Reviews (page 8 of 13)
Chill/lofi beats to study to
DNL
bello come sottofondo
This was an interesting concept album and it was well done. I enjoyed listening to it but don’t think I’d go back to it again.
I wasn’t feeling this selection today. There was nothing wrong with the music, but i just couldn’t get into jamming with a DJ today. The music was no different to me than if I chose a “DJ Mix” on Spotify so I’ll just call this the middle of the road.
Like a certificate of perfect attendance or a trophy for winning a pickleball tournament, this album signifies that a great deal of work, commitment and time was invested in achieving a goal, but was it really worth it? This is such a niche, specific sound that I don’t know what to do with this album other than throw the shittiest rave imaginable.
Rap music with no rap? Sounded crazy, but it works. DJ Shadow combines different styles and textures to create a sound of controlled chaos with smooth flow. Very cool and very enjoyable album.
Meh
The DJ albums are always kind of tricky for me. I either deal with them or hate. This one was actually enjoyable. It was easy to get into a meditative flow with it. There were definitely some cool elements that drew me in, while I worked out this morning. I think my issue with this music is that its usually best enjoyed with something. Its like the chaser that goes with a drink. Its not the heavy stuff, its the stuff in the background. Unrelated to this album, I love DJ Shadow collabs with Run The Jewels.
Better EDM than some of the rest.
Really fun album, love the forwardness of the drum mixing. Dynamic sonically and rhythmically. Hard to have a perfect instrumental hip hop album in my opinion, but this sure comes close. Favorite track: What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 – Blue Sky Revisit)
Fully sampling and digitising the experience usually for me means something is lost or ruined. I can't claim to be re-born musically as I still have a problem with this genre, but I did enjoy this album contrary to my expectations. The usual conveyer belt of repetitive sounds didn't materialise. The artist played with the music consistently meaning the music has layers and built on those inevitable hooks that get your toe tapping but otherwise would destroy the very soul they are trying to conjure. It was a little exhausting to listen to in the end and yes you might get annoyed by some of the silly sounds buts it's a compelling version of an otherwise niche in my world. I guess it's cool to let your mind wander with what strange sonic blasts it gets rather than the typical hand holding it normally gets with "traditional" music listening. Interesting and that's saying something from me.
Mhm
Liked: The Number Song, Mutual Slump, Midnight In A Perfect World Disliked: Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain - Medley
Pretty good stuff that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. The second song was terrible though.
As i didn't know that this album is full made of samples, it was not that good. But this detail gives more interest to it. Rate 6/10
Des rythmes un peu planants, d'autres plus dynamiques, assez variés, pas une mauvaise écoute
I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. It was alright. I didn't hate it, but I can't really see myself listening to it again. Although I thought it was fine I was also starting to get bored towards the end.
Nice ambient instrumentals, but I'm not in love with any of the tracks
It’s a cool record. I wish there was a bit more spoken word, because the instrumentals can drag a touch. I’m not sure if I can name a more impactful sample-based album intro, though - Building Steam is awesome.
OK nice lounge hip hop jazz everything , but not something extraorinary
Cant decide if I love or hate the album so let’s split the difference
3/5
Really cool. Love instrumental hip hop generally and this seems a fine example. Slightly disappointing that even on an instrumental hip hop record from the 90s you still get stupid skits.
Good album. This was a nice mix of beats and had an interesting flow. Would recommend.
fresh
Nothing too crazy in my opinion. Solid production. 3/5
Reminds me a bit of the 80's band Art of Noise. Atmospheric without being heavy handed. A talented lyricist could do great things with this album, but it stand well on its own.
This album is very different. I happened to see a review that said albums like this are what this countdown is all about, and I have to agree with that sentiment. The atmosphere on this record is excellent. I loved the sampling, the beats, the throwback feel, etc. That's also what makes this a bit disappointing, as it could have been even better if these were complete songs and/or went somewhere. Too often, though, they weren't and/or didn't. Not that it makes this a bad album, as it doesn't. It just left me wanting.
It’s a 3 for what it is, but in general probably more like a 2. Cool, but not my vibe. It’s like hip hop electronica, meets musical recording meets sound track meets meow wolf music. It is strange and kinda fun but not exactly what I want. Lots of songs without lyrics, but it works for it
Una combinación de música de pausa de un juego y música que te deja intranquilo esperando a que se acabe rápido para volver empezar desde 0.
