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
Outsider Intro
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There emerges a need for man to comprehend his own bitter fate
Finally resigned to the inevitable beyond, he searches the ages
Desperate for stories of assurance, redemption and hope
Such tales fill page upon page with enough ink
To flood a thousand valleys, and drown the tallest tree
But there is one tale that as yet been told
Desolate and baron, humanities at a crossroads
The people have retreated shuttering their once carefree lives
From unseen enemies which seem to plague not only the physical form
But the innermost thought
Driven by panic, compelled by dread
The masses begin to devolve
Once dear neighbours turn wary foes
Brother against brother, sister against sister
Achievement and ambition are dismissed
As heretical, or worse, treasonous
Even nature itself is scorned
Choked with suspicion and fear
Voices do not dare to sing
Nor fingers to play
Imminent defeat is all but assured
But in the darkest hour
Whispers begin to tell of a figure emerging from the darkness
A being without a name, faceless and obscure
Part presence, part idea they say
As if the very force they describe has existed for eons
A dormant seed awaiting nourishment
Word of radical acts...
Disobedience, non-compliance spread among the people
At first fearful, then defiant, as the legend grows
Whispers turned to cries and the cries into screams
And tend to cower no more the fury of the people
Whose talent behold as they exact revenge on their captors
Spare neither the repentant nor the bold
Now the fire is lit, smouldering in the belly of humanity
It cannot be extinguished, for the stories The Outsider endure
Even as evidence of its presence is debated with the passing years
Messages, dictations, warnings
Stories, such as these...
The intro to DJ Shadow's song "Outsider" speaks of a time of desperation, where humanity is facing its own bitter fate. In the face of an unknown enemy, people have retreated, becoming suspicious and fearful of one another. Nature itself is scorned as voices do not dare to sing and fingers do not dare to play. In this dark hour, whispers begin to circulate of a being without a name, a faceless and obscure entity that has existed for eons, waiting to emerge.
As whispers turn to cries and cries turn into screams, the fury of the people is unleashed as they become more and more defiant. Messages of radical acts spread among the people as they exact revenge on their captors, sparing neither the repentant nor the bold. The fire of rebellion has been lit and cannot be extinguished, for the stories of The Outsider endure.
The lyrics of "Outsider" are a commentary on the human condition, specifically on times of crisis and upheaval. It speaks of humanity's need to find stories to give them hope and assurance, and the power of rebellion in the face of oppression. The Outsider symbolizes a force beyond our understanding, an enigmatic entity that arises in times of great need, bringing with it the potential for change and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
In the twilight of a time
At the end of a historical era,
There emerges a need for man to comprehend his own bitter fate
People seek to understand the challenges they face,
Finally resigned to the inevitable beyond, he searches the ages
People look to history for assurance in the face of their fate,
Desperate for stories of assurance, redemption and hope
People seek narratives that offer hope and meaning amidst difficult circumstances,
Such tales fill page upon page with enough ink
Countless stories offer such hope and meaning,
To flood a thousand valleys, and drown the tallest tree
The proliferation of these stories is immense and all-encompassing,
But there is one tale that as yet been told
Despite this, there is still a story left untold,
The story of... The Outsider
The untold story is that of the Outsider,
Desolate and baron, humanities at a crossroads
Humanity is facing difficult challenges and is uncertain about the future,
The people have retreated shuttering their once carefree lives
People are afraid to live freely and have withdrawn from society,
From unseen enemies which seem to plague not only the physical form
People are facing threats that cannot be seen or touched,
But the innermost thought
These threats are affecting people at a deeply personal level,
Driven by panic, compelled by dread
People are consumed by fear and anxiety,
The masses begin to devolve
People are regressing and turning against each other,
Once dear neighbours turn wary foes
People who were once friends are now suspicious of each other,
Brother against brother, sister against sister
Even families are divided and distrustful,
Achievement and ambition are dismissed
People have abandoned their aspirations in the face of fear,
As heretical, or worse, treasonous
Pursuing goals is seen as dangerous and disloyal to the community,
Even nature itself is scorned
People have turned against the natural world and see it as a threat,
Choked with suspicion and fear
People are suffocating in a climate of distrust and anxiety,
Voices do not dare to sing
People are afraid to express themselves and their opinions,
Nor fingers to play
People are afraid to engage in creative activities,
Imminent defeat is all but assured
The situation seems hopeless and defeat is expected,
But in the darkest hour
Even in the bleakest of circumstances,
Whispers begin to tell of a figure emerging from the darkness
Rumors spread about a mysterious figure that is coming to save them,
A being without a name, faceless and obscure
This figure is unknown and shrouded in mystery,
Part presence, part idea they say
This figure is a combination of a tangible force and an abstract concept,
As if the very force they describe has existed for eons
This figure seems to embody a timeless and universal force,
A dormant seed awaiting nourishment
This figure has always existed, but has been waiting for the right circumstances to emerge,
Word of radical acts... Disobedience, non-compliance spread among the people
Stories of rebellion and resistance begin to circulate among the people,
At first fearful, then defiant, as the legend grows
People are initially afraid, but eventually become emboldened by the story of this figure,
Whispers turned to cries and the cries into screams
People become more vocal and passionate about the idea of resistance,
And tend to cower no more the fury of the people
Those in power are no longer able to suppress the voices of the people,
Whose talent behold as they exact revenge on their captors
The people use their skills and abilities to take revenge on those who have oppressed them,
Spare neither the repentant nor the bold
The people do not discriminate when it comes to punishing their oppressors,
Now the fire is lit, smouldering in the belly of humanity
A spark of rebellion has ignited within humanity and is growing stronger,
It cannot be extinguished, for the stories The Outsider endure
The legend of the Outsider is so powerful that it cannot be suppressed or eradicated,
Even as evidence of its presence is debated with the passing years
Although some may doubt the existence of the Outsider, its impact on humanity is undeniable,
Messages, dictations, warnings
The story of the Outsider is a message of hope and resistance,
Stories, such as these...
This story is just one of many that offer hope and inspire change in difficult times,
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSH PAUL DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind