Soul Strut 100: # 31 - DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

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  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    I listened to it today for the 1st time in years. Some has aged well, some did not. Shadow's sound was a huge part of my musical socialisation, and yes, the loner aspect played a big part in that. For the 1st time in my late teens, there was this soundtrack to hanging out on green field mountains and blazing up heavily in more rural places while still feeling really attached to a so called HipHop culture. All that sound actually was still embraced as HipHop by us. It was just closer to home, even the press photo of him against this lonely sky (I can recall a similar pic by P.U.T.S. from a couple of years later that I really liked as well). It was just really closer to what we did in our tiny town. But I've hated the name triphop from the beginning and never made any difference between a Shadow record and the 1st CMW for example. It was all the same to me, just a different story. That said, I sold my minty promo of Boxcar Sessions a year ago. Hate me now. And yes, I'm white. And Euroman.

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    I'm constantly amazed going out on boats on Lake Travis here in Austin during the summer and hearing how that generic breaks, cross-breed of acid jazz and trip-hop styled, sometimes-rap music is still championed like the water itself. You literally can't go 15 minutes without hearing Charlie 2na, I swear.

    Recreational watercraftin' dudes rarely intersect with the hip-hop vanguard, at least not on the waves of Lake Travis, or any body of fresh water. And I'm no fan of tubin' but J5 and its ilk seems like a fine soundtrack for such excursions, if you're into that.

    Rhetorical question: Who takes Shadow's music more seriously, Harvey or Josh himself?

  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    I don't really put too much stock in what the internet is saying in comparison to real life. My bad, I guess.
    Our mileages definitely vary, then. My record friends notwithstanding, I don't think I know a single person in real life--no "average white dude," no "casual listener"--who knows who the fuck Shadow is. Because of that, I guess it never occurred to me that in-depth appraisals of Shadow were happening anywhere except the internet. You honestly hear this shit booming out of boats where you are? And Charlie motherfucking 2na?! In 2013?! Oh, the humanity.

    I was finna come down for that Macklemore SXSW showcase, but man, now I'm not so sure.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    white_tea said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    I'm constantly amazed going out on boats on Lake Travis here in Austin during the summer and hearing how that generic breaks, cross-breed of acid jazz and trip-hop styled, sometimes-rap music is still championed like the water itself. You literally can't go 15 minutes without hearing Charlie 2na, I swear.

    Recreational watercraftin' dudes rarely intersect with the hip-hop vanguard, at least not on the waves of Lake Travis, or any body of fresh water. And I'm no fan of tubin' but J5 and its ilk seems like a fine soundtrack for such excursions, if you're into that.

    Rhetorical question: Who takes Shadow's music more seriously, Harvey or Josh himself?

    It's hardly just on the water. I just cited that because it's a place where you get to hear what 1,000 different dudes in a day have blaring from their boat speakers. House parties, in dude's cars, on their iPods, etc. Shadow is definitely still in there as far as being looked upon favorably. I mean, I'm not hearing Endtroducing played in its entirety ever, or really all that often when it comes to its individual tracks. I'm just saying that white hip-hop fans at large aren't making it their practice to dismiss Shadow.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    james said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    I don't really put too much stock in what the internet is saying in comparison to real life. My bad, I guess.
    Our mileages definitely vary, then. My record friends notwithstanding, I don't think I know a single person in real life--no "average white dude," no "casual listener"--who knows who the fuck Shadow is. Because of that, I guess it never occurred to me that in-depth appraisals of Shadow were happening anywhere except the internet. You honestly hear this shit booming out of boats where you are? And Charlie motherfucking 2na?! In 2013?! Oh, the humanity.

    I was finna come down for that Macklemore SXSW showcase, but man, now I'm not so sure.

    Seriously, J5 is like what y'all would probably consider Lynard Skynard to be down here.

    Austin is hipster central, so even the frat boys down here know a little bit more about music than they do elsewhere.

    My stock comment all last summer in defense of having to listen to safe-hop everywhere I went was: For the love of God, can't you please just throw on Led Zeppelin III?

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    And beyond SXSW, I think I'm going to have to go full on pirate this summer, raiding any boat playing Thrift Shop on repeat...because I already know how often I'm going to have to hear that damned song along with dudes saying it's the only rap they've liked since Latyrx.

    And I swear I'm not just making this shit up.

  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    white_tea said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    I'm constantly amazed going out on boats on Lake Travis here in Austin during the summer and hearing how that generic breaks, cross-breed of acid jazz and trip-hop styled, sometimes-rap music is still championed like the water itself. You literally can't go 15 minutes without hearing Charlie 2na, I swear.