The first two tracks left me scrambling for something - anything - to say, so decided to listen to the album in it's entirety before leaving a review. I understand that the album is entirely made from samples of much older music on vinyl, mixed by a single person with relatively basic equipment compared to today's standards. Whilst I really can appreciate the talent on display here to find disparate samples that blend together really well - some of it scratches that right spot in the brain for me too - at the end of it all, it's still just a stack of samples. Most of the time, I both loved and hated the same track, due to some choices I personally found questionable half way through each track. The biggest culprits here were "Changeling" and "Stem/Long Stem". Ironically, one of the best tracks on the album was "Transmission 2", which stands purely as an interlude. If one track takes the trophy though, it's "Midnight in a Perfect World", being the most comprehensive and seemingly thoughtful track on the album. This was another hit and miss for me, just like Red Snapper's album on the list. Like that album though, I will take my favourites with me and leave the rest behind.
Definitely an interesting album, didn’t get to listen to it in one sitting but that is ok. It was great to have on during the day when I was working but again it was nothing special I’d give it a 3/5
alright
me gusta hasta el moment, solo siento que me falta alguien cantando, después de cierto tiempo me aburro
Classic boom bap beat tape. This is my first round with it, it's always hard to live up to the hype that people have bestowed on a certain piece of art before you get your chance to check it out without the hype surrounding it. A solid and groovy listen. Top Track: Midnight in a perfect world
A lovely album. A wide variety of samples and moods, but still works together as a whole. - Heard before? No. - Will I listen again? Yes. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Yes!
Is it an impressive achievement? 100% yes. Are many of the melodies strong and affecting? Absolutely. But, ultimately for me the genre and its vibe-driven repetitiveness can get a bit ponderous. An album I admire more than deeply enjoy.
got most of the way through, dnf only because I got busy. Not bad! very samey.
It was fine... Not sure I understood it.
The first proper track, Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt, is a rock-solid way to start a hip-hop album. Given the general dubiousness of vocals in 90s hip-hop, I'm hoping to keep hearing fun, groovy instrumentals. Maybe a little less looping would be good, though. That piano part is nifty but gets old after the first six unchanging minutes. The Number Song is much weaker, consisting primarily of drum beats that are cool on their surface but are pretty unimpressive for the year. (And to think we had the best work of Peart, Gadd, Bonham, Moon, and Grohl, all before this record came out. The drumwork here pales in comparison.) The vocal additions aren't bad but are heavily looped. Changeling is a little repetitive too, but the string-synths are pretty cool. It gets a pass. (I like the Doors' version better though.) And What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 4 has a simple but mildly effective bassline that carries the track – at least until the two- or three-minute mark, when you really start to look for more variation. (There's a reason that varied songs, like Bohemian Rhapsody and Paranoid Android, are much more universally enjoyed and lauded than one-trick ponies like Daft Punk's Around the World.) Stem/Long Stem does much better in this regard. For the first time on the record, thank heck, there are builds and drops of tension! It's a Christmas miracle. The ethereal synths are very pretty here, and go well with the glockenspiel(?)'s high frequency. Transmission 2 is much better than the earlier Transmission 1, mostly due to having *any* musical ideas of note. Transmission 1 is just too short to really get off the ground. (My war against interludes continues. They should not be included in albums unless they have (musical) "plot relevance".) But despite an array of strong tracks throughout the album, culminating with the ultra-groovy Midnight In A Perfect World, the album ends with a rough patch. Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain is all over the place, and though it has a decent middle section (the main attraction being the overlapping guitar tones, reminiscent of the middle section of PF's Echoes), the rest is weak. I think I'd enjoy What Does Your Soul Look Like a lot more if it didn't sound like a much, much less tasteful version of anything from Bowie's Blackstar. 3/5 Key tracks: Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt, Stem/Long Stem, Midnight In A Perfect World
This is another one that I've not listened to for 25 years. In the same ball park as Coldcut, I think this probably made a bigger splash back in the day? Not sure how well it has aged - I feel music like this has more been incorporated into other genres than continues to exist as its own thing. Enjoyable to revisit, but won't make it any further than that.
Yeah that was certainly something. I didn’t hate but I’m not sure if I liked it either. It just kinda is, y’know?
I wasn't expecting to like this, but I did, it was super relaxing and I quite liked the talking clips too.
If you appreciate the art of crate digging, then you’ll really enjoy this one. He’s a DJ, but not the dance club kind.
Sometimes you hear the first 20 seconds of an album and you just sigh. Fortunately, it's only a short off-putting intro track here... the rest of the album is alright, although I think it's a real stretch to say this is a must-hear.
I dont usually like musc that takes to long to end hahah and i like music that i can sing and feel it in my blood kw? this is not really that type of thing but i liked it
Solidna trojka
interesting music, not necessarily what i would choose to put on but not unenjoyable
Nice vibes
I dont listen to a lot of rap, but i’ve wanted to for a while because i know there’s stuff out there that i really enjoy but just haven’t found it, this one of those. Brilliant!!
Cool sound, the original lofi. Great mixing and transitions. I bet this is sampled in so many different ways.
