Over and out
That’s all Josh has time for - many thanks to him. If you want to see him and Cut Chemist play Afrika Bambaataa’s wax collection live - and this Rolling Stone review makes it sound like a borderline religious experience - then head to Shadow’s website for tour details. They play across Europe, including Manchester on 3 Feb, London on 4 Feb, and Bristol on 5 Feb. Enjoy!
davidjjknowles asks:
In terms of song construction what elements do you start to work with first? Is a beat sample or a bassline? In terms of adding samples to songs what is the link that makes you go “That sample will work with that tune!” or is it a case of guesswork that has become more and more refined over the years?
Guardian contributor It always changes, and totally depends on the source material. More often than not, it all starts with the drums, and I would say that most beat-makers would say the same.
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'Nothing annoys me more than a 10-year old walking around in a Ramones t-shirt'
Steve Jones asks:
Do you play ‘cool’ music to your children or is it nursery rhymes and pop music. Do they have free reign over discovering music?
Guardian contributor They play what they want. I definitely didn't want to be one of those overbearing parents trying to force-feed their children the music from MY generation. Nothing annoys me more than a 10-year old walking around in a Ramones t-shirt. When I was a kid, I wanted nothing to do with the music of the past. So it would be a little hypocritical to change that philosophy now that I'm a Dad
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dmoneh asks:
Hey Josh, you keep in touch with the guys from Solesides and Quannum at all? What are the chances you’d DJ with those guys again, or other rappers in general? I feel like there’s some MC’s out there that’d fit with the way your sound has evolved over the years, but is it a tired concept for you?
Guardian contributor Yes, hardly a week goes by where I don't speak with someone from the crew...we played together in the Bay Area this past summer, it was our first show in 10 years. You know how it is with family...everyone has their own careers and life path they're trying to follow. The bond will be there forever
On Endtroducing: 'You only get one chance to make a first impression, and I'm thankful that it looms so large in my life and career'
ID8195511 asks:
Do you think that Endtroducing is your best album?
Guardian contributor I love all of my albums, but I understand why many people choose to focus on Endtroducing. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and I'm thankful that it looms so large in my life and career. Better that then never making a dent!
funkyginger asks:
I’m going to your upcoming gig with Cut Chemist in Manchester and was wondering will you be using Afrika Bambataa’s original vinyl?
Guardian contributor Of course! That's the whole point...all vinyl is 100% Bambaataa originals...the same copies that helped establish the culture we all know and love
marxski asks:
Do you ever drag out the MPC these days?
Guardian contributor Not really. I went through a phase about 6 years ago, right before I started working on my last album, where I thought I would give it a shot. That lasted about 2 hours. There's just too many fun ways to make music to limit myself to one device anymore.
MOGuardian asks:
You and Cut Chemist complement each other very well, but retain your individual identities. What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from him (musically)?
Guardian contributor If I could ever be half of the scratch soloist he is, I'd be doing pretty well! I have often told him how much I admire how clutch he is in a live setting. Nerves usually get the best of me
'Illegal downloading? I think it's safe to say that ship has sailed'
fatbot asks:
Sampling is unarguably a foundation of hip hop, with many pioneering records made from recorded music samples used without the permission of the original’s creator. I hear you disagree with illegal downloading, but what if those downloads, also without the originators permission, are also used to create new music themselves? Is there a double standard at play here? Or would you say that the bootlegging has reached a sort of saturation point before which it was “okay”.
Guardian contributor The Guardian chose to focus on the illegal download thing, not me. Anything I would have had to say on the subject was said a few years ago. I think it's safe to say that ship has sailed. My opinions are always evolving, as I'm sure are most people's. That's the problem with press in general...your thoughts become frozen in time, and most people are constantly evolving and modifying their opinions. I'm no different.
mlesnikoski asks:
I saw you perform at UC Berkeley CA and during your bay area tribute mix you said RIP to a bay area r&b legend and I didnt catch the name, it sounded like Matthew Rodriguez or gonzalez but I was hoping you could clarify and maybe recommend any of his works.
Guardian contributor Matthew Africa. He was a local DJ and collector who passed tragically
For more on Matthew Africa, head here.
Max Forbes Gower asks:
Going into a record collection of this size but have been a huge task/pleasure.
How did u and cut chemist go about selecting tracks to create the sound for the set your using on the tour? Where did u even start?
Guardian contributor You start with the first record and end with the last! And along the way you evaluate, discuss, plan, admire, and shake your head in awe. And then the gnawing realization sets in that you have an ENORMOUS responsibility to represent the man and the culture he helped establish with intelligence, humility, and sincerity. And then you try, and you fail, and you keep trying, and you cross your fingers and take a deep breath and enjoy the gift you've been given, and it all comes together.
