DJ Shadow

genre: electronic
artist: DJ Shadow
album: The DJ Shadow Remix Project
featured tracks: Mongrel Meets His Maker (Sonotech Mix); Walkie Talkie (Irn Mnky "Beat Down" Mix)
street date: July 2010
label: self-released

This week's featured electronic artist is another one we (northern) Californian's can proudly lay bragging rights to.

What started as a simple remix contest morphed into a full-blown remix project that DJ Shadow loves "more than [he] ever dreamed [he] would." It's rare to find a fresh take on a classic that is well received by both the audience and the original artist, but whatever special sauce this collection of DJs is hiding up their sleeves has certainly wowed everyone.

Shadow says "new life has been breathed into songs I had long-since resigned to the past, and made them fresh again...you WILL hear these mixes in future shows, and that's the strongest endorsement I can give as a DJ."

One random fun fact before we get into the actual remixes: this album alone demonstrates the brilliance and breadth of DJ Shadow's influence. Why, you ask? Each track represents an artist in another country who has been inspired by Shadow. In the first three tracks, we go to France, the US, and the UK. By the end, we've also been to Italy, Canada, Venezuela... and then some. So you basically get a CD of awesome remixes, as well as an around the world ticket. Sweet.

Mongrel Meets His Maker: the riff in the original version of this track has slight undertones of Tool and A Perfect Circle. Sonotech has kept that element of the song but added a world of complexity by layering additional treble and bass elements to create a deep, rich sound.

The original version of Walkie Talkie definitely straddles the line between hip hop, electronic, and alternative rock (okay, so I guess it's more of a circle than a straight line... or something). Irn Mnky's cut nudges the track more towards the hip-hop/electronic line, but still manages to maintain that gritty alternative rock vibe.

In summary: Fresh for '88, suckas? How about fresh for 2010.


Show some LOVE. stream now.