DJ Shadow
(born Joshua Davis
June 29, 1972) [1] is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing.....
, which was constructed entirely from samples. He has an exceptionally large record collection, with over 60,000 records. [2]
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History
Early years
DJ Shadow began his music career as a
disc jockey for the
University of California, Davis campus
radio station KDVS. During this period he was significant in developing the experimental hip hop style associated with the
California-based
Solesides record label. His early singles for the label, including "In/Flux" and "Lost and Found (S.F.L.)", were genre-bending works of art merging elements of
funk,
rock,
hip hop,
ambient,
jazz,
soul, and used-bin found records. DJ Shadow is often cited as a leading creator of U.S.
trip hop. Though his music is hard to categorize, his early contributions were certainly important for alternative hip-hop. He cited groups such as
Kurtis Mantronik,
Steinski and
Prince Paul as influences on his sample-based sound, further claiming that "lyrics ...were confining, too specific". His music rarely features more than short clips of voices or vocal work.
[3] He released several original works (during 1991-1992 for
Hollywood Records) by the time
Mo' Wax's
James Lavelle contacted him about releasing "In/Flux" on the fledgling imprint, it wasn't until his distribution association with Mo' Wax that his sound began to mature and cohere. He eventually formed the label
Quannum Projects in 1999 out of the previous label Solesides.
Endtroducing.....
Shadow's first full-length work,
Endtroducing.....
, was released in late 1996 to critical acclaim.
Endtroducing
would make the
Guinness World Records book for "First Completely Sampled Album" in 2001. The only pieces of equipment Shadow used to produce the album are the
AKAI MPC60 12-bit sampling drum machine, a pair of turntables and a borrowed-by-visiting Pro Tools setup from an early adopter of the technology,
Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. In November 2006 Time magazine named it one of its "All-TIME" 100 best albums.
[4]
Preemptive Strike
In 1998 Shadow released
Preemptive Strike
, a compilation of early
singles. Later that year, he produced tracks for
Psyence Fiction
, the debut album by
U.N.K.L.E., a long-time Mo' Wax production team that gained superstar guests including
Thom Yorke (
Radiohead),
Richard Ashcroft (
The Verve),
Mike D (
Beastie Boys),
Kool G. Rap,
Jason Newstead (
Metallica) among others.
Dark Days
Around 2000 he produced the score for the documentary
Dark Days
filmed by British director
Marc Singer. This film is about a community of transients who live underground in a subway tunnel. It shows the horrific world of people who have hit rock bottom in their lives. These people live in complete darkness. It has six award wins in various competitions.
[5]
The Private Press
Nearly six years after his debut production album, his second album,
The Private Press
, was released in June 2002. In the same year, the movie
Scratch
(2001,
Doug Pray) was released to DVD with DJ Shadow appearing several times throughout the movie. A video for his track "
Six Days" was also released in 2002, directed by
Wong Kar-Wai.
In Tune and on Time
In 2004, Shadow's feature length DVD,
In Tune and on Time
was released. The DVD features a live performance in
London, emphasizing visuals.
In 2005, Brian Udelhofen began work on the Shadow Percussion Project, an attempt to adapt some of the tracks from
Endtroducing...
for a live performance group. The result was largely successful and well-received by DJ Shadow himself.
The Outsider
The Outsider
album was released on 18 September 2006. A special edition CD box set was also released containing 'The Outsider', the album on CD and a DVD entitled Tour Visuals.
The Outsider
, which prominently featured several artists from the local
San Francisco Bay Area hyphy hip-hop movement, got a mixed welcome among Shadow's fans. Responding to criticisms, the DJ/producer explained on his blog why he made no apologies:
"Repeat Endtroducing over and over again? That was never, ever in the game plan. Fuck that. So I think it's time for certain fans to decide if they are fans of the album, or the artist."
[6] [7]
DJ Shadow has also collaborated with fellow DJ
Cut Chemist. Together they have created three popular mixtapes entitled
Brainfreeze
,
Product Placement
, and the recent
The Hard Sell
. These mixes fuse jazz, funk, and soul in the framework of a cohesive concept. He has also collaborated with several other artists, including
Blackalicious,
Zack de la Rocha,
Keak Da Sneak,
Mos Def,
David Banner, and Dr. Octagon (also known as
Kool Keith).
In 2006, he signed a deal with
Universal Records. DJ Shadow and
Cut Chemist toured in 2008 in support of their mixtape
The Hard Sell
with
Kid Koala opening for them.
Future Works
During Shadow's Outsider 2007 tour, he was spotted filming with 90's NYU film school prodigy Dean Fernando aka "DINO" as reported on Shadow/Quannum fansite
Solesides. On April 1, 2009, DJ Shadow announced on his Facebook page that he was working on a
Diminishing Returns
re-release.
