Customer Reviews

Private Press

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is incredibly difficult to release a second full-length album and have it make a strong, positive impression after one's debut release is considered a classic innovation. That is exactly what DJ Shadow is facing with the release of The Private Press. His debut release, Endtroducing..., created a genre. It was based in hip-hop, yet dark and philosophical. Endtroducing... scared people because it seemed like many of the records were specters trying to whisper something in your ear. Call it "cinematic hip-hop" or "ominous turntablism;" there was an incredible rawness to it. Edges weren't smoothed out. Sometimes this was intended, and other times it was a result of the artist jumping headstrong into his first major release. The Private Press will not break ground like Endtroducing... did, but it showcases an older, more versatile Shadow, and in many ways it is a better record.

DJ Shadow's style often unfolds like cinema, with many sweeping scenes that ultimately fit together. This causes several tracks to go well over the seven minute mark. These arresting, epic tracks stand out for their originality and amazing production quality. "Monosylabik" is a track that Shadow himself admitted will be hard for many of his fans to grasp, because it is so different from past work. There is a cold, mechanic quality to the different samples that fly at the listener in rapid, dizzying succession. "Monosylabik" is actually made up of several different sections with dissimilar colors; however, they are linked into a congruous whole by the rhythmic cadence that is present in the melody of each part. Even though the song is somewhat segmented, it works well together as a piece of music.

"Blood on the Motorway" has a mystical feel, and, like other songs in his catalog, it shows Shadow's interest in the afterlife as a theme. Envision the journey that might originate from the time a heart stops beating until a bright light of some sort is encountered, and that's where this epic travels. A three-second silence is boldly placed mid-track, separating the instrumental section from the entrance of the vocal. This increases tension to captivate the listener, while adding to the narrative aspect of the track.

Even though he has one of the largest and most varied record collections in the US, Shadow likes to use primarily newly purchased records to construct each of his releases. Since 99% of his music is sample-dependant, whatever genre predominates local record stores at the time tends to define the album's sound. On The Private Press, that sound is heavy in new wave and '80s rock. "Right Thing" and "You Can't go Home Again" are two tracks on which the "me decade" comes through full force. "You Can't Go Home Again" is the most impressive track on the disc, because it is the first lengthy song that does not bog itself down. Several dramatic changes are not necessary to hold interest in the song, and the upbeat, Devo-style bassline commits the track to memory. "You Can't Go Home Again" is evidence that Shadow has matured, as it makes a strong statement ("here's a story about being free") without having to rely on dark timbres or flailing drum lines to drive the point home.

So, does Shadow play hip-hop, or is it merely an influence of his? Many feel that DJ Shadow does not fit into the traditional hip-hop niche well enough to be classified as part of the genre. Some want to make Shadow a turntablist, while others claim he doesn't scratch or trick enough for this distinction and want to place him in a trip-hop category. As The Private Press continues to show, Shadow is trying to innovate and expand the hip-hop horizon. He recently described his record making process to Jockey Slut Magazine, "To me, it's about manifesting my original understanding of hip-hop, which was taking what's around you, subverting it and spitting it back out through a hip-hop paradigm." RZA continues to dip into the Portishead fountain for Wu-Tang samples, and Madlib uses any bizarre sound/audio filter combination that his spliffed out mind can come up with, and this question does not arise with either of them. The hip-hop community should not be asking "Does this fit in?" Instead, it should be embracing releases like The Private Press as an elevation and continuation of the paradigm that Shadow talks about.

There will never be another Endtroducing..., but Shadow has added new shades to his musical palette. He no longer relies on stock tactics such as dry, aggressive snare drums and dark strings to carry many of his songs. There is more sonic variety from track to track, and Shadow has proven he can make upbeat, even danceable, records. Every detail of the release is placed to further the narrative, and the tracks flow well together in the style of a classic rock LP. DJ Shadow can't create a brand new sound with every release. With The Private Press, however, he's shown he can continue to fuse his varied influences to explore the many uncharted territories of hip-hop.

Will Monroe
Junkmedia.org Review

Josh Davis aka DJ Shadow is a pastiche turntablist. His m.o. on the groundbreaking Endtroducing... was the breakbeat suite, mini-symphonies culled from pieces of thousands of slabs of vinyl. He was as meticulous as an animator hand-painting each cell. It paid off. Not only was Endtroducing... groundbreaking in the underground, it was a (relative) commercial success. In the six years since its release, no other DJ or turntablist collective has come close to Shadow's genius. Though The Private Press is a more accessible work they still - to sample that old hack MC Hammer - can't touch this. Davis loves arcana. He opens and closes The Private Press with a recorded spoken letter, over cocktail jazz, from a California family to a friend, and these homey bookends indicate Shadow's new warmth. On the first record, he was showing off (he had a right). On The Private Press, his aim is to communicate as directly and unfettered as possible. The song titles aren't grand metaphors, like Endtroducing...'s "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt", but literal: "Fixed Income", "Six Days", "Blood On the Motorway", "You Can't Go Home Again". His cribbed vocal samples express basic desires, joys, and fears which the music takes to poetic extremes. On The Private Press, DJ Shadow says more with beats, with incisive edits, than most lyricists who split open a vein and bleed on the page.

