* En anglais uniquement
The Dust Brothers were among the preeminent producers of the 1990s, helming records for everyone from
Tone-Loc to
Beck to
Hanson while influencing countless others with their signature cut-and-paste marriage of hip-hop and rock. Not to be confused with the British production duo
the Chemical Brothers, who began their career under the same name before receiving a cease-and-desist order, the Los Angeles-based
Dust Brothers were
Mike Simpson and
John King, who met in 1983 while working at the Pomona College radio station. They originally teamed to DJ at parties, and by the end of the decade scored a production deal with the Delicious Vinyl label. In 1989, they scored chart success producing debuts from rappers
Tone-Loc (the monster hit "Wild Thing") and
Young MC, but their most distinctive early work was on
the Beastie Boys' groundbreaking Paul's Boutique, widely acclaimed among the most innovative and influential albums of the period for its pioneering use of digital sampling. In the years to follow, the Dust Brothers emerged among the most sought-after remixers and producers in the industry, working on projects for everyone from
White Zombie to
Technotronic to
Shonen Knife; they also founded their own label, Nickel Bag (later changed to Ideal), and in 1996 helmed
Beck's extraordinary
Odelay. Branching out even further, in 1997 they produced
Hanson's chart-topping "MMMBop," as well as a handful of tracks from the
Rolling Stones'
Bridges to Babylon LP. Their first full-length solo record was the score for the 1999 film Fight Club. ~ Jason Ankeny