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Dj Shadow has jumped the shark with his new single :(

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shuri

Banned
" I’ve also stopped worrying if my changing taste in music costs me fans; life’s too short to live in anyone’s box, especially if that box is constraining your shine"
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You can now download from djshadow.com the video from his new single, 3 freaks from his new cd due in a month. It's the most stereotype mtv shit I've ever heard. I randomly decided to visit his site to see if there was any new updates, and i see something about a new video. I'm like, WHAT! A NEW VIDEO! HOLY SHIT! THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME

.................... oh my god. What the fuck?

I have never felt so much raped in my entire life. Shadow's music means a lot to me, I've listened to Endtroducing and the Private Press so many times, I loved his work in UNKLE, and now

THIS?! THIS?! THIS FLAVOR OF THE MONTH GARBAGE SHIT WITH SOME GUY SAYING "HELLOOOOO" over and over again?

I understand that he probably realised that his sound wasnt exactly blockbuster material and that he could make much more money by doing regular hiphop.

Or maybe it's just some sort of very expensive april's fool prank

http://www.djshadow.com/videos
 
F

FnordChan

Member
shuri said:
I have never felt so much raped in my entire life.
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Oh, come on. The song was fine, just not what you were expecting. Besides, it's the single, so it's perhaps a bit early to make sweeping judgementsa bout the rest of the album. Hell, even if that is the benchmark for Shadow's new sound I'm still looking forward to it. It sounds like he's having a helluva lot of fun - more power to him.

FnordChan
 
P

pinkatrophe

Member
It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Yeah, the rapping is horrible but as far as the beats go (the only part Shadow is really responsible for) I thought it wasn't too bad as far as that type of hip hop goes.
 
Z

ZootedGranny

Member
Firstly, it's not the official single, and it hasn't even been confirmed that it is anything other than a track he produced for Keak. The song has been out for months with nothing other than a limited run pressing. Regardless, I like the track.

Secondly, his new track he produced for David Banner is absolutely ridiculous, so he hasn't fallen off.

Thirdly, this upcoming album is probably going to be more of a leap from Private Press than Private Press was from Endtroducing. There are going to be more vocal tracks, but from different descriptions of tracks I've read in various articles, the album is still going to be very much Shadow's. When "Monosylabik" was released as the first single for PP, I remember people freaking out that he had changed his style. He'll release his new album, old fans will bitch, and it'll still tear your face off.

Pinkatrophe...Matthew Barney fan?
 
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pinkatrophe

Member
Great icon, ZootedGranny.

And nope, not really. I actually haven't seen any of his films but from what I've read and seen of clips and trailers from them, I'd love to. I just love his visual style.

I don't mind if his next album is a major leap from private press because, in my opinion, private press was a huge leap from endtroducing. It really took me some time to start enjoying it.

I don't really mind what he does so long as he doesn't start believing that experimentation can yield no problems. I remember how underwhelming RJD2s Since We Last Spoke album was, not necessarily because of experimentation, but because none of the tracks were good. One Kid 606 quote that always sticks with me is something along the lines of "People need to realize that most experiments are failures."

As long as doesn't take the whole "synths out the ass" route that seems to occur with electronic musicians who previously weren't like that (goldfrapp immediately comes to mind) I'm sure it'll be fine.
 
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ZootedGranny

Member
Here's one of the articles I mentioned, describing the sound we'll hear from Shadow's album:

http://remixmag.com/transmissions/dj-shadow-010506/

Whereas his previous albums were masterful sample collages with few vocals, his new album (title TBA) is almost an about-face. "I don't have any technical limitations on myself, so there are tracks with no samples, tracks with all samples, tracks with a mixture," he says.
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Talking about one track:

"There’s a combination of synthesizers, samples, live instrumentation, vocals," Shadow says. "The few people who I’ve played it for are like, 'Wow … it sounds so real.' It sounds stupid to say, but it's fun for me to come from such a humble start to … the kind of production I couldn't have thought about doing even, like, two years ago."
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G

Geek

Ninny Prancer
While the song eats dick, I'm just glad these guys finally had a venue to show off their oversized necklaces and car rental. Still looking forward to the album regardless.

BELIEVE
 
D

deadhorse32

Bad Art ™
David Banner : Seeing Thangs

http://s44.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3OGWWH2A2LZ7X284BDHPMS8B2C

4da0080fd8afa5fd470f594a6955e5dd.jpg


HELLO SHURI !!!
 
F

Flynn

Member
I like the banner track much better than the first one. I think you have to consider that with both of these tracks Shadow is working in the mainstream hip-hop genre. It's not like the Quannum stuff, where he's playing to heads. Listeners of both of these guys have certain expectations and I think Shadow plays to them while adding his own touches. Not my cup of tea, but I don't deny him his right to use his cache to make a buck as a producer.
 
D

deadhorse32

Bad Art ™
Or maybe he want to change his style and do something else. Doing the same stuff again and again for your fanbase is no fun. Right now the result are not very good. But let's give him the benefit of the doubt.
 