I picked up "Endtroducing" back in '96, when it first came out, and it quickly became one of my favorite albums. It's been a long wait for a new album ("Preemptive Strike" being mostly older material), and I wasn't sure if it would be able to live up to Shadow's debut album. Fortunately, "Private Press" didn't let me down. It manages to both avoid sounding too much like it's predecessor (like Moby's disappointing "18"), while not venturing too far from what made "Endtroducing" one of my personal favs. One change here is that a few tracks are more traditionally song-based, some with vocals running throughout. But unlike similar attempts on "Psyence Fiction" and some Solesides/Quannum projects, these manage to retain the feel of a DJ Shadow track, while adding something new (6 Days, Mashin' on the Motorway). There's still plenty of classic Shadow epics in here too (Giving Up The Ghost, Blood on the Motorway). All in all, a very satisfying return for DJ Shadow. Hopefully it won't be 6 more years until the next album, but if that's how long it takes to make an album of this quality, I don't mind waiting.

I'm a big fan of Endtroducing. It a classic for electronic, jazz and soul music out there. I've just picked up Private Press a few hours ago and i'm currently writing this review under a "first spin" perspective. First impressions are...

1) Definitly still has the "Shadow Theme" that means listening to it I can still pick up all the Shadow signiture. Piano and spoken work bits are still visible. Rustic vinly sound still prominant in some songs. However, the sound feels more refined compared to Endtroducing. The songs sounds more "processed". I don't think this is a bad element. Its just a different side of the Shadow's artistic skills.

2) It's not as dark as Endtroducing.

3) Shadow's "epic" song structures are still intact.

4) Feels less cohesive. Not a bad thing ! Private Press unlike Endtroducing is more diverse in its soundscape. Endtroducing had one theme running through teh album where as Private Press is more diverse in themes. But don't get me wrong it's still a cohesive album just more diverse in sounds compared to Endtroducing.

5) The latter part of the album exhibits a slight 80s groove. However altered to sound fresh.

conclusion: Great Album... I can already tell that the second spin should reveal even more intresting tidbits on this album. The album definitly sound like the Shadow. It still has the structure of Endtroducing but refined to open a whole new soundscape for the Shadow

I was anticipating today (first day album was out) but honestly the only reason I got the album today was because I knew it would sell out fast and I didn't feel like waiting a week for a new shipment or whatever.
So I'm opening the CD, ready to place it in my car CD changer before running some errands.
"Pffft!....been 72 years since your last album, let's see what you got Mr. Shadow....."

Halfway through the disc I realize, whispering to myself "...oh..."

When I first heard Entroducing it was on the recommendation of some gangsta rap reviewer in the Solano Community College newspaper. I mainly listened to hardcore/metal/punk at the time and was seeking something new. So I decided to get the vinyl of "Midnight in a Perfect World". As all DJ Shadow fans know, the world changed a lot since Endtroducing came out (partially because of that album). I honestly sort of forgot about DJ Shadow, expecting an album to come out someday, but not chewing my nails waiting.

Now for the new album:

As I mentioned above I went to run some errands while giving the disc a listen...after a few songs I realized that I need not stop driving until the album was over (actually I drove around until I got through it about 2 times). DJ Shadow did it again. There lies a disc of soundtracks, waiting for stories. Track 12 (Blood on the Motorway I think) almost moves me to tears. It's such a great song as I thought it was going to end without a beat...but like a great piece of cinema it gives us the frosting, the catch, the Sixth Sense ending. What a great piece of art.

I've never been moved to write such a long review, but DJ Shadow is kinda like an old friend (although I don't know him) and listening to this album comforts. Not all musicians are artists...and in fact this man is the otherway around. I will remember this summer day driving around Monterey Bay experiencing what will no doubt be the soundtrack of my next couple of years, much like Endtroducing (and Preemptive Strike).

PS: there were a lot of people cruising around in the tight rides today, bumping phat beats, etc. I just wanted to grab them and punch them in the face (not literally of course). They don't have any idea what's going on, they don't know about Private Press. (Especially people that were playing Moby...)

