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
Strike Two
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wait!
Exactly, is what I'm saying...
You got the power up to ten and what?
And, and, you can't keep it there...
Yeah, ok, the power is up to ten, but eventually you're gonna play a record that's quiet, alright?
Ohh, ohh
And then what happens?
Then, then you just get...
The lyrics to DJ Shadow's song "Strike 2" are a conversation between DJ Shadow and an unidentified speaker. The singer is curious about what Shadow means when he talks about having power up to ten. Shadow responds that this refers to the power of the music, and that while it may be cranked up to a ten, it can't stay there indefinitely. The singer then points out that at some point, Shadow will need to play a quiet record, and asks what will happen then. Shadow trails off, seemingly at a loss for words.
The conversation in the lyrics is reflective of the broader themes of the song, which deal with the concept of power and how it can be fleeting or elusive. Shadow is acknowledging that he has power as a DJ, but also recognizes that this power can't be sustained indefinitely. He is also expressing an awareness that he is at the mercy of the music he plays, and that sometimes the music itself will dictate the direction of his set.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of humility and a willingness to acknowledge the limitations of power, even within the context of a highly charged, high-energy performance.
Line by Line Meaning
So Shadow, tell me what you mean...
The singer is asking DJ Shadow to explain the meaning behind his upcoming song.
Wait!
The singer interrupts DJ Shadow's response.
Exactly, is what I'm saying...
The singer wants DJ Shadow to be precise and clear in his explanation.
You got the power up to ten and what?
The artist is referring to the volume or intensity of the music and asking what comes next.
And, and, you can't keep it there...
The artist is acknowledging that the power level can't remain at its max indefinitely.
Yeah, ok, the power is up to ten, but eventually you're gonna play a record that's quiet, alright?
The singer is agreeing with DJ Shadow that the power can be turned up, but eventually a quieter song will need to be played.
Ohh, ohh
An expression of realization or understanding.
And then what happens?
The artist is curious about what will occur after the volume is reduced.
Well that's um...
DJ Shadow pauses to think before responding.
Then, then you just get...
DJ Shadow starts to explain what happens next but is cut off by the end of the song or the track.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSH PAUL DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind