Dan the Automator of DELTRON 3030

Discover a brave new world and prepare to have your mind blown when uber hip hop producer Dan M. Nakamura, aka Dan the Automator, and the DELTRON 3030 crew crash-land in the country later this month. Join Dan, MC Del the Funkee Homosapien and the turntable wunderkind Kid Koala on a journey through time and space. “We plan to pull out all the stops – it should be pretty new to the crowd in the sense that they probably haven’t seen a show like this before.”
For more than a decade the underground super group have enthralled listeners with their futuristic funk and beats, intelligent lyrics and sheer musical ability. Each member brings something unique to the table: Dan is a classically trained violinist but started DJing as a teenager. Best known for his work in Handsome Boy Modelling School, Dan was hand-picked by the Gorillaz to produce their debut album and is a current member of Mike Patton’s band Crudo.
Adding to his ever-expanding list of side projects, Dan is one half of a duo with Scott Pilgrim’s Ramona Flowers. “I’m also in Got a Girl, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It’s our take on French influenced pop and we just collaborated with EO to create our own fragrance,” Dan smiled. “I like the chance to collaborate with people, not just in music, but in art, food, fragrance and other things. With Del and Kid Koala there’s a sense of ease and comfort between us. We’re happy playing together and I think that shows.”
Teren Delvon Jones, better known as Del the Funkee Homosapien, started his career writing lyrics for his cousin, rapper Ice Cube, and has worked with just about every hip hop artist worth their salt. His music features heavily on video game soundtracks, skateboarding and snowboarding documentaries, as well as lending his vocals to bands like the Gorillaz, Dirty Heads and Unwritten Law, just to name a few.
“Kid Koala is bringing his full turntable,” Dan revealed. “I can’t wait for the crowd to witness his skills live on stage.” Kid Koala, or Eric San to his family back in home in Canada, is a DJ, musician and author of graphic novels. He is also currently a member of The Slew, a multi-national electronic music project with former Wolfmother band mates Chris Ross and Myles Heskett.
“Deltron 3030 is the combination of all our experience and special talents. We plan on having a full band – keyboards and drum machines, turntable and computer board. We have Juan Alderete from The Mars Volta playing bass and a special guest playing drums, so It’s going to be a pretty rocking show!” Dan says excitedly.
“Each gig will be half and half. Half of the tracks from our debut self-titled album [2000] and half from Event 2 [2013]. But since it’s our first time playing as Deltron 3030 in Australia, I think we will feel out the crowd and see how it goes. Also, I can tell you there’s a new Deltron record in the works and I’ve been working on a top secret project . . .”
Don’t miss the show of the decade and your chance to witness three masterminds at work as they warp space, bend time and transcend genre at Melbourne’s HIFI for one night only.
When&Where: The Hi Fi, Melbourne – February 27
By Natalie Rogers, Photo by Michael Donovan