Pretty fun. Good drums.
Not my usual favorite type of music but I liked this.
Reminds me of college. Lots of samples.
Best Foot Forward - 3.5/5 Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt - 4/5 The Number Song - 3.5/5 Changeling - 3/5 Transmission 1 - 3/5 What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 4 - 2.5/5 Untitled - 3/5 Stem/Long Stem - 4/5 Transmission 2 - 3/5 Mutual Slump - 2.5/5 Organ Donor - 4.5/5 Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96 - 3.5/5 Midnight In A Perfect World - 3/5 Napalm Brain/ Scatter Brain - 3/5 What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 1 - 3.5/5 Transmission 3 - 3/5
some cool tracks on this
Siempre lo vi en las listas de lo mejor de la decada, incluso independientemente del genero, pero la verdad es que se me paso por alto en los 90 y en las decadas subsiguientes. Ahora, cuando lo escucho, pienso en lo mismo que pienso con los otros discos de musica hip-hop: podria recortarles unos 15 a 20 minutos.
This was a pleasant listen. Some nice relaxing cuts on this album.
Not bad I liked some of the beginning songs than the final songs. I might listen to it again..maybe
Enjoyed this one. I didn't love it but the beats kept me bopping along.
Same as last, no idea. Excited still! Honestly for all that I avoid this genre I really didn't mind this. Definitely more of a background music album than listening for the sake of listening though.
Clearly important and impressive, but not something I would ever put on.
Some nice beats, this hasn't aged anywhere near as bad as similar albums
FAR too long, but really cool.
Different than anything I've listened to with real intent before. I just never have dove deep into hip hop and sample based music. I definitely prefer vocal based music, but this is still a vibe. The tremolo effects in Changeling are dope. Takes you to a completely new place. When it goes back to normal it almost feels like that wasn't possible. And the seamless transition into Transmission 1 is beautiful. I really do appreciate the artistry of this album. Isn't quite my vibe but I respect it a lot. The back half of this album is make or break territory for me. Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96 got a real chuckle out of me. Well played, Shadow. Napalm/Scatter is nice, that smooth transition right in the middle was well executed. One of few songs that spoke to me in any meaningful way. Blue Sky Revisit is awesome. Well deserved spot near the end to round of this album. It's fair to say at this point that the back half leaned a lot more towards make than it did break. Again not quite my vibe, but a really impressive work of art here. I can't knock it too much. 3.1/5
As far as DJs go he is good. From what I can tell anyway. He's mixes well but unless he has someone doing vocals I'm out. That said, Nobody Speak with him and Run the Jewels is fucking amazing. It's not on this album but go watch the video.
Mostly cool i guess, I like how it felt very spacey at times, but I don't think I'd come back to it. What the actual fuck was "untitled"?
It’s long but I did enjoy some aspects
Pretty fun sound
Cool beats wouldn't listen again
This was good.
Liked it quite a bit on first listen, and was further intrigued by it upon learning that it was nothing but samples. Fascinating project.
Interesting and creative but some weird parts. 3.5
fun vibes even without many lyrics and a good background album
This album was interesting in the way that the DJ was able to create new songs completely composed of samples. It was enjoyable to listen to to hear what was created and I think is important to see what can be done, however it is not something I would return to more than the first listen.
Enjoyable. Listed as hip-hop but is more of an electronic album to me. Notable tracks include Building Steam With A Grain of Salt, What Does Your Soul Look Like, Midnight in a Perfect World.
i liked the song that sampled the giant from twin peaks
I know some consider this a classic, and I'm sure it was quite an achievement using equipment available in the 90s, but to me, this is background music. Very vibey background music, but background music nonetheless. I didn't hate any tracks but nothing stood out either. I'm fully aware I might just lack the context to understand the genius behind this album, but if that's that's how it is, that's how it is. Solid 3.
الموسيقى حلوه بس مافي كلمات😔
Genuinely can't figure out if I really enjoyed it or was really bored?
Banger
I didn't hate this, but I'll also probably never listen to it again.
Another lovely arrangement of jazz inspired hip hop beats with an overall low fi sound. Again right in my wheel house albeit somewhat one dimensional and "boring". I enjoyed all or most of it, I do think some tracks go on a bit long with little to no resolution which adds to the boringness. I gotta ding it a star for that.
Good album. Comprised with samples, but remarkably engaging in spite of the minimal vocals and disconnected themes. Worth a listen, but wouldn't bother to listen again. 3 stars.
this was a super cool concept, but not sure how much I loved it. The most interesting bits were when the samples were very evident, and the samples of interviews etc. I found the rest was a bit background noisy unfortunately 2.5/5 I think Songs added to playlist: - Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt - What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 4 - Midnight In A Perfect World
very interesting works better as a complete listen rather than picking out songs it’s definitely an experience to say the least 3.3/5
I was really into this for the first several songs. After that, things fizzled and the album is too long, but we’ll always have those first few
I expected to be very bored by this but was pleasantly surprised. Run time is a titch long but I would definitely put it on again if I was trying to set a certain mood on a sleepy summer evening.
