Danger Mouse Announces Rome, Embraces His Inner Ennio Morricone

Published Nov 11, 2010

March 1

While earlier this week we reported on a couple of extra contributors to Danger Mouse 's long-planned homage to Italian film scores, we didn't quite have all of the details on the disc. It turns out the album -- a joint venture between Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) and composer Daniele Luppi -- features many more guest spots than just the previously announced vocal work from Jack White and Norah Jones.A press release explains that, which will be releasedMay 17 via Parlophone/EMI , has been incubating in the minds of Burton and Luppi since they met back in 2004. While both of their schedules have been filled for years, with Burton tackling any number of projects, from producing Gorillaz and the Black Keys to Luppi's scores for themovie and, the two apparently bonded over a love of classic Ennio Morricone arrangements. Though they had previously collaborated on Danger Mouse's Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells projects, they got together for an involved exploration of Italian cinema songs. EnterIn 2006, the pair travelled to Rome's Forum Studios, which Morricone had once con-founded as Orthoponic Studios. It was but one of many worship moments the pair had for the legendary screen composer. If working in the same studio wasn't enough, the duo tracked down a number of musicians that had worked with Morricone on some of his most famous spaghetti Western scores."Every effort was made to replicate the recording practices of the 1960s/'70s golden age, recording live and straight to tape, with overdubs but no electronics, computers, 21st century effects or studio trickery," the press release reads. "Luppi made some calls and they assembled the original musicians from films such asand-- including the legendary Marc 4 backing band and Alessandro Alessandroni's 'I Cantori Moderni' choir. Most of the musicians were in their 70s and hadn't worked together for several decades."As previously reported, later on, Burton and Luppi wrangled White and Jones into the production to lay down the necessary vocals.While it's been half-a-decade since the whole process got going,is now finally ready to be released, and Burton couldn't be happier."I'm so happy with how it's turned out, but it's been a real labour of love," Danger Mouse said in a statement, "It's taken up a lot of time and effort, not to mention the cost, but it's because it had to be a certain way."An "ambitious work with a uniquely modern sound that has been achieved through traditional, vintage processes,"promises to be a cinematic pop masterpiece, and we hope it delivers.