DJ Shadow
http://www.djshadow.com

styles: hyphy, hip-hop, turntabalism
others: RJD2, DJ Krush, Four Tet, Koushik, David Banner, Rick Rubin

The Outsider
Univseral Music, 2006
rating: 4/5
reviewer: munroe

Josh Davis is renowned for his contributions to instrumental hip-hop, the full-length album, and stoner parties everywhere. '96 saw the release of Entroducing, a collection of tracks that fit together so perfectly that Lego should be using them for promotional purposes. Six years later, The Private Press introduced a heavier element to the mix, while inching away from the flow that made Entroducing so popular amongst in-the-know high school students and everybody else over 20. The Outsider, Shadow's latest release, is an order of magnitude away from Entroducing on just about every level, but still manages to retain Shadow's knack for creating captivating music.

Combining 17 tracks in just shy of 70 minutes, Davis has constructed his most diverse yet most controversial album since his seminal debut. Early reports from the blogosphere (whatever that is) shouted from the digital treetops that Davis had sold out and was sucking from the infected teat of the industry. Responses from some of our very own stable of writers also declared the album disappointing. While The Outsider sounds nothing like Entroducing, which seemed to be the root for most dissenters, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. The musical landscape is different in '06 (although hip-hop still sucks), and another instrumental DJ album just wouldn't cut it, as the art-form is oversaturated.

Instead, we're presented with a mish-mash of genres, eclipsing indie rock, blues, ambient, breakcore (kinda), hip-hop, and its little brother hyphy. Ahhh... hyphy, the little known runt of hip-hop made popular in the Bay Area and now through this album. Keak Da Sneak, Nump, Animaniaks, and The Federation were probably the least likely contestants on this variety show, but expected or not, they showed up and brought some fucking HEAT.

The Federation and Animaniaks, specifically, are a highlight, bringing "Turf Talking" to the masses with a huge beat, a variety of vocal styles, and an imposing presence. It's the most "hyphy" track on the album and the furthest from the vintage Shadow sound, while still remaining under the hip-hop umbrella. The album switches gears after David Banner's contribution to awareness on Katrina and showcases Shadow's ability to produce guitars, drums, and ambient noise. While they aren't groundbreaking musically, these four tracks reveal another layer of Davis' incredible ear for music. The final block of tracks seems influenced by Radiohead, spoken word, and ummm... Coldplay. Seriously, Chris James (of UK band Stateless) sounds a little like Chris Martin, but the music itself is much more interesting than any Coldplay composition. Christina Carter (of Charalambides fame) presents a minimal combination of hushed background singing and mostly spoken word for vocals. Brief guitar flourishes and string-swells give the track a slight fantasy/medieval feeling, but it isn't overwhelming. E-40 rounds out the album with "Dat's my Part," a brief relapse into the aggressive hip-hop that started this whole affair.

The songs seemed to be grouped intentionally (or logically) in blocks, which works in the favor of polar-opposite tracks like "Turf Talking" and "What Have I Done." Shadow has updated his signature sound to coincide with recent progressions in the industry, most noticeably the rise of iTunes and digital music. The Outsider screams to be downloaded in sections by fans of specific genres, especially those who don't enjoy treading new water. If you're touched with a bit of ADD or you're bored easily like myself, you may find a new home with The Outsider.

1. Outsider Intro
2. This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)
3. 3 Freaks featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. Droop-E Drop
5. Turf Dancing featuring The Federation & Animaniaks
6. Keep Em Close featuring Nump
7. Seein Thangs featuring David Banner
8. Broken Levee Blues
9. Artifact
10. Backstage Girl featuring Phonte Coleman
11. Triplicate / Something Happened That Day
12. The Tiger featuring Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Karloff
13. Erase You featuring Chris James
14. What Have I Done featuring Christina Carter
15. You Made It featuring Chris James
16. Enuff featuring Q-Tip & Lateef The Truth Speaker
17. Dats My Part featuring E-40

Funky Skunk
Public Works, 2005
rating: 4/5
reviewer: amneziak


In addition to having one of the largest personal record collections on the planet, hip-hop's DJ savior, DJ Shadow, is one of the most revered DJs around. And unless the bottom side of a rock has been your permanent address for the past ten years, you've already familiarized yourself with his catalog, including Endtroducing, The Private Press, the UNKLE side-project, a couple live mixes, and a few early 12-inch singles. Regardless of the type of release, Shadow is always able to school the population on the most influential sounds around.

Similar to Shadow's small distribution of the Diminishing Returns mix, Funky Skunk is a very limited release (edition of 450). The disc itself is an accompaniment to a package called Public Works for which Shadow collaborated with graffiti artist Shepard Fairey. The package is quite impressive, including several t-shirts and a book. But unfortunately, this particular disc is not an "official" studio album.

In lieu of a new studio release, however, Shadow has clearly been spending some time in the bedroom combining old and new hip-hop tracks into extensive face-melting concoctions. And once again we get to reap the benefits. Also similar to the first disc of Diminishing Returns, Funky Skunk takes its listener on an exhaustive hour-long voyage through the history of hip-hop. He briefly touches on some of the past rappers like Too Short, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and even Young MC, while also incorporating newer artists like David Banner and longtime friends Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born.

Funky Skunk opens with one of its highlights, "Baby Mama," by Three 6 Mafia, where Shadow has enhanced the bass and speed from the original to up the ante. Actually, the first ten minutes of the mix is pretty damn sick. When some of the older tracks are offered, it becomes immediately clear how far hip-hop and rap have come since the early '80s. Calling the rhymes and beats outdated is somewhat of an understatement, but their presence is essential and accurately documented here.

There's a good chance you'll be able to spot a lot of the songs in this mix. Unlike the usual Shadow construction, there's not a whole lot of focus on extreme rarities. Instead, Funky Skunk boasts songs from the more famed side of hip-hop. Many are enhanced with added touches of Miami bass and some are mixed with psych-rock elements. There is, however, no mistaking that Funky Skunk is a signature DJ Shadow creation.

If you're like me and you don't have a record collection that takes up a whole house, Funky Skunk does a stellar job of summing up many years of hip-hop in about an hour. Consider it a lesson of love from the man who took the genre in a new direction less than ten years ago. It's impossible to say whether or not this is indicative of what Shadow's new "in the works" album is to sound like, but I'm certain that whatever it is, fans will be patiently waiting.

1. Funky Skunk