On first listen, it felt like background music at work, especially the second half. But I came around with a second listen. It’s probably a 2.5. There’s a melancholy to the album but there’s variety in the sampling and the drum lines are great.
A bit long at just over an hour but it turns out instrumental rap is an interesting concept and not a bad listen at all.
An album consisting entirely of samples. Art or just coasting on the work of others? An interesting question. The result is basically background music, although more interesting than the normal ambient type of instrumental music. A couple of tracks even make it to interesting while actively listening. It's still a 3 like most background music, but a high 3.
lofi hip hops cool ass older brother fun samples and sounds meet solid drum loops with an almost minimalist/steve reich influence
3.0 - Ok
The beats are great. certainly a different vibe
Haven't heard of him. This is actually quite a cool album, the samples are interesting and the album encapsulates the best 90s trip-hopy vibe 3/5
Had me interested, that's for sure. I dig the ambience, plus Tidal fed me some good genre-related material after it was done.
Pretty fun and good for studying. Did feel like each songs was building to a drop that never came. Drum stuff was class
Although some songs were a little long, the beats that made my study session very enjoyable. Won’t be asking for any of them to be played at my funeral though.
Some unexpected boppage 🕺
Belongs on this list due to the uniqueness of the whole thing, but not my cup of tea for normal listening.
There were a few decent songs, the rest were background music. Nice enough I guess
2.5 Atmospheric moody industrial hip hop beats, sometimes shifts into techno. Not really my style and I’ll admit I’m a little jaded from half of my class in high school digital video film making using songs from this in their emo video poems. I dig the clean production value, and some of the tracks are catchy but I don’t gravitate to this music
I'm hot and cold on this album. It's probably between a 3 and 4, but today I'm feeling more negative.
For alle del. Ikke så verst.
Good background music. Strong 3?
I fully respect the technical ability of the artist and how much ball knowledge you have to have to live this together, but there’s a part of me that was always thinking about how teenagers do this kind of stuff on TikTok every day. It was a decent listen and would be great for background music, it’s just not something I’m coming back to.
I really like the first half of this album. Cool beats that are super interesting and suck you in. The second half falls off. It devolves into random noises mashed together to see if "hey maybe this will work".
Was only able to listen to a few songs
3.5
lots of great ideas but never quite sticks with me like it should
Really liked the las track, wasn’t massively won over throughout
3/5
According to Wikipedia, he has been described as “Jimi Hendrix with a sampler instead of a guitar.” I suppose that means he was revolutionary within hip-hop. Since I’m not very familiar with hip-hop to begin with, I don’t think I fully grasp the shock it caused at the time. That said, it’s clearly very different from the kind of hip-hop I usually struggle with. Tracks like Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain were surprisingly easy for me to listen to, without the resistance I often feel with the genre. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that my own musical experience isn’t quite enough to understand this sound properly.
Not bad but not my tea
*Me wearing my "I'd Rather Be Listening to Girl Talk" t-shirt* Wow this is good and very revolutionary but... *points to shirt* S ampling John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness in Transmission 3, though. That’s peak.
This is nice. It's pretty chill, the grooves are good. There are some nice synth sounds. I don't know that would choose to put it on ever, but I have enjoyed having it on.
3 out of 5. This album sets an atmosphere.
Chill, and good vibe for working on stuff. Not sure if I’d come back to it, but I’d like to read in to the production more. Definitely a slow burner but it didn’t blow me away
Very different to what I expected, but in a good way, not your mainstream rapper, good listen, but not something I’d buy. 4/10
At first groan this seemed to tick all the wrong boxes for me, not much in the way of vocals and lots of sampling. In fact, and this made me laugh hollowly, it is composed almost entirely from samples”. But I didn’t actually hate it. Some of it sounded ok when it was melancholic but even then I was thinking this sounds like Bach or at least Mike Oldfield doing the Exorcist. I feel 3 stars perfectly incapsulates my mixed feelings about this one.
Enjoyable
Enjoyed that
Wow, nice to hear this for the first time!
