ĭJ Shadow's first two singles for Mo' Wax, 'In/Flux' (1993) and 'Lost and Found (S.F.L.)' (1994), utilized samples from 'used-bin' vinyl records, blending elements of hip hop, funk, soul, jazz, rock, and ambient music. DJ Shadow's output for Hollywood Basic, including the 1993 single ' Entropy' and his work with the SoleSides crew, brought him to the attention of English musician James Lavelle, who signed DJ Shadow to his Mo' Wax label. His KDVS work impressed A&R representative Dave 'Funken' Klein, who signed him to the Hollywood Basic label to produce music and remixes. He began his music career in 1989 as a disc jockey for the University of California, Davis campus radio station KDVS. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Endtroducing 329th on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.ĭJ Shadow (left) with Mo' Wax label head James Lavelle in 1997Īs a high school student, DJ Shadow experimented with creating music from samples using a four-track recorder, inspired by sample-based music such as It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) by the hip hop group Public Enemy.

It is considered a landmark recording in instrumental hip hop, with DJ Shadow's sampling techniques and arrangements leaving a lasting influence. During this period, interest in Endtroducing began to build among the American music press, and it peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.Įndtroducing was ranked highly on various lists of the best albums of 1996, and has been acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. After promoting the album and returning to his hometown of Davis, California, DJ Shadow devoted his time to creating new music. It took considerably longer for Endtroducing to find success in the United States. Mo' Wax issued four singles from the album, including the chart hits ' Midnight in a Perfect World' and ' Stem'. It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. In the United Kingdom, where DJ Shadow had already established himself as a rising act, Endtroducing received praise from music journalists at the time of its release, and reached the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart. He edited and layered samples to create new tracks of varying moods and tempos. DJ Shadow produced Endtroducing over two years, using an Akai MPC60 sampler and little other equipment.

It is an instrumental hip hop work composed almost entirely of samples from vinyl records.

is the debut studio album by American music producer DJ Shadow, released on September 16, 1996, by Mo' Wax. 'What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1)'Įndtroducing.

Dj shadow biography