Endtroducing..... - DJ Shadow

I am amazed that this album has escaped me until now. Usually when I hear of an album by “DJ something or other”, or anything with “DJ” in the title, I am pretty sceptical, as it usually indicates some dance compilation where all the songs have already been mixed by someone else, and there’s nothing really new. This album is nothing like that. First of all, it’s not a dance album, and second of all, it features some of the most ambient and “soundtrack-like” music I’ve ever heard. You can tell I like it! I first discovered music from this album whilst visiting a graphic design website – they had ...  Read the complete review

When i first came accross this album, i didn't know what to expect. When i listened to it, i honestly didn't know what had just happened. A flurry of Hip Hop breaks, clever samples and often beautiful, but never dull little twists and turns that keep you amused and engaged, DJ Shadow has created one of the best hip hop albums of all time with 'Endtroducing' as, he quite rightly states in 'Why Hip Hop Sucks In 96', he's not doing it for the money. The album swerves from beat heavy excersies in jazz 'Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt' to a genuine beauty and passion 'Stem/ Long Stem'. If you don't own this record, you will ...  Read the complete review

DJ Shadow has managed with this album what so many have tried and failed to do - create a diverse, instrumental hip hop album that doesn't need to rely on egocentric raps or monotonous repetition. He has created an album which is just as likely to appeal to the Manchester businessman as the hip hop posse in New York - and to all the people in between. The hip hop influences are clear in DJ Shadow's work, blended beats and samples, interesting scratch and turntable effects etc., however these are not overused and overdone. His choice of samples and beats provides an eclectic mix of not just funk and hip hop soundbytes, but pretty much anything you can think of - ...  Read the complete review

Shadow starts the album with his best foot forward and each footstep is better and better. The album starts at a fairly chilled pace and picks up speed the further you progress, the high point for me is the Hardcore-esque Stem/Long Stem with manic beats over laying a subtle piano tune underneath. After Stem the pace slows slightly a breakbeat style of Mutual Slump and Organ donor. Then comes Midnight in a Perfect World which is quite possibly the best track on the album. Endtroducing crosses many different genres, including the hardcore sound, big beat; break beat but mainly hip-hop flavours. The whole album is one continuous piece of music only broken ...  Read the complete review

This has to be one of the most original hip hop albums of all time. Ironic then that the entire album is built out of samples, the only live playing is the scratching performed by DJ Shadow himself. No guest MC's appear to disjoint the flow of the album. There is no cursing or reference to hoods and projects, this is just about pure soulful music. Some may find the influence to druggy whereas others know that it will maje a perfect contribution to an evening in. Don't expect to see Snoop Dogg and Eminem appearing with DJ Shadow at the MOBO awards, this guy is elusive but when he needs to say something he locks himself in his studio and does what ...  Read the complete review