Good album but didn’t really stick with me. Needs another listen. Favs: What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4 Midnight in a Perfect World Least Favs: Stem / Long Stem
Decent 3,5
Cool early techno, some avalanches vibes on some tracks. Gets a bit grating after a long listen
Actually quite liked this one. Don’t think I would listen again but as background music while I was working I enjoyed it. Fav song: Stem/Long Stem Medley Least fav: Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain Medley
okay
Cool grooves, but it always felt like half a song
Here is an album that fits the spirit of the list perfectly. I’ve never heard it, never would have bothered to listen without this list, and I’m glad I heard it before I died. Did I love it? No, but it’s pretty interesting to me how much creativity one can have making audio collages of other material. Aka sampling. Every sound here is sampled. Some very good tracks, some irritating ones, some that left no impression whatsoever. It’s fine, I’ll never listen again, but it’s unique and worth hearing once for sure
Pretty good for background
Very much not my usual thing, and it feels more like a soundtrack to a game than an album, buts it’s ok in a dynamic, background-y kind of way. It’s not completely shit.
First listen
good but mostly instrumental, a bit slow at times
Some great chill hop tracks then some boring. I wish "Organ Donor" was longer! This is a good background album. Top tracks: "Organ Donor," "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt," "The Number Song"
This was fun and cool. Not sure I’ve ever just listened to an instrumental hip hop album.
Interesting enough.
Dj album. Chill. Good background music
groovy
I really liked the slower stuff, the trip-hop equivalent songs, especially with that industrial hip-hop side to it. But the other songs I thought were just too far over the place, especially with all the samples
Pretty good but nothing out of this world
First time listening to this - pretty groundbreaking
Gera, neįkiri muzika.
It’s not unenjoyable but it’s not great either. An interesting curiosity.
Great Beat tape. some really solid beats that I could see 90's rappers bodying. Gets a bit redundant due to some song lengths without much changing in some beats, but I feel like you could say the same for almost any beat tape. And the range of styles between songs is great as well. Smooth Stuff
Still need to listen tbh
not my type of music but i did not hate it! different from most music I've listened to but interesting nonetheless
What a wild album! I feel ignorant that I did not know who DJ Shadow was... This album seems way ahead of his time.
Big ‘Blockhead’ vibes which I really liked, but very repetitive, which worked in some songs, but didn’t in others. Bonus points for repping NorCal!
Liked this but don’t know enough about the genre to understand why this is viewed as so much better than most albums that do the same kind of thing
Pretty good and chill ambient techno-hip-hop or something. I liked it.
When I was at school my friends told me this was cool. I tried it and didn’t like it because I liked music with guitars and musicians making it. I was excited to try it again with a more grown up mind. But I think it is just ok after all an impressive technical feat but musically not for me
Very nice DJ rap album with some great remixes. Felt it dragged a bit.
Thoughts before listening: This album has made best album ever lists since it was released in the 90s, but its just never been something I cared to check out. My understanding is that this is more of a hip hop soundscape with inventive beats than a cohesive, lyric driven rap album. I think this will be my first time listening to this album. Review: As expected, this is a difficult album for me to review. I know that its important and ushered in a new way of looking at production and sampling....but a lot of it just sounds like background music to me. Its effective at setting a tone and these songs would likely be solid for a movie soundtrack, but its just not something I am going to spend a lot of time listening to. I would also say that there are some cool ideas and melodies on here that catch my ear, but they're often short lived and just one part of a longer meandering song. 3-stars
It was ok
Kai tää ⭐️⭐️⭐️ taipuu. Välillä vähän tylsiä kappaleita.
Siistejä biittejä mut vähän itseään toistavaa. Pioneeri tääki.
Wow that was dull. I am glad that I listened once. The craftsmanship is incredible and the work paved the way for so many records I love. That doesn't mean it's held up though.
good background music
Fun album. Knew some songs but a lot of them were nice surprises
Not my style but Why Hip Hop Sucks in ‘96 gave me a laugh.
Album 9/1001 This is one of those albums that I respect more than I enjoy. The fact that it was the first album to be entirely made up of samples is an impressive feat and you can hear the influence it's had on all different kinds of music to this day. Unfortunately, one of those kinds is low-fi which I'm not so grateful to it for, and has actually tarnished it for me since I last heard it. Still, can't deny it's importance and it's one of the few purely instrumental records that I would choose to listen to - more for the hip-hop and cinematic vibes than the electronic ones. Favourite song: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt ♨️🧂 Honourable mention: Organ Donor 🫁 Mutual Slump😞😞 Midnight in a Perfect World 🎑 What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt.1 - Blue Sky Revisit 🏙
Technically impressive, but there's only so much I can enjoy instrumentals. 3.
This kind of turntable electronic music couldn’t be further from my sort of thing, but I’ve grown to respect it as an album more. I wouldn’t chuck this on regularly, and I’d say it’s closer to background music for me, but there’s a certain hazy ambient charm to it.
it was okay…I don’t think I’d return to this tho.
