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Dj Shadow




  Img DJ Shadow tim festivaljpg
  Background non_vocal_instrumentalist
  Birth Name Josh Davis
  Born 1972
  Origin Davis, California , US
  Genre Hip Hop <br> Turntablism <br> Trip Hop <br> Hyphy
  Occupation DJ
  Years Active 1991 &ndashpresent
  Label Mo'Wax <br/> Solesides <br/> Universal
  Associated Acts UNKLE <br/> The Quannum Collective
  URL Official Site


DJ Shadow (born '''Josh Davis''' in 1972Wilder (2005), 23.) is an American DJ , Turntablist , Music Producer 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.


BIOGRAPHY

DJ Shadow began his music career as a Disc Jockey for the UC Davis 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 this is a label he strongly contests.

Although he previously 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.

DJ Shadow has also collaborated with fellow hip-hop DJ Cut Chemist . Together they have created two popular mixtapes entitled '' Brainfreeze '' and '' Product Placement ''. 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 , David Banner and Dr. Octagon ( Kool Keith ).

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.

In 2006 , he signed a deal with Universal Records .


MAJOR WORKS


Endtroducing.....

Shadow's first full-length work, '' Endtroducing..... '', was released in late 1996 to immense critical acclaim. ''Endtroducing'' would make the Guinness World Records book for "First Completely Sampled Album" in 2001 . The only piece of equipment Shadow used to produce the album is the AKAI MPC60 12bit sampling drum machine.


Preemptive Strike

In 1998 he released '' Preemptive Strike '', a compilation of early Singles . Later that year, Shadow 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 Ian Brown , Thom Yorke (of Radiohead ), Richard Ashcroft , Mike D (of the Beastie Boys ) and 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 that live underground beneath a subway line. It shows the horrific world of people who have hit rock bottom. These people live in complete darkness. It has 6 award wins in various competitions. {Link without Title}


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 intricate visuals.


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."''  Shadow's Digest, August 3rd, 2006   "Out of the Shadow", Interview with Eric K. Arnold, ''SF Weekly'', September 13, 2006 .


DISCOGRAPHY


Solo albums



With DJ Q-bert



With UNKLE



With Cut Chemist



With Dan the Automator

  • 1998 - ''Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars''

  • 2001 - "Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo"



Mixes



Albums featured



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)

  • 1995 - ''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'' CD/12"

  • 2002 - '' Six Days '' CD/DVD/12"

  • 2003 - ''Mashin' on the Motorway / Walkie Talkie'' CD/DVD

  • ) 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

  • 2000 - ''Freeze'' VHS/DVD

  • 2004 - ''Product Placement on Tour'' CD/DVD

  • 2004 - ''In Tune and On Time'' CD/DVD



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)

  • BBC Radio One: Essential Mix (2003/03/30)

  • 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)

  • Brixton Academy, London, United Kingdom (2006/12/15)

  • 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, Co.Kildare, Ireland (2007/07/08)

  • Pohoda, Trencin, Slovakia (2007/07/22)



REFERENCES