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
Rosie
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Hey-ya-hey-ya!
Hold on down!
Hey-ya-hey-ya!
Oh, Rosie, hold on down!
I seen-I-I seen the
I seen-I-I-I seen the
I seen-I-I seen the
I seen-I-I-I-Ro- seen the
Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
Hey-ya
The song βRosieβ by DJ Shadow is a dreamy and nostalgic track that seems to be about a person who the singer sees only in their dreams - Rosie. The opening lines, βI see the Rosie in my midnight dreams / Oh Lord, my midnight dreamsβ convey the idea of a recurring dream that the singer has of Rosie, a figure that haunts their subconscious. Despite the repetition of the same lyrics throughout the song, the melody and rhythm change, adding layers of depth to the music. The chorus, with its upbeat βHey-ya-hey-ya!β and βHold on down!β suggests a sense of urgency to hold on to the memory of Rosie and keep her alive in the singer's mind. The repetition of the lyrics might represent a desire to hold on to something that is fleeting and ephemeral, much like the image of Rosie in their dreams.
Throughout the song, DJ Shadow mixes elements of different genres such as rock, pop, and electronic to create a unique and dreamy sound. The utilization of samples and electronic instruments reinforce the idea that this is an imagined reality. The concept of nostalgia is also portrayed through the lyrics and music, as if the singer is reminiscing about a past love or friendship. Overall, the song βRosieβ is a dreamlike experience that conveys the importance of holding on to memories and our subconscious.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the Rosie in my midnight dreams
The singer sees an imaginary figure named Rosie in their dreams that only occur during the middle of the night.
Oh Lord, my midnight dreams
An expression of desperation and yearning for something that only appears in the singer's dreams during the darkest part of the night.
Oh! Rosie! (Hey-ya-hey-ya!)
An exclamation to call out to the imaginary figure named Rosie that the singer sees in their dreams.
Oh! Rosie! (Hold on down!)
A comforting and reassuring message to Rosie to stay put and not disappear from the artist's dreams.
Hey-ya-hey-ya!
A chant to summon and connect with the imaginary figure named Rosie that appears in the artist's dreams.
I seen-I-I seen the
A grammatical error emphasizing the singer's urgency and excitement to convey their experience of seeing Rosie in their dreams.
I seen-I-I-I seen the
A repetition of the grammatical error to intensify and emphasize the singer's message of seeing Rosie in their dreams.
I seen-I-I seen the
A final confirmation of the artist's experience of seeing Rosie in their dreams.
Oh, Rosie, hold on down!
A plea to the imaginary figure named Rosie to stay present in the artist's dreams and not disappear like other dreams do.
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Joshua Paul Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bradend7255
greatest song on mushrooms i listened for an hour
@Clouds12012
Thank you Mass Appeal for taking good care of DJ SHADOW one of the greatest DJs to ever produce and make music
@stormyd7574
Shadow holds the key to unlock your most inner music fantasy and takes it beyond our universe
@ronnieedmondson1345
He knows how to work a sample. Goes in many a direction, totally wild !
@nonamer29
This feels like a summary of the different sounds that Shadow has blessed us with over the years, & what's to come next from him. The beat at 2:41 on down sounds is very different from we're used to from him. It's very Dilla/Flying Lotus inspired & I love it.
@Ulf2601
He's using that beat perfectly
This single is really perfect
@alwaysonhiatus
Yβall trippin FlyLo sounds like Shadow.
@nonamer29
@on.hiatus While I respect the opinion..... I don't agree with it.
@ferchoandres
Funny you say that: I thought the same exact same thing, and Shadow actually explains in an interview that it was his intention. He actually made this song at the last minute and the label loved it enough to make it the lead single. πͺπΌ
@DaftPunkIsDaFunk
A phenomenal track, everything about it ,πππ₯π₯