Dj Shadow is in my honest opinion one of the most overlooked artists in music today. Threading the thin line between commercial and underground, and finding his niche somewhere in between (as UNKLE says, the middle ground between light and shadow) DJ Shadow continues to impress with every release he puts forth. I was fortunate enough to pick this album up right after its release, and actually purchased it before I bought Endtroducing, which is by far DJ Shadow's best album, and one of the best albums ever made. By sampling elements from just about anywhere Shadow combines elements from our pop culture to create mini-movies of his songs which few artists can touch in terms of sheer production value, and the emotional effect that is created while listening to his music. I am actually glad I bought this album before Endtroducing as it has given me the time to truly appreciate this album for what it is; a work of art, and a continual growing of Shadow's talents. Had I bought Endtroducing before this and writtwn a review I'm sure I would have garnered it with a 4 star review, but that is simply not the case here. While Endtroducing is always going to be leaques above and beyond this album, Josh Davis has found a way here to go above and beyond what should be expected of an album, and given us an album that I'm sure years from now I will still find elements in it that will grow even more on me with time. Best enjoyed while driving or relaxing at home (possibly with a little mary in tow, if you know what I mean), the songs fluctuate with peaks and valleys of highs and lows, and the beats are flawless, especially when compared to a lot of the mainstream garbage that is put out in the record industry on a regular basis. See the thing is that Shadow bases his music upon how he feels, and artists that do this correctly achieve an emotional reaction from their music that the true artists of our world truly achieve. Radiohead for example has a way of doing this, and it is not surprising then that one of DJ Shadows favorite artists is Radiohead, they both fuse these elements into their music, and achieve monumental status in my opinion. The package design is equally well done as well showing an artists eye for presentation, and a graffiti influenced design to the overall package. If you enjoy this album then I highly recommend any of Shadows works: Endtroducing, Preemptive Strike, The Private Press, and In Tune and On Time, which is a live set recorded in support of this album. UNKLE is also a well thought out album which bridges the gap between hip-hop, rock and techno, with guest appearences by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, Thom Yorke from Radiohead, and others from throughout the music industry. If you've never heard of DJ Shadow before, then I must say that you are missing out, if you are at all interested in underground music, do yourself a favor and pick up any of Shadow's albums or collaborations, I guarantee you will extremely impressed, as with any good album the songs have a way of growing on you over time. Peace out!

Most "DJ" albums are pretty [bad], filled with repetitive, boring nonsense. Not this album! I must have listened to this CD about 20 times, every track on the CD is different. DJ Shadow is a true artist, this stuff is amazing. Buy this CD, support good music.

I am not familiar with Dj Shadow's music for the most part, maybe a track or two here from his Unkle project but I have always been curious about his music and whether it lives up to the critical acclaim that I read about in various magazines. Just recently I saw the video for "Six Days" from "Private Press" and became immediately hooked by what I heard. That song alone reminded me of Talvin Singh's music on "OK". That song alone convinced me to buy "Private Press". And what would you know but I would find a copy of this cd in the same used cd bins that I found Sasha's new album in? Talk about a stroke of luck. I immediately loved this entire album on the first listen. Dj Shadow did prove to me that his music is worthy of all the critical acclaim. I definitely plan on buying his breakthrough "Endtroducing" album in the very near future. I am not a big fan of sampling but what Dj Shadow does in his music greatly impressed me. "Private Press" definitely earns a spot in my best of 2002 list.

DJ Shadow almost attains godlike status with the creation of this album. I say that because he seems now to fully realize the infinitude of music - and instead of being intimidated by its vastness, he confidently, simply, Rocks. If a person doesn't appreciate it they must not be listening to it right. You should put on big, immersive headphones and just stay in the moment - listening to every sound as it comes up. It isn't an album you can just nod your head to...

i have to admit that DJ Shadow is an artist that i have forgotten about -- not the forgotten where the CD is gathering dust deep in files of a CD collection, Endtroducing still gets much airplay in my personal listening world alongside Lovage & UNKLE -- but thinking that a new album would be forthcoming was something that i never thought about. it seemed like an impossibility and this, my friends, is what i meant by forgotten, i was sure that DJ Shadow had faded into a world of playstation vibes when this album came and entered my life.

right now it is playing on my computer as i play it. i must say that The Private Press is one of the most relaxing and at the same time one of the most challenging pieces of music i have heard in some time. where Endtroducing was simply a wild ride of beautiful vibes filled to the brim like a well laid back movie soundtrack, The Private Press is a different beast all together, and i have to say that i love it. some songs are almost downright abrasive when first listened -- challenging to the listener especially in a followup to an album that exuded extreme listenablity in any track. here some of the tracks are initially disorienting -- harder rap vibes, strange mixing -- here is a more layer challenging work than the previous. i don't know if it is a better album - i am going to have to give it a few years because Endtroducing is something that close to six years later still astounds me.

though i am not saying that all of The Private Press is abrasive collages (and even them are not really that abrasive after repeated listens - it is just jarring at first) -- DJ Shadow excels at the moody soundtrack instrumental moments, slowly weaving an unknown tale that is filled with more emotion and feeling than any of the house/trance/techno/whatever/music i have ever heard. i myself have always found house to be the most emotionally distant music besides avant garde noise work -- but DJ Shadow's music is always filled with a raw passion and emotion that is excellent.

this album is the same. it is a more challenging listen than his debut, much more layered, much deeper, it is sometimes initially abrasive - the vocal additions seem strange at first but after some time seems to be quite perfect. that is probably the best that i can say about the album -- initially unsure, almost confusingly abrasive only to revel itself to be quite perfect and quite wonderful.