    Recreational watercraftin' dudes rarely intersect with the hip-hop vanguard, at least not on the waves of Lake Travis, or any body of fresh water. And I'm no fan of tubin' but J5 and its ilk seems like a fine soundtrack for such excursions, if you're into that.
    I'm saying. 1996 james would have been all over that shit, though.

    "What Does Your Igloo Cooler Look Like?"

    b/w

    "Picnic Lunch In A Perfect World"

  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    dudes saying it's the only rap they've liked since Latryx
    You have got to be fucking kidding me. There are dudes like this actually walking around? Like, out in the carbon-based world? Talking like this where people can hear them?

    You gotta straight Ahab these fools, Harvey. This cannot stand.

  • Shadow is not a nerd.
    And I like his Diminishing Returns psych mix the best.

  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    And beyond SXSW, I think I'm going to have to go full on pirate this summer, raiding any boat playing Thrift Shop on repeat...because I already know how often I'm going to have to hear that damned song along with dudes saying it's the only rap they've liked since Latyrx.

    And I swear I'm not just making this shit up.

    Although it has been many a year since I lived in Austin, I can confirm that during my time I had witnessed similar (mind blowing / cringe inducing) spectacles. So with that said, I suspect that some of the perceived animosity from Mr. Canal regarding endtroducing can probably be associated with the locale in which he finds himself. Me thinks he might not have the same feelings if he lived in Jacksonville.

    we are a product of our environment.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    james said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    dudes saying it's the only rap they've liked since Latryx
    You have got to be fucking kidding me. There are dudes like this actually walking around? Like, out in the carbon-based world? Talking like this where people can hear them?

    You gotta straight Ahab these fools, Harvey. This cannot stand.

    I just may spear the next molly'd skurfer who tries to school me on how good the Black Eyed Peas were before the chick joined the band.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    It ain't just in Austin, because there will be 100,000 of these dudes from where y'all live joining the one's already here for SXSW in a couple weeks.

    I will try to post photos of all the dudes wearing thrift shop furs in 80 degree weather downtown for y'all. Bet.

  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,471 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    james said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    dudes saying it's the only rap they've liked since Latryx
    You have got to be fucking kidding me. There are dudes like this actually walking around? Like, out in the carbon-based world? Talking like this where people can hear them?

    You gotta straight Ahab these fools, Harvey. This cannot stand.

    I just may spear the next molly'd skurfer who tries to school me on how good the Black Eyed Peas were before the chick joined the band.

    No jury in the world would convict you if you did.

  • i think i understand now. if its not hot in the skreets/hood/slab, it can't be a great album. case closed.

  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    Ok I'm gonna call it now
    :five_pager:

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    DustedDon said:
    i think i understand now. if its not hot in the skreets/hood/slab, it can't be a great album. case closed.

    Image over substance


  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Okay, Blind Date.

  • SIRUSSIRUS 2,554 Posts
    Guzzo said:
    DustedDon said:
    i think i understand now. if its not hot in the skreets/hood/slab, it can't be a great album. case closed.

    Image over substance


    how faded are u in this picture harv?

  • SIRUSSIRUS 2,554 Posts
    by the way, harvey is right; mike dean > anything dj shadow has ever made

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    SIRUS said:


    how faded are u in this picture harv?

    That was at the 1st annual DJ Screw Festival in Houston a few years back. Shit, enough years back that I was still married.

    So yeah, quite the faded one, my friend.

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    Okay, Blind Date.

    I've done far worse than Blind Date, IMDB me.

    My point with the picture is you seem to have so much venom towards all that surrounds Entroducing (White people like it, DJ Shadow is..., it's not proper to play in a car while driving to anywhere except Lake Travis on a mid-march afternoon, etc.) but you've spent practically none of this thread discussing the music on the album.

    The whole thing just reeks of trying to keep some idea of an image. Entroducing didn't feature a picture of Shadow posing on the cover, when I first saw it my initial thought was Shadow must be the black dude on the front. I appreciated the album for being a part of the 1996 hip-hop experience. Another brick in a pile that included Stakes is High, Jeru, WC and the Maad Circle, Cypress Hill and a ton of other things I dug that year.

    Looking back with 17 years of jaded opinion may be coloring what the album was to you and everyone else upon its first release. It seemed like a great listen then, I'd probably get nostalgic hearing it now, but I certainly wouldn't see it as the beginning of the great white crate chase.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Guzzo said:
    HarveyCanal said:
    Okay, Blind Date.

