Danger Mouse and EMI Settle "Dark Night of the Soul" Dispute

Nearly nine months after Danger Mouse's Dark Night of the Soul project hit stores with a blank CD, the producer and EMI have reached an agreement to formally issue the album with music on the compact disc, the BBC reports. As Rolling Stone wrote last May, a legal hassle between Danger Mouse, or Brian Burton, and EMI stemming back to The Grey Album — Danger Mouse's mash-up of the Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's Black Album — held up the release of Dark Night, a collaboration featuring the Shins' James Mercer, David Lynch, Julian Casablancas, Frank Black and more artists.

Because Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous was signed to EMI and featured prominently on Dark Night of the Soul, EMI threatened to sue if the album was released. Danger Mouse combated the threat by including a blank CD, hinting that fans should download and burn the leaked version of the album. However, Danger Mouse now tells the BBC, "The problems of last year are last year, so hopefully it will be out soon in June or something like that." EMI also said that their issues with the producer had been resolved and that they were looking forward to working with him again. Danger Mouse previously produced Gorillaz's Demon Days, released through EMI, and had no problems then with the label.

Broken Bells, Brian Burton's latest project with the Shins' James Mercer, will release their self-titled debut album next week. The pair, who are featured in the new issue of Rolling Stone, first joined forces on the Dark Night of the Soul album.

Related Stories:
• Danger Mouse's Dark Night Of the Soul Album Threatened By Lawsuit
• Behind Danger Mouse's "Dark Night of the Soul" With Linkous and Lynch

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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