NR Essentials #5: DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
 

 

DJ Shadow
Endtroducing
1996, Mo Wax Records

When I was 15 years old, the local college station had a once a week hop hop show from 10-midnight that played deep cuts, b-sides and rare remixes. Best of all, they did NOT play radio edits, but let the F-bombs fly in the face of the FCC. Every week I'd stay up and tape the show, hitting the pause button during commercials and PSA's. Then I'd have a new mixtape to listen to for the week, and new tracks to pour over and give me inspiration to hunt down albums.

But one night everything changed. One night the 2nd half of the show was dedicated to playing AN ENTIRE RECORD! By an UNKNOWN ARTIST! A record with no VOCALS! 'whats going on???' I thought. 'should I even bother recording this?' Back then it didnt make sense to me that a song without words could hold yr attention. Nevermind an entire album.

But I listened. And by the middle of that record, I was addicted to this DJ Shadow person. I listened to that dubbed tape over and over. And when my birthday rolled around, I had my mom bring me to the 'big city' so that I could find a copy on vinyl. And once I realized the CD had a different tracklist, I got that as well.

This one record made a lot of confusion suddenly iron itself out to me. All the sudden jazz music made sense. I started to hunt down jazz records and soundtrack scores that would be sampled by the Pharcyde or A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. I started to investigate the burgeoning electronica scene. I started to consider a tracks producer as much of an artist as the musicians. A new world had been opened up to me by this album.

It's an album that even DJ Shadow couldnt live up to. So he's never tried. He's done it. So he's moved on to new sounds. He invented a genre, and then denounced it. DO NOT CALL IT TRIP HOP. But do listen to it. Many, many times. Like I have, still do and always will.

somehow i have never listened to this album.

Oh my goodness. Please. Please go listen to it.

I always found this to be possible the least exciting album I've ever heard.

WHAT??? When exactly did you hear it?

I mean, I understand everyone's got an opinion. That's fine. You dont like it, you don't like it. I'm just saying, that's a pretty bold statment. There's a LOT of albums out there, so to call THIS "the least exciting" is pretty weird to me.

It's funny, as although I totally respect what DJ Shadow did on this album , I never got into it at all - there was something missing from it, an atmosphere or something. I really should give it another listen. I did however like "The Private Press" a lot - it seemed a lot more natural and flowing to my ears, somehow.

Wow, that seems surprising to me Melly. I found PRIVATE PRESS to feel very forced and directionless. I mean, I liked most of the tracks ("Blood On The Motorway" is probably my fav Shadow track ever), but I didnt find it to have an album-like cohesion. Just me.

one of my all time favorites, i wrote about it on my blog a long long time ago.

here's what i think of this album: http://oscillatorzine.blogspot.com/2...troducing.html

exactly. I'll try to rep you for that, i'll see if I succeed.

edit: unfortunately not.

co-sign. shadow fucking owns.

The Darkside Of The Moon of Hip-Hop. Masterpiece through and through.

That pretty much sums it up, man!

Endtroducing is wonderful.

Great LP.
I don't like half of it though. But the tracks i like, i LIKE!!!

Although I love this album, I completely understands Glice's point. Its a excellent album, but the music itself and perhaps the build up by fans can push into the realm of grey. Me, I love grey.

I love it.

cant agree with that. entroducing is a great album and in no way overrated and boring!

endtroducing? great, great album. rules.

private press? nah. can't beat his first album.

Love it. Most effortless use (and most unique use) of samples in the history of everything. Could have fooled me into thinking a real band was in the studio on some bits. I just can't get over how one man can make something so brilliant.

its good, not groundbreaking or anything but its a good listen.