DJ SHADOW - Outsider Review

It's been exactly 10 years since DJ Shadow (a.k.a. Josh Davis) released the groundbreaking Endtroducing..., practically inventing the cinematic sound of instrumental hip-hop and establishing himself as one of the backpacker scene's hottest beatmakers in the process....full text Anticipation for DJ Shadow's long-awaited album The Outsider has been tinted with trepidation. Four years -- practically a generation by modern pop standards -- have passed since the undie darling's last proper record, The Private Press. Advance notice has indicated a pointed departure, one toward the latest land of hype: hyphy. The hesitation is understandable considering the industry adage for the established artist: If it ain't broke, milk it. For Shadow to reach out to the "in" sound from right now, he runs a divisive risk of driving fans into a frenzy or away....full text On a recent trip to San Francisco, while eating in a hip-yet-comfy restaurant which screened Spinal Tap on its wall mounted flat screen TVs, I happened across a fellow diner who looked vaguely familiar to me. After a moment of brain-scanning for a profile match, it occurred to me that the familiar face was that of Josh Davis, a.k.a. DJ Shadow, or so I believed at the time....full text