WhiteOut asks:
You were the producer on UNKLE’s amazing debut Psyence Fiction which had a well-publicised troubled production (you gave an interview where you said at one point your back went out but you still carried on working)
After this debut album, James Lavelle released a song on the 3rd album called Burn My Shadow ft Ian Astbury which has the following lyrics:
I have burned my tomorrows
And I stand inside today
At the edge of the future
And my dreams all fade awayI faced my destroyer
I was ambushed by a lie
And you judged me once for falling
This wounded heart will rise
Do you feel this is an obvious pointed reference to you?
Guardian contributor My relationship with James is complicated and there's frequently much speculation about what I think of him, and he of me. I have always tried to be consistent: I'm nothing but eternally grateful for all of the opportunities he presented me, and his belief in my music. I would not have the career I enjoy today if not for James and his tireless efforts to promote my music. Nothing he has said, or anyone else can say, will ever change that.
Disavowed555 asks:
The reworking you did of Supersister’s Dona Nobis Pacem is immense. Did you have much contact with the band themselves? What did they think of your version? Do you have any plans to do more work in the prog direction, either remixing existing tracks, or producing new material in collaboration with others? Perhaps another mix CD?
Guardian contributor Some fans might be aware that I've sampled Supersister twice in the past: on Organ Donor (Remix) and Rabbit In Your Headlights (from the Unkle Psyence Fiction album). I met Robert Jan Stips in The Hague some years ago, and we try to meet up every time I come to Amsterdam. More than anything, I hoped that the remix would draw attention to their incredible catalog of music...to the extent that it has, that's a good thing. There's so much amazing music, past and present, to discover that it's frequently overwhelming...but every little bit helps
Tim Gurevich asks:
As a person, who studies and listens to a lot of genres, you are one of my favorites in hip-hop music. But with your latest you’re trying to come with something new, and I think it’s much better than sticking to “endtrodusing sound”. Are you going to release more of your own music on The Liquid Chamber, or this is going to be a label for others, like Bleep Bloop (who is awesome, by the way)?
Guardian contributor You mean the label I started called Liquid Amber, I assume (lol)? Thanks, yes, hopefully I'll continue to release my own music as well as music by others. The next 2 releases are getting lined up now. It's kind of a dream-come-true curating a label, and I've discovered that I feel the same sense of achievement whether it's my music or music by someone I believe in.
We pause for a brief love-in, with Chele Morgan saying:
No questions....just wanted to tell you it was a dream come true when I finally got to see you in ATX during the Renegades of Rhythm Tour (right up front)....been a fan from the start and always will be. Much love & please don’t stop!
Guardian contributor
SukiMajhailMcLean asks:
Is there any other record collection that you think could attract such a high level of interest as Afrika Bambaataa’s? Grandmaster Flash, maybe? Also, Bambaataa rose to fame in the 1970s, just as you did in the ‘90s... in 20 years time, could you see your own vast record collection achieve the same cultural or historical significance?
Guardian contributor Hmm, well it's a miracle that Bam's collection remained intact. It's very difficult to nurture and protect a collection over a 40-year span...life does present its challenges. It's nice to ponder what other collections might be out there, but ultimately I'm just grateful for the one I was able to experience. As far as my own collection, eh, we'll see! It gives me pleasure on a daily basis and I hope I feel the same way 30 years from now
Ali Meier asks:
Currently working my way through the Mo’ Wax Anthology hardback, and it’s clear how important Endtroducing was to helping really establish the label. How do you feel about your involvement with the label, and why were none of your subsequent albums released on it?
Guardian contributor I'm very proud of my association with Mo' Wax. in 1998, A&M (the branch of Universal that was handling Mo' Wax) was closed, and all of us artists got passed around to the rest of the Uni sub-labels; I ended up at Island. This wasn't James's fault, nor was it mine. However I insisted on retaining the Mo' Wax logo on my albums way beyond the actual end of the relationship. Have a look at The Private Press, for example
'My greatest influences? James Brown, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Prince Paul'
Kerry Rowberry asks
Who has been your greatest influence in music?
Guardian contributor James Brown, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Prince Paul...to name a few
steverandomno asks:
In the era before the internet took off, how did you end up finding stuff to sample like Pekka Pohjola? I’ve always been amazed at the obscurity and diversity of the samples you used on Entroducing. For example, I can’t imagine many of your peers in the mid 90’s were into experimental Finnish composers, though he supposedly drew insperation from Zappa. Was it just serendipity, did you stumble on an amazing collection, or did you actively seek out this stuff?