Funny, I already had the second track, Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, on my liked songs. I know this song from somewhere but I'm not sure where. This album suffer from the same thing so many other 90s albums suffer from which is their length. It's like every artist in the 90s felt they had to fill the length of a CD, which routinely made for albums that are an hour plus. Given this length, it can make it hard to parse out what's good and what's just filler. So on the whole, this album is fine but would be better if it were more streamlined. It's truly a 2.5 stars for me but I'm feeling generous this morning and rounding up to 3 instead of rounding down to 2.
This is work music to me
Ok some good some not for me
This wasnt what I expected at all. A mix of trip and hip hop, which was a hit on some tracks but a miss on others. It's hard to explain but it became too repetitive at some parts and was hard for me to fully immerse myself in it. I think some tracks are better stand alone than listening to an album in full.
It's alright. Interesting enough but nothing more than a 3
Nothing special
I’m not sure if any of the music on this album is played by a human, so it sounds good, but is it actually music?
So interesting, seems like a classic? Not my style, but I appreciated the different genre.
Some cool beats but not totally my thing - maybe I am missing the significance if it is unique for the time period it was released.
3/5 Best Track - "Midnight In A Perfect World"
DJ Shadow rules. The Number Song, Mutual Slump, Midnight in a Perfect World stuck out to me. Rad listen. I’ll come back to this one for sure
I have a lot of respect for this album and what it accomplished. It’s a little long, but easy to enjoy. But when you contextualize it, it paved the way for a lot of albums I love.
A bizarre soundscape that starts you off wondering what you're listening to and how much longer till it's over, but it pulls you in and leaves you wondering where it went when it's over.
Alright
Very chill and enjoyable.
Forgot that DJs didn’t sing until later
This album just felt a little flat and boring to me. It was good ambient music to have on in the background while I was getting ready for work but it felt more like elevator music with random samples thrown in. Not gonna lie it kind of put me to sleep but I can see why some people would find it appealing. Personally it is not for me.
listen this idea and concept is creative and i respect it but it isnt super engaging for me. it's very lofi beats to study to coded and for that i do enjoy but it's not a number one for me
This reminds me of a scorching hot day at the beach at some over-the-top hip beach club where they hired a DJ
Good if you want background music. Very catchy beats.
Good background music.
Lots of the same…thought I was on an elevator. Doesn’t mean bad as an elevator music just lots of the same, but some of it was catchy.
It took me forever to get through this. I do like this kind of music but it felt like such a slog working through this.
Ein paar gute Tracks,
I haven't explored the world of instrumental hip hop much, so it's challenging to review. Some of these were interesting, but most were not. It didn't land as something I needed to hear, at least not in it's entirety.
Pas si pire
This is really not bad. A good mix of hip hop/trip hop and electronic. This was a relatively popular genre at this exact time and I am surprised I never heard this. I enjoyed listening to this and there were a few notable songs. Its not quite a 4, but it is a solid 3.5 stars
The music is good, but it has the same downfall as every other electronica album: the songs are too fucking long.
it's fun vibes and I appreciate an instrumental heavy experimental album. It's particularly great throughout, but it has bright moments. I don't know about a top 1001 but didn't mind it
cool but not sure if i come back, good inspiration
Some experimental stuff that wasn’t too bad. A bit long but ok for the genre.
I'm all for a good beat, but then what?
Every time I’ve heard this I’ve enjoyed it, but it’s not something I see myself revisiting. The impact of this record speaks for itself, and if someone puts it on, I’d enjoy it, but if I want hip hop there’s so many other records I’d rather hear. If I want instrumental music, there’s so many other records I’d rather hear. Regardless, this is still an influential and thoroughly enjoyable album.
Some great songs but also some that don’t work as much, still appreciate the work that went into this
Best Song: Midnight in a Perfect World Recorded and produced DJ music is like produced jam bands, it works better live. This is nothing special. I guess it works while cooking dinner. 3/5.
Solid 3, enjoyed the album but no standouts for me
A really good mostly instrumental album, not my usual listening but i really liked this 3.5
Endtroducing... is kind of incredible. It's difficult to say it's just a hip-hop beats album, or that it's electronic, or any one thing in particular. Endtroducing... contains multitudes. Most of it hits hard and is pretty interesting. Occasionally there are pedestrian beats, but most of this album is ambitious.
Some kind of mix between Yello and Mike Oldfield. Progressive hiphop sampling. Sometimes fresh, sometimes tedious
Mostly just ambient/background music to me. Was not impressed but the last 2 tracks were much more listenable.