    I've done far worst than Blind date, IMDB me.

    My point with the picture is you seem to have so much venom towards all that surrounds Entroducing (White people like it, DJ Shadow is..., it's not proper to play in a car while driving to anywhere except Lake Travis on a mid-march afternoon, etc.) but you've spent practically none of this thread discussing the music on the album.

    The whole thing just reeks of trying to keep some idea of an image. Entroducing didn't feature a picture of Shadow posing on the cover, when I first saw it my initial thought was Shadow must be the black dude on the front. I appreciated the album for being a part of the 1996 hip-hop experience. Another brick in a pile that included Stakes is High, Jeru, WC and the Maad Circle, Cypress Hill and a ton of other things I dug that year.

    Looking back with 17 years of jaded opinion may be coloring what the album was to you and everyone else upon its first release. It seemed like a great listen then, I'd probably get nostalgic hearing it now, but I certainly wouldn't see it as the beginning of the great white crate chase.

    Trust that it's more jokes than any actual venom.

    Wouldn't be fun if we were all in uniform agreement.

  • LamontLamont 1,089 Posts
    That Midnight interlude within Stem is cool.


    BTW If you didn't feel the urge to partake in the 'permeating the hood' discussion, your chances at being succesful are HIGH.

  • yuichi said:
    You guys still talking that nonsense? This is a White America/Euroman (with an Asian or two) digging in the obscure crates stylez. If you don't get it, you don't get it. Same way, I don't get 90% of the syrup-drinkin', pistol whippin, indo-smoking teenage music that harvey and others gets off on. I think the first time, dudes were sweating this was precisely around when dudes were in their late teens. Same shit. Different genre. Let it go, HarvMON. If dudes wanna praise this as one of the top 10 electronica albums in URB magazine, then it is what it is. Why yall madd?

    Just now was maybe the second or third time I've ever heard that song and I really in all honesty do not understand what's so special about it. I fully get that if this record was your entry point in to hip hop then it carries huge emotional resonance the same way any other "gateway record" be it "Criminal Minded" all the way on down the line to "He's The DJ I'm The Rapper" (or for that matter a Drake album if you're 14) would, but from a strictly musical standpoint I still cram to understand what makes this special or groundbreaking.

  • HarveyCanal said:

    Wouldn't be fun if we were all in uniform agreement.

    trust that will never be a problem Soul Strut will encounter

  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Lamont said:
    'permeating the hood'

    ...is up there with 'bass purity' IMHO.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    drbrownscelray said:
    yuichi said:
    You guys still talking that nonsense? This is a White America/Euroman (with an Asian or two) digging in the obscure crates stylez. If you don't get it, you don't get it. Same way, I don't get 90% of the syrup-drinkin', pistol whippin, indo-smoking teenage music that harvey and others gets off on. I think the first time, dudes were sweating this was precisely around when dudes were in their late teens. Same shit. Different genre. Let it go, HarvMON. If dudes wanna praise this as one of the top 10 electronica albums in URB magazine, then it is what it is. Why yall madd?

    Just now was maybe the second or third time I've ever heard that song and I really in all honesty do not understand what's so special about it. I fully get that if this record was your entry point in to hip hop then it carries huge emotional resonance the same way any other "gateway record" be it "Criminal Minded" all the way on down the line to "He's The DJ I'm The Rapper" (or for that matter a Drake album if you're 14) would, but from a strictly musical standpoint I still cram to understand what makes this special or groundbreaking.

    Before this album who successfully blended Funk, Jazz, UK Electronica, Soul, "Trip Hop", geek records, Turntablism, etc together w/ crate digger/timmy digalot sensibilities through a Instrumental Hip Hop lens( if thats what u wanna describe it as...)?

    Yes theres a gang of Hip Hop that was doin crazy flips before him but I feel like it was lightning in a bottle.

    Dude was on some extra Technical shit.

    Im trying to rack my brain to see where the direct precursors were. 1993-96 shit?

    I dont recall an artist that dudes say oh yeah he/they were on that shit RIGHT before Shadow yet he ran with that shit.

  • kalakala 3,358 Posts
    "great white crate chase"


    location anyone?








    classic beanpole guz action up in this beeeeeeeaaaaatch

  • kalakala 3,358 Posts
    SIRUS said:
    by the way, harvey is right; mike dean > anything dj shadow has ever made

    if it includes double nickels i will agree

  • Fred_GarvinFred_Garvin The land of wind and ghosts 337 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    the poster boy for novices jumping into the game as if they were born experts.
    "From listening to records I just knew what to do, I mostly taught myself".
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