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pinkatrophe

Member
Yeah, I can tell that both of these tracks belong to more mainstream hip hop, but I felt that Banner's track was such drivel. I've heard some great beats on mainstream hip hop tracks, and I actually think the first track posted actually had a good beat, but the one for Banner felt sub-par to that.
 
F

Flynn

Member
pinkatrophe said:
Yeah, I can tell that both of these tracks belong to more mainstream hip hop, but I felt that Banner's track was such drivel. I've heard some great beats on mainstream hip hop tracks, and I actually think the first track posted actually had a good beat, but the one for Banner felt sub-par to that.
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You and I can tell a good beat, but perhaps Banner's judgment isn't quite the same.
 
S

shuri

Banned
This is the man that made a track called 'Why hiphop sucks in 1996', and 10 years later he makes a video with dancing chicks in bikinis and cars and NoooOO

*cries*
 
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pinkatrophe

Member
swoon said:
that banner song is better than most of private press, really.
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Mashin' on the Motorway and Six Days easily trumps that David Banner song 10 times over.

I've heard less reputable mainstream artists that have songs with better beats than that David Banner song, even.
 
S

swoon

Member
mashing on the motorway is easily the worst song either shadow or lateef has ever done. it has all the charm and wit of one of those embaressing love songs quannum loves to put out.

i don't really think shadow understands work with someone with a voice like banner's, but the beat itself is quite good and a step up from what he has been doing. though i agree it's not the best mainstream rap beat i've heard, or even better than what banner does himself.
 
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pinkatrophe

Member
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Personally, I found the beat embarassingly boring and uninspiring. If his goal was to assimilate all of the mediocrity and homogeneity of a lot main stream hip hop songs out there, then he definitely succeeded with that track.
 
S

Scrow

Still Tagged Accordingly
pinkatrophe said:
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Personally, I found the beat embarassingly boring and uninspiring. If his goal was to assimilate all of the mediocrity and homogeneity of a lot main stream hip hop songs out there, then he definitely succeeded with that track.
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couldn't have said it better myself
 
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pinkatrophe

Member
phonte said:
thsi is why most underground artists hate their fans.

today's fan is tomorrow's rap critic.
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People don't care about styles changing. Several "underground" musicians, not necessarily in hop hop even, have changed styles and still managed to retain their fan base.

What people don't like is bad music. If people listen to DJ Shadow because they like the fact that his beats are innovative, eclectic, and unique and he turns around to become the antithesis of that, single handedly undermining everything he created up to this point, isn't it expected to be critical of that? It's like saying it would be wrong to criticize Nas if he adopted 50 cent's style.

The Black Eyed Peas come to mind...
 
Z

ZootedGranny

Member
New Shadow news:

What's up everybody. The album's done. It's being mastered next week. In fact I'm presenting it to my label this friday in London. If anybody is in the area and wants to hear a few tunes, stop by Island Records, 364-366 High St. Kensington, London W14 around 3:30pm, give or take. Maybe I'll bring a portable CD player or something. We'll figure it out.

There's been a lot of speculation as to the vibe of the new album. Some have predicted that the whole album is in the hyphy vein like 3 Freaks. To those people I say: RELAX YOUR BACK, YOU'VE ONLY HEARD ONE SONG. The album is very diverse, and reflects the fact that I don't fit comfortably in any one genre. My critics see that as a problem, but I don't...it's simply the way things are. I've never really fit into any one clique. That's why the album is called The Outsider.

In some ways it's a risky record. It's going to turn some people off. And I think I'll lose some fans. On the other hand, I know I'll gain some new ones. That's a fair trade in my mind. Besides I can't see playing it safe at this point in my life.

There's songs with samples and songs with no samples. There's very dark stuff and very light stuff. Fast and slow. Simple and complicated. And there's songs on this album that I think blow away almost anything else I've ever done, so...we'll see. I think song for song it's the best album I've ever made. One thing's for sure...it's going to make it very difficult for people to imitate my sound.

Anyway I wanted to hit everyone with an update since it had been so long. As you can see from the tour dates, I'll probably have a chance to hook up with a lot of you out on the road. And there's more to come. Thanks for reading this and hanging in there for me.
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Obviously, I was wrong, as 3 Freaks is a song on his album.

Regardless, I can't wait to hear it.
 
S

shuri

Banned
In some ways it's a risky record. It's going to turn some people off. And I think I'll lose some fans. On the other hand, I know I'll gain some new ones. That's a fair trade in my mind. Besides I can't see playing it safe at this point in my life.
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Ok so most of the album sounds like 3 freaks. I guess he has to feed his kids. Last time I heard an artist saying the same exact thing, it was The Prodigy (that uk band) when they came up with their new cd. It sold 14 000 copies in the USA compared to the 5+ millions of the Fat of the Land.

edit: i'm not comparing them, since they arent in the same style of music or even in the same spectrum, but eh

:(
 
E

elektrotal

Member
Shadow is one of those guys i'm just going to support regardless of what he puts out, simply because i've gotten so much pleasure out of his body of work to date, and his live sets are fucking amazing. glad to hear there's a new album coming, as the last shadow track i heard was the Keane remix, and that was fucking great.
 
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