The magic of DJ Shadow

The Endtroducing album by DJ Shadow is a fascinating piece of artwork unlike anything that I've heard before. The record consists of samples from various performers that are blended into completely new composition. In way DJ Shadow create his own genre that encompasses psychedelica, jazz, funk, soul, experimental, chill-out, and hip-hop music. The strength of this album lays in its ability to flow from one song to another without creating any distraction. During the whole composition It felt like a was sitting in large opera house listening to the classic symphony. The music captivated my mind to the point that nothing mattered around me. It took me away from thinking about my problems by letting me indulge into its majestic sounds.

My favorite song on this album Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt opens with the smooth piano melody that continues throughout whole composition, and almost instantaneously adds dreamy feel to the music. The heavy drum beat that follow the piano riff have an effect of reassuring this atmosphere that is further developed with the introduction of choir mix in the subsequent section of the track. Initially it feels like you heard this melody somewhere before, but you can't recall the time or date. It seems like you are dreaming without knowing what's really happening around you. This track let your mind enter the imaginary world by blurring the distinct line between the illusion and true reality.

This composition builds itself from different music components before arriving into its complete stage towards the middle part of the song. This track is the perfect way to start the album considering that it introduces the listener to the musical philosophy of DJ Shadow and sets the ground for the subsequent compositions. Every little component that comes from different music genres is an essential part of the Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt. The spoken segment at the end of the track shows that the DJ Shadow doesn't want to take major credit for his musical creation. He sees himself as a filter that let the different music genres come through him changing into the new imaginary form.