On March 7, 2009, DJ Shadow announced that he was working on new music. Though no release date was given, he assured that "it will sound different from the last one".
[8]
DJ Shadow is involved with the new Activision game
DJ Hero.
Studio and equipment
The book
Behind the Beat documents Shadow's home studio (named "Reconstruction") through photos and a brief description (as of 2005).
[9] It is "nestled within a leafy San Francisco suburb"
and Shadow apparently moved to the area "to be closer to the local record store".
It also states that "Shadow only keeps a small selection of vinyl at home with the rest occupying storage units around town".
His equipment (as of 2005, according to
Behind the Beat) consists of two
Akai MPC 3000s and a
Korg Triton.
His album
Endtroducing was "created on an
AKAI MPC60 and an
A-Dat".
Discography
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DJ Shadow Discography
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Main solo albums
- 1996 - Endtroducing.....
- 2002 - The Private Press
#44 US
- 2006 - The Outsider
#77 US
Live albums
- 2004 - Live! In Tune and on Time
- 2006 - Live At Brixton Academy December 2006
Compilation albums
- 1998 - ''Preemptive Strike
- 1999 - Funk Spectrum: Real Funk For Real People
- 2007 - The 4-Track Era (Volume 1: Best Of The KMEL Mixes (1991))
- 2007 - The 4-Track Era (Volume 2: Best Of The Remixes And Megamixes (1990 - 1992))
- 2008 - The 4-Track Era (Volume 3: Best Of The Original Productions (1990 - 1992))
- 2008 - The 4-Track Era (Volume 4: Bonus Disc KMEL Mix (1991))
included in the 200 limit run 4-Track Era Bundle only
Remix albums
- 2003 - The Private Repress
- 2005 - Excessive Ephemera
With DJ QBert
- 1997 - Camel Bobsled Race (Q-Bert Mega Mix)
CD-EP
With UNKLE
With Cut Chemist
- 1999 - Brainfreeze
- 2001 - Product Placement
- 2003 - Milk The Basic Breaks
- 2004 - Product Placement on Tour
- 2007 - The Hard Sell
- 2008 - The Hard Sell (Encore)
With Keane
- 2005 - "We Might As Well Be Strangers" (Remix)
Mixes
- 2003 - The popular Essential Mix on BBC Radio1
was later released in a 1000-copy self-published release called Diminishing Returns
.
- 2005 - Funky Skunk
- 2009 - Diminishing Returns - 'Last Chance Limited-Edition Re-Release' (with bonus track 'War Is Hell')
Albums featured
- 1993 - Sleeping with the Enemy
(by Paris)
- 1995 - Meiso
(by DJ Krush, DJ Shadow features on Duality)
- 1995 - The Story of Mo Wax
(various artists, Lost and Found
and What Does Your Soul Look Like? (1 & 2)
by Shadow)
- 1996 - Dr. Octagonecologyst
(by Dr. Octagon, Shadow featured on Waiting List (DJ Shadow / Automator Mix)
)
- 1999 - Quannum Spectrum
(various artists, DJ Shadow on Divine Intervention
and Storm Warning
)
- 1999 - So... How's Your Girl?
(Handsome Boy Modeling School, DJ Shadow features on Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)
with DJ Quest)
- 2000 - Solesides Greatest Bumps
(various artists, Shadow contributes 3 tracks and produces 6 more)
- 2002 - The Ultimate Lessons
(various artists bootleg, Shadow on Lesson 4
, Live Lesson B
, and Live Lesson C
)
- 2004 - Damage
(by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion produces the track Fed Up And Low Down
).
- 2004 - Brothers from the Mother
(by Zimbabwe Legit, DJ Shadow's remix called Shadow's Legitimate Mix
)
- 2005 - Same Shit Different Day
(by Lyrics Born, produces Over You
)
- 2005 - Hell's Winter
(by Cage, produces Grand Ol' Party Crash
with Jello Biafra)''
- 2005 - Beef or Chicken?
(by Teriyaki Boyz produces the track Kamikaze 108
).
