round? (MONEY!)13 May 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What Makes the World Go ‘Round (MONEY!)3:00" "Da Da Da" (2016)
Booksmart - Original Score & Music
Always Be My Maybe - "Hello Peril" "I Punched Keanu Reeves" (2019)
Broken Bread - Original Score Season 1 (2019)
Holidate - Original Score (2020)
Dash & Lilly - Original Score (2020)
Salt & Pepa - Music (2021)
Easter Sunday - Original Score (2022)