When we heard Danger Mouse aka Brian Burton was heading to Austin to present his latest project — an “imagined” soundtrack to the Amazon series The Man in High Castle — we knew we had to corner him and find out more.
Turns out, the soundtrack itself was a bit of a happy accident in how it came about, like most great things are. Brian and his co-producer Sam Cohen started with smaller aspirations that turned into a full blown covers record, with 17 artists taking on songs from the ’60s.
James Mercer from The Shins was their first experiment. They sent an instrumental of pop standard “A Taste of Honey” – as well as a lead vocal from Sam – as a guide so James would know what to do. It went so well, they really dug in and went for it.
Hear their conversation and a few songs from the soundtrack:
Fun fact: Brian Burton told us that after they finished the album and got a version of it on vinyl, they RE-MASTERED it using the vinyl because they felt it captured the sound they were going for the best.
‘Resistance Radio: The Man In The High Castle Album’ is out April 7. Check out the site for more music and the accompanying radio drama.
Tracklist:
1. Sharon Van Etten – The End of the World
2. Andrew VanWyngarden – Nature Boy
3. Beck – Can’t Help Falling In Love
4. Benjamin Booker – Spoonful
5. Sam Cohen – The House of the Rising Sun
6. The Shins – A Taste of Honey
7. Angel Olsen – Who’s Sorry Now
8. Waterstrider – Speaking of Happiness
9. Michael Kiwanuka – Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
10. Grandaddy – Love Hurts
11. Big Search – Lonely Mound of Clay
12. Kevin Morby – I Only Have Eyes For You
13. Kelis – Who’s Lovin’ You
14. Norah Jones – Unchained Melody
15. Curtis Harding – Lead Me On
16. Maybird – All Alone Am I
17. Karen O – Living In A Trance
18. Sam Cohen – Get Happy