3.5/5
Some pretty epic producing in there, makes for a good bit of a ‘background music’ when chilling. No particular song stood out. Fell like those lo-fi music youtube video at times
It was interesting. Had me at first buuut then lost me after a while and I think I gave up just before it was over. Bonus point for Changeling
никогда про него не слышала но забавный. так и не поняла где альбом начинается-заканчивается, не настолько запоминающиеся (одноразовые?) скиты
First listen. Great driving music. Some duds though but on the whole good. Going to need to listen again. Provisional 3½
One of the fun parts of this project is discovering the original samples from other tracks I like. In this case, the main riff in Fuel Injected by Swollen Members comes from this album.
3.5
A lot of the same ideas. Good background noise. Some tracks more repeatable than others
I liked the vibe it gave off. I’m usually not good at listening to primarily instrumental albums, but this was ok
fun tunes, nothing I'd listen too exept maybe for working or background music
Can’t help but appreciate the artistry in the sample use, but it does get repetitive at times.
Captures the feel of an average nite at the a club
relaxing background music
Such a vibe goodness gracious. Nowadays it feels like I've heard this kinda thing before, but put in the lens of 1996 it's so solid. Banger.
It’s inoffensive and chill but this sort of electronic music has morphed into Muzak.
Great sample album and historically significant.
Интересная музыка, не особо зацепила, но один трек понравился
best foot forward- 5 building steam with a grain of salt- 5 the number song- 5 changeling- 4 transmission 1- 5 what does your soul look like pt 4- 5 untitled- 4 stem- 4 transmission 2- 5 mutual slump- 5 organ donor- 5 why hip hop sucks in 96- 5 midnight in a perfect world- 5 napalm brain- 4 what does your soul look like pt 1- 4 transmission 3- 4 or 5 started to get on my nerves
I listen to a good chunk of Aussie Hip Hop. I can see the influence the beats here have had on artists like Lazy Grey. Didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised! Number Song was the Gem for me.
Very skilful hip hop instrumental album, but crying out for a rap in places.
good background music
I have heard OF DJ Shadow, but could not have told you why or how. This album came out at a time when I would not have been AT ALL receptive to instrumental DJ music. I guarantee my buddy Ben (RIP) loved this though. Listening now and I really like this. See? I can grow!
Kind of a meh album but the flow works really well and it has some amazing peaks, like “Building Steam…”, “Stem / Long Stem”, “Organ Donor”, and “Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain”. It’s more proof of sampling concept than a real album, but is a cool mix and worth going on the background albums list for working or chores.
This fits right in with the type of stuff I listen to when I’m coding. Flow state!
Pretty enjoyable and very influential and unique, especially for the era. Think I do prefer hiphop with lyrics but can't deny the impact of this
me gusta pq iba con los auriculares por la calle y me sentía como un personaje de un videojuego aksldfjakjf
Not really my thing but very funky and could picture drying at night on neon roads to this.
Prince of Darkness sample?! Boogie Nights sample?! Nosferatu sample?! Twin Peaks reference?! 8 liked songs
I like my hip hop samples with lyrics, but this is an album of well-crafted beats evidencing DJ Shadow was at his prime in 1996. 3⭐️
very atmospheric clubby. sounding album... definitely sounds appropriate for the time it was released. still good. listen!
Liked it. Will not listen again
That's not my taste in music - But ok
Great sound, I can definitely see how he influenced the whole genre that we hear today.
Eh, it was alright.
Straight 2hrs of boom bap beats. I get beastie boys vibes from all the sampling. I know him from nobody speak but that’s about it. Wouldn’t add this type of music to the rotation but it was a chill listen to and from work.
I've heard a lot of praise for this album but never listened 'til now, other than a couple of tracks. My first impression was of slight surprise and disappointment at how a lot of the tracks sound like background lounge music. The more mysterious and unorthodox compositions (like Building Steam and Stem) are much more my kind of thing though. I'm sure this broke new ground but I don't exactly know in which ways or to what extent. A benchmark in extensive sampling, maybe? I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it was (and to a lesser extent still is) quite an impressive feat of music production.
I never got the DJ genre in the late 90s and early 00s. Groovy, yes, but so repetitive and boring.
Was wondering why it sounded oddly familiar, it's composed of samples. Building steam with a grain of salt stood out
Found myself enjoying parts of this and zoning out of others.
Good tunes. Can at times be really good background music.
I just learned that this album is almost all samples and now I don't like it as much
mildly interesting
Found myself listening to It a couple times. Didn’t know what kind of music It was. Interesting
5 starts for homework music, 2 stars for active listening
Very good beats and very relaxing.
I don't know what style this is but I kinda liked it. Definitely something else. The beat was really nice and I loved the voices in the songs. Considering 4.
While the individual tracks are at the very least great, this is kind of a hard listen for me from end to end in one sitting.
