DJ Shadow spent his teenage years in Davis, California and was a DJ at the community radio station KDVS. During his time as a radio disc jockey, DJ Shadow was significant in developing the experimental instrumental 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 trip-hop, though this is a label he strongly contests.
Although he previously released a couple of 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.
Shadow's first full-length work, Endtroducing....., was released in late 1996 to immense critical acclaim. Following the success of this album, he acted as a shadow producer for Rage Against The Machine for their album, Evil Empire. It is said he influenced the solo on their song "Bulls On Parade". Endtroducing... made the Guinness World Records book for "First Completely Sampled Album" in 2001. Preemptive Strike, a compilation of early singles, followed in early 1998. 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 Thom Yorke (of Radiohead), Richard Ashcroft (of The Verve), Mike D (of the Beastie Boys) and others. His next project came in 1999, with the transformation of Solesides into a new label, Quannum Projects. 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.
The documentary films "Dark Days" and "Wisconsin Death Trip" feature music of DJ Shadow while "Scratch" features an interview and more music.
DJ Shadow has also collaborated with fellow artist Cut Chemist. Together they have made two CDs entitled Brainfreeze and Product Placement. These albums fuse jazz, funk, and soul in the framework of a cohesive concept. The second of these (Product Placement) followed a very similar pattern to the first, but using remixes/other versions of the songs in roughly the same order.
In the year 2004, Shadow released his feature length DVD, In Tune and On Time. The DVD features a live performance in London, emphasizing intricate visuals.
In 2005, Shadow released a Deluxe Edition of his first album, Endtroducing.... and a new album, titled "The Outsider" in 2006.
While Shadow's earlier works, especially 'Endtroducing.....', are known for their innovation in genres such as hip-hop, ambient, and trip-hop, his fourth full length album, The Outsider, had several tracks dedicated to Hyphy. This decision has been controversial, leaving many fans feeling alienated. DJ Shadow addressed this point in an August, 2006 interview, in which stated, "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."
Also 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 2007 DJ Shadow was contacted by the Hollywood Bowl to do a show featuring Freeze with Cut Chemist. However, not wanting to repeat old material DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist came up with a whole new routine entitled The Hard Sell. In 2007 and 2008 they went on The Hard Sell tour and were accompanied on stage by two large video screens with visuals created for the tour.
Discography
Solo Albums
* 1996 - Endtroducing.....
* 1998 - Preemptive Strike
* 2000 - Dark Days
* 2002 - The Private Press
* 2003 - The Private Repress (Japanese Remix Album)
* 2004 - In Tune and On Time
* 2005 - Endtroducing... (2xCD Deluxe Edition)
* 2006 - The Outsider
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.1 Best of the KMEL Mixes
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.2 Best of the Remixes and Megamixes (1990-1992)
* 2011 - The Less You Know, the Better
with Q Bert
* 1997 - Camel Bobsled Race (Q-Bert Mega Mix) CD-EP
with UNKLE
* 1998 - Psyence Fiction
with Cut Chemist
* 1999 - Brainfreeze
* 2001 - Product Placement
* 2004 - Product Placement on Tour
* 2005 - Freeze
* 2008 - The Hard Sell
with Dan The Automator
* 1998 - Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars
Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From listening to records i just knew what to do
I mainly tought myself
And, you know, i did pretty well
Except there were a few mistakes
But um, that i made, uh
That i've just recently cleared up
And i'd like to just continue to be able to express myself
As best as i can with this instrument
And i feel like i have a lot of work to do
Still, i'm a student - of the drums
And i'm also a teacher of the drums too
What makes cancer tenatious?
The moon rules the fluids
Including the inner juices of human beings
That which assimilates and feeds the body
So the crab feeds his astral plane
Assimilating and distributing all he receives
Slowly, until it becomes apart of you
I fly to the strangest lands
And i would like to able to continue
To let what is inside of me
Which is, which comes from all the music that i hear
I would like for that to come out
And it's like, it's not really me that's coming
The music's coming through me
The music's coming through me
The first verse of the song “Building Steam With a Grain of Salt” by DJ Shadow begins with the producer reflecting on his journey and passion for music. He reveals that he taught himself how to produce music by listening to records, and despite making a few mistakes, he has cleared them up over time. The producer acknowledges that he still has a lot of work to do and sees himself as both a student and a teacher of the drums. Thus, he wants to express himself in the best way possible and let the music that is within him flow out. He believes that the music is not coming from him, but through him.
The second verse delves into the astrological sign of Cancer and its tenacity. It is said that the moon rules the fluids, including the inner juices of human beings that assimilate and feed the body. Cancer, which is a water sign, is ruled by the moon, and the crab feeds on his astral plane, assimilating and distributing all he receives slowly, until it becomes apart of the individual. The producer is fascinated by this aspect and is constantly seeking to explore strange lands.
Overall, the song's lyrics capture the essence of a musician's journey and their unwavering passion for expressing themselves through music. The producer sees himself as both a student and a teacher, and acknowledges that he still has a lot to learn and explore.
Line by Line Meaning
From listening to records i just knew what to do
By simply listening to music, I learned how to produce and create my own sound.
I mainly tought myself
I am self-taught in music production.
And, you know, i did pretty well
I have been successful in my music production.
Except there were a few mistakes
However, I have made some errors along the way.
But um, that i made, uh
I have corrected those mistakes recently.
And i'd like to just continue to be able to express myself
I wish to continue producing music that reflects who I am.
As best as i can with this instrument
I want to create the best music possible using my production skills as an instrument.
And i feel like i have a lot of work to do
I believe that there is still room for improvement in my music.
Still, i'm a student - of the drums
Although I have learned a lot, I am still a student, especially when it comes to drums.
And i'm also a teacher of the drums too
I have also developed skills in teaching drums to others.
The moon rules the fluids
In astrology, the moon affects human fluids, including those that nourish the body.
Including the inner juices of human beings
The fluids that the moon rules include those within the body, such as blood and digestive juices.
That which assimilates and feeds the body
These fluids nourish and sustain the physical body.
So the crab feeds his astral plane
In astrology, the sign of Cancer (the crab) is associated with nourishing the spiritual body.
Assimilating and distributing all he receives
Cancer assimilates and distributes nourishment to others in the form of emotional support and care.
Slowly, until it becomes a part of you
This nourishment is received gradually and becomes a part of one's emotional makeup.
And i would like to able to continue
I hope to continue producing music.
To let what is inside of me
To allow my inner thoughts and emotions to be expressed through music.
Which is, which comes from all the music that i hear
My music comes from a variety of musical influences that I have heard throughout my life.
I would like for that to come out
I want my music to reflect the different styles and genres that I have been exposed to.
And it's like, it's not really me that's coming
Although I create the music, I feel like it is not just me but also my musical influences that are reflected in it.
The music's coming through me
I feel like the music is created through me rather than solely by me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEREMY STORCH, JOSH DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind