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
Fixed Income
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But also not
You, are going to rock and roll
And you can hardly wait for the music to begin
When it happens, you will become a part of that music.
You are there, you are going on a musical trip.
The highest, happiest trip that you've ever been on.
Loosen your seatbelts, let's rock and roll
Roll, roll, roll, roll
Roll, roll, roll, roll
Roll, roll, roll, roll
Roll, roll, roll, roll
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
And I would like to be able to continue to...
Let what is inside of me
Which is, which comes from all the music that I hear
You know, I would like for that to come out
And it's not like, it's not really me that's coming
The music's coming through me
Coming out strong!
Presenting to you...
The mayor's Very own
I'd like to just continue to be able to...
Express myself, as best as I can with this instrument
I feel like I have a lot of work to do. Still, ya know
I'm a student, of the drums
And I'm also a teacher of the drums too
The dynamic, the soul
Coming out strong!
Keep on rock, rock, rock
Keep on rockin'
Ke, ke, ke, keep on rockin'
You, N, you N K, L
Keep on
U N, U N K, L
Keep on
L
L
E
Rockin'
U N K L
U N K, U N K, U N K
L, L
E
It's the awesome eternal UNKLE word
Science, fiction
Keep on
Keep keep on rockin
Keep keep in keep keep keep in keep keep on keep keep in keep on
Keep on keep keep keep on rockin
Keep on you keep on N keep on K keep on L keep on E
Keep on rockin E
You (U-N) N (L-L-L) K-L-E
It is dark
But also not
The middle ground between light and shadow
In a few moments, you will have an experience which will seem completely real
It will be the result of your subconscious fears transformed to your conscious awareness
You have five seconds to terminate this tape
Five, four, three, two, one
The lyrics to DJ Shadow's song Fixed Income begin with the line "it is dark, but also not." This paradoxical statement establishes the mood of the song, which oscillates between light and dark, excitement and apprehension. The next lines describe the feeling of anticipation one gets before a musical performance, "you are going to rock and roll and you can hardly wait for the music to begin." The song then invites the listener on a musical journey: "when it happens, you will become a part of that music. You are there, you are going on a musical trip. The highest, happiest trip that you've ever been on. Enjoy it, and get into it."
The lyrics then transition to a spoken word sample, which appears to be taken from a radio interview with a drummer. The singer expresses a desire to "just continue to be able to express myself, as best as I can with this instrument." This sentiment reflects the theme of artistic expression that permeates the song. The drumming itself is described as "the dynamic, the soul," and the lyrics encourage the listener to "keep on rockin'."
Line by Line Meaning
It is dark
The atmosphere is ominous and foreboding.
But also not
There is a sense of uncertainty and duality.
You, are going to rock and roll
The listener is about to embark on a musical journey.
And you can hardly wait for the music to begin
The anticipation for the music is palpable.
When it happens, you will become a part of that music.
The music will consume and transport the listener.
You are there, you are going on a musical trip.
The listener is fully immersed in the music.
The highest, happiest trip that you've ever been on.
The experience of the music is euphoric and unparalleled.
Enjoy it, and get into it
Fully embrace and engage in the music.
Loosen your seatbelts, let's rock and roll
Prepare for an exciting and exhilarating ride.
Roll, roll, roll, roll
Repetition of the word 'roll' to create a rhythmic effect.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
A polite greeting to the audience.
And I would like to be able to continue to...
The artist desires to express themselves through their music.
Let what is inside of me
The artist wants to showcase their innermost feelings and emotions.
Which is, which comes from all the music that I hear
The artist's inspiration and creativity is derived from different styles of music.
You know, I would like for that to come out
The artist desires to express themselves freely and authentically.
And it's not like, it's not really me that's coming
The artist believes that their music is a product of higher inspiration.
The music's coming through me
The artist feels like a conduit for the music.
Coming out strong!
An expression of confidence in the artist's abilities.
Presenting to you...
An announcement of the artist's arrival or performance.
The mayor's Very own
An introduction of the artist, possibly referencing their uniqueness or importance.
I'd like to just continue to be able to...
The artist desires to consistently express themselves through music.
Express myself, as best as I can with this instrument
The artist seeks to convey themselves through their chosen musical medium.
I feel like I have a lot of work to do. Still, ya know
The artist is humble and acknowledges their need for growth and improvement.
I'm a student, of the drums
The artist is always learning and refining their craft as a drummer.
And I'm also a teacher of the drums too
The artist has the ability to pass on their knowledge and skills to others.
The dynamic, the soul
Focus on the emotional and musical components of the artist's work.
Keep on rock, rock, rock
Encouragement to continue enjoying and engaging in the music.
It's the awesome eternal UNKLE word
Possibly a reference to the artist's style or ethos.
Science, fiction
Unclear meaning, potentially referencing themes of technology, fantasy and imagination.
Keep on
Continuation of the previous lyrical motif.
Keep keep on rockin'
Reinforcement of the enjoyment and engagement in the music.
Keep keep in keep keep keep in keep keep on keep keep in keep on
Repetition of the word 'keep' to create a rhythmic and hypnotic effect.
Keep on keep keep keep on rockin'
Further reinforcement of the enjoyment and engagement in the music.
Keep on you keep on N keep on K keep on L keep on E
Unclear meaning, potentially a play on words or a reference to individuals in the audience.
Keep on rockin' E
Final encouragement to continue enjoying and engaging in the music.
You (U-N) N (L-L-L) K-L-E
Unclear meaning, potentially a reference to people or a call and response element.
The middle ground between light and shadow
A poetic reference to the ambiguous and uncertain nature of existence.
In a few moments, you will have an experience which will seem completely real
The upcoming music will feel immersive and authentic to the listener.
It will be the result of your subconscious fears transformed to your conscious awareness
The emotional impact of the music may evoke hidden or intense feelings within the listener.
You have five seconds to terminate this tape
A reference to the era of mixtapes and the idea of being able to end a recording at will.
Five, four, three, two, one
A countdown that serves as a conclusion to the song.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSH PAUL DAVIS, STEVEN L. CATALDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dave metzler
This song reminds me of going back to my car after working a full day at the electric company. It’s the part where I am trying to walk safely to the shady parking lot we shared with the casino.
Elidoransgar
I used to think he said, "It's dark: doors are locked." So this song always gave me a mental image of two guys on a balcony in the middle of the night, about to break into a fancy fifth-floor apartment in a nice part of Paris. And now, that's my head-canon. It's the theme from a spy movie.
Vic Perry
yes yes it's that harpsichord part that most of all gives it that spy movie thing, my favorite thing about the best dj shadow stuff is the way that these obsolete sounds get new jobs
Michele Canham Free
@Graeme Williams right!? So cool
Graeme Williams
Very cool.
Michele Canham Free
@Elidoransgar And now you just returned the favor. Thanks for that. About to take a little saunter. Have a beautiful evening, friend.
Elidoransgar
@Michele Canham Free Thank you. You made me smile. Even youtube can be wholesome now and then. Have an excellent evening.
Janice Sunseri
The pacing in this song is perfect.
Al
Shazamed it while watching Top Boy. Love this
Cameron Phillips
Now this might be a stretch but does anybody else remember this from the Logic #11 video? Old skateboarding VHS tapes were always full of dope tracks.