Beck vs Danger Mouse

American singer songwriter speaks on working with producer Danger Mouse

07 July 2008 - Beck’s new album Modern Guilt is out today (7 July) and off the back of supporting Morrissey at the 02 Wireless festival on 4 July, he told 6 Music about working with the renowned producer Danger Mouse.

Beck explained how the collaboration with Danger Mouse on his eighth studio album came to fruition: "There was an unexplainable pull, a sort of gravitational pull.

"We were already friends, so I called him back and said, 'let’s do a record', but he didn’t have time so he said, 'well, I don’t have time so we’ll do one song.'"

But the partnership soon developed into more than just one track, as Beck said: "We did the first song on the album and then decided that there was a whole record there. A couple of months later - we had a whole record."

"We did the first song on the album and then decided that there was a whole record there."
Beck

Danger Mouse has recently produced the likes of The Black Keys’ new album Attack And Release , The Shortwave Set’s Replica Sun Machine and masterminded Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green.

Together they have put out two acclaimed records - including 2006’s St.Elsewhere with chart smash Crazy on it and 2008’s contribution, The Odd Couple.

Danger Mouse’s background is firmly rooted in hip hop but despite this, Beck said that the pair’s working style complimented each other.

"It’s very natural. He works in a way that’s similar to me - creating a lot of what the song is, and a lot of the songwriting while you’re recording," Beck told 6 Music. "That’s an approach that comes more from the hip hop and electronic world, but I apply that to more traditional songwriting and rock and folk - and bring those elements into it."

As for what Danger Mouse brought to the party, Beck explained: "He brought all the beats so that set the tone for the record. These rhythms gave me the ideas for these songs and so that’s kinda how we came together."

The album also features Cat Power and is 6 Music’s album of the week.

Georgie Rogers