- 2006 - Escape From Planet Monday
(by Fresh, DJ Shadow features on the track Closer
)
- 2007 - The Prelude EP (by The Mighty Underdogs, cuts on
U.F.C - United Flow Champions'')
Singles
- 1991 - Lifer's Group/DJ Shadow - The Real Deal (Shadow Remix)
/Lesson 4
Promo 12" Only
- 1993 - Asia Born/DJ Shadow - Send Them
/Count and Estimate (Dub)
/Hip-Hop Reconstruction from the Ground Up
12"
- 1993 - In/Flux / Hindsight
12"
- 1994 - Lost & Found (S.F.L.) (Split 12" with DJ Krush - Kemuri)
- 1994 - What Does Your Soul Look Like
- 1996 - Fully Charged on Planet X
/ Hardcore (Instrumental) Hip-Hop
(by Chief Xcel/DJ Shadow - Hardcore (Instrumental) Hip-Hop
and Last Stop
are Shadow tracks)
- 1996 - Midnight in a Perfect World
- 1996 - Stem
CD/7" (His only top 10 hit-it reached number 9 in the Republic of Ireland singles chart.)
- 1997 - High Noon
CD/12"/7"
- 2000 - Dark Days
(Music from Dark Days Documentary Soundtrack) CD/7"
- 2002 - You Can't Go Home Again: DJ Shadow Selections
CD/12"
- 2002 - Six Days
CD/DVD/12"
- 2003 - Mashin' on the Motorway / Walkie Talkie
CD/DVD
- 2003 - (with Zack de la Rocha) mp3 only
- 2004 - Would You Buy A War From This Man?
7" Picture disk (Remix of Radiohead's The Gloaming
)
- 2005 - Keane - We Might as Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow vs. Keane Mix)
10"
- 2006 - 3 Freaks
- DJ Shadow feat. Turf Talk & Keak da Sneak 12" Promo
- 2006 - Enuff - w/ Q-Tip and Lateef
- 2007 - This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)
UK #54
Live DVDs
- 2001 - Freeze
VHS/DVD (with DJ Nu-Mark, DJ Z-Trip, & Cut Chemist)
- 2003 - Product Placement on Tour
CD/DVD (with Cut Chemist)
- 2004 - Live! In Tune and on Time
CD/DVD
- 2008 - The Hard Sell: Live at the Hollywood Bowl
(with Cut Chemist)
Box-Set
- 2005 - Funky Skunk
as part of OBEY's Public Works in collaboration with Shepard Fairey, contained 5 tees, a Shepard Fairey hardcover book, a bag of stickers and some batches. 450 limited units.
- 2006 - Freeze 45 Box Bundle
, which contained a 45' carry case, Freeze
and Product Placement
DVD, 2 Slurp 45 slipmats, and two radio spots advertisements on an exclusive 7" limited to one of these 200 items.
- 2008 - The 4-Track Era Box Bundle
in collaboration with artist Paul Insect. It contained all three CD of the series plus an exclusive volume four plus a slipcase, 2 tees (one is exclusive to the release) and some buttons and stickers. 200 bundles.
Notable live appearances
- BBC Radio One: Breezeblock (1999/06/01)
- La Route Du Rock Festival, St Malo, France (1999/08/13)
- BBC Radio One: Breezeblock (2000/12/04)
- Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY (2002/06/04)
- Creamfields, Roudnice nad Labem airport, Czech Republic (2002/08/09)
- BBC Radio One: Essential Mix (2003/03/30)
- L.C.C.C., Manchester (2006/06/17) [10]
- O2 Wireless Festival: Hyde Park (2006/06/23)
- Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, Australia (2006/07/22)
- Lowlands Festival, Evenemententerrein Walibi World, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands (2006/08/18)
- Pukkelpop, Belgium (2006/08/18)
- The Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland (2006/03/09)
- SUE Festival, Santiago, Chile (2006/11/02)
- Fillmore at the TLA, Philadelphia, PA (2007/01/25) (The Hard Sell tour w/ Cut Chemist & Kid Koala)
- Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio, California (2007/04/27)
- Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee (2007/06/15)
- KCRW World Music Festival, Hollywood, California (2007/06/24)
- Oxegen 07, Punchestown Racecourse, Ireland (2007/07/08)
- Summercase, Madrid, Spain (2007/07/13)
- Summercase, Barcelona, Spain (2007/07/14)
- Pohoda, TrencĂn, Slovakia (2007/07/22)
- Humboldt State University, Arcata CA (2007/09/17) (Special up close non-festival appearance alongside with Cut Chemist)
- Pemberton Festival, Pemberton, BC, Canada (2008/07/27) (w/ Cut Chemist)
References
- Family Tree Legends
- http://sleevage.com/dj-shadow-endtroducing/
- Modulations: A History of Electronic Music
- The All-TIME 100 Albums
- Dark Days (2000) - Awards
- Shadow's Digest, August 3rd, 2006
- "Out of the Shadow", Interview with Eric K. Arnold, ''SF Weekly'', September 13, 2006
- http://www.djshadow.com/news/article/122
- Raph, 2005, ''Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios'', Gingko Press, p. 61.
- BBC Manchester Review