DE_bg_bigmess.jpg
Big Mess

BIG MESS is the second solo studio album by American singer, musician, and composer Danny Elfman. It was released by Anti- and Epitaph Records on June 11, 2021.

Demo Tracks

This section is strictly for you nerds and geeks (like me) who like to trace the origins of songs and how they started out before they got re-recorded, mixed and released. These are the demos I made while I was writing “Big Mess” in the 2020 lock-down. They were all written and recorded in a small writing room I have in my out-of-town place. Nothing fancy. My computer. A single hand-held mic. A single electric guitar. A single acoustic guitar. And a broken pair of headphones. In the end it wasn’t a problem. The limitations were fun. Even having no headphones was fun. Made no difference. This collection was the result of that period — April to August 2020. Forgive the funkiness of my sloppy guitar playing and crude production. Enjoy!  

-Danny Elfman

  • BIG MESS

    Music & Lyrics by Danny Elfman

    Produced by Danny Elfman

    Recorded by Noah Snyder

    Mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound

    String Orchestration by Steve Bartek

    Orchestration Assistant: Marc Mann

    Midi Prep: Orlando Perez Rosso

    Additional Audio Editing: Christopher Bartek

    Technical Assistant: Giacomo Lamparelli

    Additional Engineering: Nick Rives & Matt Tuggle

    Female Choir: Holly Sedillos, Anna Schubert,

    Danielle Withers

    Female Vocal Soloist: Petra Haden

    Strings - Featuring the Lyris Quartet

    Orchestra: Budapest Art Orchestra

    Conductor: Peter Pejtsik

    ProTools Engineer: David Lukacs

    Recording Engineer: Gabor Buczko

    Contractor/Session Producer: Miklos Lukacs

    Orchestra (“Happy” & “Sorry”): Budapest Scoring Orchestra

    Conductor: Zoltán Pad

    Orchestra producer: Bálint Sapszon

    Orchestra coordinator: Bertalan Veér

    Recording Engineer: Dénes Rédly

    Recorded at: Studio Della Morte (LA), East Connection Music Recording / Studio 22 (Budapest), Capitol Studios (LA)

    Executive Producer: Laura Engel

    Project Producer: Melisa McGregor

    Creative Direction, Album Art Direction & Graphic Design: Berit Gwendolyn Gilma

    “Big Mess” Art Created by: Sarah Sitkin

    Additional 3D: Hirad Sab

    Danny Elfman’s Representation – Kraft-Engel Management

    Remix Album:

    Executive Produced by Laura Engel and Stu Brooks

    Curated By Stu Brooks and Berit Gwendolyn Gilma

    Additional Vocal Production: Janice Cruz Brooks

    Special Thanks:

    Brett Gurewitz, Andy Kaulkin, Doug Mark, Richard Kraft, Laura Engel, Melissa Karaban, George Doering,

    Josef Zimmermann and Scott McRae

    SORRY

    -----

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Robin Finck & Nili Brosh

    Percussion - Sidney Hopson

    Additional Orchestration by Mikel Hurwitz

    Choir Orchestration by Marc Mann

    TRUE

    ---

    Mixed by Joel Hamilton

    Mix Assistant: Francisco Botero

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    IN TIME

    ---

    Mixed by Joel Hamilton

    Mix Assistant: Francisco Botero

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Robin Finck

    EVERYBODY LOVES YOU

    ---

    Mixed by Joel Hamilton

    Mix Assistant: Francisco Botero

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Robin Finck

    DANCE WITH THE LEMURS

    ---

    Mixed by Noah Snyder

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Robin Finck

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson

    SERIOUS GROUND

    ---

    Mixed by Joel Hamilton

    Mix Assistant: Francisco Botero

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Robin Finck

    CHOOSE YOUR SIDE

    ---

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Robin Finck

    WE BELONG

    ---

    Mixed by Noah Snyder

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    HAPPY

    ---

    Mixed by Randall Dunn at Strange Weather Recording

    Mix Assistants: Ben Greenberg and Garrett de Block

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Nili Brosh

    Additional Synth Design - Randall Dunn

    JUST A HUMAN

    ---

    Mixed by Pete Rutcho

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Warren Fitzgerald

    DEVIL TAKE AWAY

    ---

    Mixed by Pete Rutcho

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar –Robin Finck & Nili Brosh

    LOVE IN THE TIME OF COVID

    ---

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Nili Brosh

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson

    NATIVE INTELLIGENCE

    ---

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Robin Finck & Nili Brosh

    BETTER TIMES

    ---

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Nili Brosh

    CRUEL COMPENSATION

    ---

    Mixed by Pete Rutcho

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Robin Finck & Nili Brosh

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson & Joe Martone

    KICK ME

    ----

    Mixed by Pete Rutcho

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar – Warren Fitzgerald

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson & Joe Martone

    GET OVER IT

    ---

    Mixed by Zakk Cervini

    Mix Assistant: Nik Trekov

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums - Josh Freese

    Guitar – Nili Brosh

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson

    INSECTS

    ---

    Mixed by Noah Snyder

    Vocals, Guitars & Synths by Danny Elfman

    Drums – Josh Freese

    Bass - Stu Brooks

    Guitar - Nili Brosh

    Percussion – Sidney Hopson & Joe Martone