DJ Shadow: classic or dud?

love that track so much

One of the rare groove drum samples in that track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFHkVXt47fI

The Private Press is also pretty solid. Speaking of samples I still hear in my head all the time -- "ECOUTEZ-TEZ SIT-A-VOUS-VOUS POUR LE DANCE-DANCE-DANCE"

Somehow he really lost it after that though. I feel like he increasingly tried to demonstrate "versatility" or something instead of continuing to refine and develop the style he was good at.

yea i remember some bullshit about "imitators" and how everybody tried to steal his style and that he wanted to put out music that no one could imitate

could would want to

Just stumbled onto this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ArSb3lCc28

he's still inspired as fuck when it comes to mixing (or was 2 years ago)

Made me want to give The Less You Know the Better another chance, it's not as bad as I remembered so far.

Entroducing resonated with me at the time of its release. It broke my mould

Until then, I listened to almost 100% 'punk' guitar and all its forerunners and derivatives.

I bought a new turntable last week and gave this a spin, expecting to be underwhelmed. I have since continued to devour 'guitar' , but in tandem a lot of that other 'electronic' stuff. Loads of music.

Perhaps it was my)non specific) life events that coincided in 1996 (mainly drunk and out having a 'great' time) that left a huge scar I cannot fathom?

I'm totally comfortable ,sat in on a saturday nigh - not wanting to go out- waiting for England to lose at football My wife and kid are playing lego in the front room and I have little inclination to join them . I'm listening to this and it remains fucking gorgeous. Especially side 4. But, not a dud on there. It still really moves me.

I don't care about the semantics. So, why the fuck did I post this red rag...

This is the first promising thing I've heard from him in a number of years:

https://soundcloud.com/massappealrecs/dj-shadow-the-mountain-will-fall?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fmassappealrecs%2Fdj-shadow-the-mountain-will-fall

?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fmassappealrecs%2Fdj-shadow-the-mountain-will-fall

*barf* trap beats + sidechain compression. he needs to stop trying to be hip with the kids.

Yeah, this is totally boring.

he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. either he repeats his samples & breaks records for diminishing returns or he's just another Low End Theory-ish Soundcloud producer. i feel bad for him.

He should just produce for Bay Area rappers and not worry about his brand. And maybe release more often so it's not some big buzz worthy thing when he does idk

Enh, I dunno. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I do think he's a talented guy with a great ear for developing interesting ideas. He just seems to have imposed upon himself a set of "rules" that he follows too closely.

I do wish that I liked him post-Private Press, but nothing has ever really clicked for me since then.

i liked that one song with david banner

i think of the Gaslamp Killer as one ideal version of what DJS could have evolved into, blending obscure samples and live breaks + synths + turntablism in a way that sounds fresh and personal.

I liked this until the beat came in, then I was out. And the stuff that I liked, I can get from other people. Endtroducing is amazing enough that I can happily let it stand alone as an amazing achievement and not bother with the rest of his catalog (though I do like the early stuff gathered up on Pre-Emptive Strike).

i think of the Gaslamp Killer as one ideal version of what DJS could have evolved into, blending obscure samples and live breaks + synths + turntablism in a way that sounds fresh and personal.

― sam jax sax jam (Jordan), Saturday, April 9, 2016 12:48 PM (41 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i thought his recent live album (featuring live musicians, iirc) was really interesting, it really goes all over the place and hangs together pretty nicely.

Taking in photographs and articles from/in regards to Charlottesville while listening to Preemptive Strike. Eerily soothing.

in/flux is his best track

I might agree... it's a masterful lovely garden of samples

I saw him a couple weeks ago, it was a pretty good show. Pretty spectacular digital effects, played lots of oldie-goodies. He was a little grumpy as a stage presence, but that seemed in keeping with his overall persona. He wore a T-shirt from a local record store that he'd been shopping at that afternoon, which was cool.

yes but which version of in/flux is the better version?

Headz version is my favourite

is Endtroducing... the best album to start with?

it's the best one to start and end with

P much OTM. Incredibly aptly named now that I think about it.

There are a bunch of other tracks from his catalogue that I like but that’s the only essential album.

you could start with the "Preemptive Strike" compilation of early singles, then go to Entroducing, then stop.

Private Press has a few really good tracks, and it's worth hearing at least one of his live things (Brainfreeze, Product Placement etc.)

sic otm

here is how i would rank the essential material

what does your soul look like EP > zimbabwe legit - doing damage in my native language (shadow's legitimate mix) (track) > in/flux (track) > > lost and found (track) > endtroducing

such a good album cover

https://img.discogs.com/elXT78Q80EgbVCaJRUjWdtLnYXM=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3467-1253735604.jpeg.jpg

Private Press still my favorite in 2018

Private Press has some jams man I love the joint that flips Paul Simon

'lost and found' was my introduction to shadow, still think it's one of his best songs and it sucks that's it's not on pre-emptive strike iirc. maybe bono blocked it?

Private Press still my favorite in 2018

agreed

his recent rap collabs have been pretty listenable imo

this remix of 6 days is a soundtrack classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUlqk1F3wn0

this one was kinda ~balaeric~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7rZGZLbsLs

'high noon' and 'organ doner' are also classic non-endtroducing cuts. tbh i think every album of his is inconsistent or has boring parts, but there's peaks across the whole catalog (until he started making hyphy music)

I've been trying to figure out where the hell I put my signed Private Press tour poster. Hope I didn't lose it in a move.

I'd say something about how it seems like forever ago that I was hanging around listening to Endtroducing and all the random remixes and singles a friend had hoarded, but it really has been twenty years!

the headz version of influx is the best one btw

organ donor was on endtroducing, just not the "(extended overhaul)" version which is essential

oh yeah i'm thinking of that one

I still feel like the kool g rap feature from unkle goes extremely hard

Pre emptive is as essential as endtrouducing. Private press has blood on the motorway which is classic

unkle is similar to shadow in that they started strong and dropped off with quickness

I still feel like the kool g rap feature from unkle goes extremely hard

― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Monday, March 12, 2018 1:05 PM (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

agree

Pre emptive is as essential as endtrouducing. Private press has blood on the motorway which is classic

― kolakube (Ross), Monday, March 12, 2018 1:16 PM (twelve minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this was the other one i was gonna mention from that album. three high points miminimum

Fixed Income, Walkie Talkie, Six Days are my favs from that one. Also still think a lot about "ECOUTEZ/COUTEZ/COUTEZ SIT A VOUS/AVOUS/AVOUS POUR LE DANCE/DANCE/DANCE"

I can’t recall exactly what tracks I liked off private press, I just remember the drums being sick as fuck

some of the longer tracks on preemptive strike are so good