Guns and Records

DJ Shadow (a.k.a. Josh Davis) released his new album, “The Outsider”, on September 18th of last year. Every review I’ve read on this album has been awful. I feel like I should review it from the point of view of a DJ Shadow fan.

If you haven’t guessed from my post title, I love Shadow. For those of you who still don’t know who DJ Shadow is, let me tell you. DJ Shadow got his start in the Bay area of California and, like most DJs, began playing house parties and making mixtapes for friends. After a while, he caught the attention of James Lavelle and they formed U.N.K.L.E. He toured in England, where the two were immensely popular, and began recording his first solo album, “Endtroducing”.

“Endtroducing” was released in 1994, to critical acclaim. Shadow’s sound was like nothing that American audiences had heard before. Mostly “trip-hop”, or slowed down hip-hop beats with sampled vocals and instruments throughout, “Endtroducing” blew minds. It was seven years before fans would get a follow-up album.

“The Private Press” gave Shadow fans more of what they loved about “Endtroducing”. Again, mostly slow and laid back, it was another album that could get heads nodding or could get people laid. There was only one track with live vocals, and it was too quirky to get any sort of radio play. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of one time that Shadow’s EVER had radio play (”The Outsider” included).

Five years later, we were given “The Outsider”.

It would seem that DJ Shadow’s finally had enough with 75bpm. “All over the place” doesn’t even come close to describing the sound on his newest release. An overwhelming majority of the songs have live vocals, whether from well known rappers like David Banner or KeakDaSneak, or from European artists like Cris James. Shadow even directs a live band on “This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way)”- a loungy-funk jam reminiscent of Marvin Gaye if he was white.

Personally, I couldn’t be happier with “The Outsider”. DJ Shadow himself has stated that he’s getting tired of the same-old-same-old. “The Outsider” couldn’t be further from “Entroducing”. Even though there are some slower tracks on his new album, they’re nothing like anything he’s done before. Hearing Q-Tip over a Shadow beat may have just made my year.

Anyway, go get everything you can find by DJ Shadow. Once you do, thank me here.