Guardian contributor I certainly wasn't the first to use oddball or non-mainstream records, as the Renegades Of Rhythm tour will attest. Forefathers like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and others went out of their way to sprinkle their sets with the obscure and unknown. Some hip-hop producers like Prince Paul, Large Professor, and DJ Premier continued that tradition and ethos, which in turn inspired me. The liner notes of Endtroducing try to explain this thoroughly. Thanks for the question!
a1exn1987 asks:
How do you listen to music mostly? Vinyl with headphones, CD player on hi-fi, iPod or what?
Guardian contributor I listen to music in every conceivable format and environment. Vinyl, cassette, mp3, reel-to-reel. Club, car, tiny laptop speaker. I love music and don't like to limit myself in terms of format or circumstance. Thanks
Sam Applebee asks:
2014 was huge for UK vinyl sales, the best year for some time. Yet DJ tech is constantly evolving and seems to be an unstoppable trend. It seems like people want to exploit the benefits of tech but keep the tactility of DJing as a skill. Where do you see the evolution of DJ hardware going? Touchscreens? Wearables? Mind control???? ;)
Guardian contributor Beginning with the CDJ in 2001, there have been more options for DJ's, and that trend shows no sign of stopping. I am of the mind that technology is a potential tool to unlock creativity, and as such is a positive thing. I also subscribe strongly to the lessons of the forefathers, who just so happened to use vinyl. I don't consider myself uptight about either line of thinking, and just pick and choose what concepts and tools work for me at the given time.
Barney Wrigley asks:
Ive noticed from some of your newest live sets/music that you have changed your sound a bit and from what it looks like moved away from sampling why is that?
Guardian contributor Hopefully, people will be saying that my sound is "changing" for the entirety of my career. It would be a bit sad if it never changed, in my opinion. Regarding sampling, I haven't stopped doing it, just have modified my approach I suppose.
Ali Meier asks:
Following the success of the ‘Psyence Fiction’ LP with James Lavelle, was it a conscious decision to step away from the UNKLE project, and if so was that a difficult decision and why?
Guardian contributor Unkle was always a "one-off" for me, a chance to work with other artists and grow. It was an incredibly valuable learning experience, but after it was over, I was eager to continue to seek other horizons and other experiences. I will always be grateful for the platform that James provided me
andy_manchester asks:
Hey Shadow. Really looking forward to the UK tour. Any chance Bambaataa will show up like he did in the US?
Guardian contributor Good question, that would of course be amazing! I suppose it's really all down to him and his DJ schedule. We have occasionally missed each other by mere hours, which makes his attendance at the two NY shows all the more valued in my memory
'I've turned down 5 soundtrack requests for every one I've approved'
CaptainBlack asks:
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard ‘Entroducing’ used as background music on reality TV or documentaries. How big a proportion of your income comes from this?
Guardian contributor Hi, it depends on where you live, and where you're hearing it. The BBC has a fair-use license, which means that essentially I see nothing from it, which is fine. I think it's similar with NPR in the states. Occasionally, I'll grant a more mainstream license (such as a recent Chevy ad in the states) but historically, I've turned down 5 such requests for every one I've approved.
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OurManFlint asks:
Do you think it would be better for Artist to try to eliminate record Companies and other 3rd Party parasites involved in the music industry that suck revenue from the performers rather than fight fruitlessly against music sharing?
Guardian contributor
DJ Shadow is starting our webchat now
DJ Shadow, aka Josh Davis, is over in California and starting to take on your questions. First up:
SchmuckOnWheels asks:
Do you have a satin bomber jacket like Radio One DJs used to wear on t
Roadshows?
Guardian contributor Updated
Post your questions for DJ Shadow
He’s the cult Californian artist whose 1996 breakout album Endtroducing… pioneered instrumental hip-hop with its beautifully collaged tracks that sampled the entire pop spectrum, from Giorgio Moroder to Bjork to the most obscure record store finds. He’s also been one of the most vocal critics of illegal filesharing, publicising his 2011 album The Less You Know The Better by planting it covertly onto the shelves of charity shops.
His drive to reinvent music by rearranging fragments of the past into something wholly new was true to the spirit of one of hip-hop’s earliest innovators, Afrika Bambaataa, so it’s apt that Shadow is travelling the world with Renegades of Rhythm, an all-vinyl DJ tour that uses Bambaataa’s vast record collection. Alongside fellow DJ Cut Chemist, he rescues the archive from being a dusty relic, splicing soul, disco and rap together in a history lesson you can dance to.
With the pair taking the tour to the UK for three dates in early February, DJ Shadow is joining us to answer your questions – post them in the comments below, and he’ll take them on in a live webchat at 9pm GMT on Monday 12 January.
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Life is a gift! I'm great man, how are you?