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A potentially high score here - some intriguing and original samples, some (ahem) dope beats and proper old school scratching. Plus Shad already has a lot of goodwill from me for his collaboration with De La Soul on Rocket Fuel. But despite some interesting stops along the way (eg Organ Donor) it's a bit too meandering and drawn out to be a really enjoyable end to end listen.
I really enjoyed this. It’s really inventive and varied. But energy dips in a few places which makes it slightly less enjoyable to listen all the way through.
I've heard it many times but it's not something I like to hear in full unless I'm studying. I'm not in school any more so it just felt so long. Great impactful album but it's just okay.
Really good
I first discovered DJ Shadow with its work in UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction. That album played a significant role in shaping my musical journey toward atmospheric rap. I hadn’t listened to this particular record before, but I can definitely recognize UNKLE’s vib, especially in the drums and the saturated bass. And what a surprise, Dan the Automator is once again involved. It’s alternative rap, and it really resonates with me. If some tracks are not that creative, I globally enjoy it.
A few classics in there.
The first few tracks made me feel like I was in a movie. Bur after 20min I got bored. I guess I'm not a huge conceptual hip hop girlie.
Im feeling generous today
Intressant om än ojämnt. Bra rythm-drive. Stark trea!
Damn these beats are fire, should get someone to rap over these.
New genre to me, and while it was interesting in a way no tracks truly blew me away as outstandingly great. Maybe I don’t understand the complexity in weaving samples together, but it pushed into the background and was hard to distinguish individual songs. 3.25/5 enjoyed but don’t see myself coming back
When I was a freshman in college, my friend said my music was too white and put some songs on my ipod. And that was my introduction to DJ Shadow. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Another one I'd call "fun", but also another one that I wouldn't consider "great" even though I enjoyed the album and thought it was a solid listen. As someone who doesn't listen to much instrumental hip hop, I found the compositions and use of sounds interesting and well done. I can't say much more about it, though. That probably has to do with the style of music; it's something I could enjoy having on in the background while doing other things, but not something I'd necessarily have on as my main focus for its hour+ runtime. Overall: 3/5
Never heard of DJ Shadow. Album was decent. I’ll listen again when I’m more stoned and would probably give it a 5.
It's good, but it gets a bit stale. I love sample-based albums, but I think it's tough to make one that's as interesting as it is creative all the way through.
Pretty cool vibey
Neat use of samples and good beats
decent
A bit hit and miss for me. Some songs were on the boring side.
För det mesta sköna beats. Men det saknas ju något - dvs "sång". Nobody speak tex är ju grym, tillsammans med run the jewles.
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Day 23 like this one - though it is very different from what I would normally listen to. #musicsky #albumsky 3/5
This was fine background noise. Didn’t leave much impression for me though.
This album was pretty good, once again just beats. I wasn’t blown away nor was I disgusted so this belongs right in the middle I think. I was hoping for a little bit more because I really liked the album cover lol
Best Foot Forward n/a Building Steam with a Grain of Salt 3.7 The Number Song 3 Changeling / Transmission 1 3.3 What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) 3.8 Untitled n/a Stem/Long Stem / Transmission 2 3.4 Mutual Slump 3.5 Organ Donor 3.4 Why Hip Hop Sucks in '96 n/a Midnight in a Perfect World 3.2 Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain 3.3 What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 - Blue Sky Revisit) / Transmission 3 3.4 Score: 3.4
Turntable-Sound, typical 90s electronic music.
W sumie całkiem niezłe, ale bez rewelacji. 3/5. Kilka utworów do zapisania. Ciekawy klimat całej płyty.
chill. would play it around a campfire at 3am, or on a night drive home. not sure when else, though
I think this is one of those where it was pretty groundbreaking at the time, but then the gimmick got copied so much that it doesn't sound so groundbreaking now. This is a '90s instrumental hip hop album that is basically all samples. There was plenty of sampling going on by the '80s already, but this does take it to a level that feels more '00s to me. I generally found this more enjoyable than some of the other trip hop type stuff that I've gotten on here. I think he pulled from a pretty wide range of artists (including Bjork), which kept this pretty fresh throughout (there were a lot of bounce backs after songs that I didn't really like). It almost feels like an art piece or something, very ethereal throughout. Also a bit jazzy at times which I liked. Anyway, this was enjoyable enough but firmly in the 3 category for me. Solid listen, I could imagine coming back to it it the right mood. Favorite song: What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 1 Other: Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt, What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 4, Stem/Long Stem, Transmission 2, Mutual Slump, Organ Donor, Midnight In A Perfect World 4/1/25
Way better than I thought. It might be the definitive sample and drum beat hip hop of the 90s
Good vibes. Did not expect a Twin Peaks line thrown in there, good stuff.
Solid 90s dj set nothing else to it
garage band vibes... here for it
Cool and fun
Pretty bland to me, had some nice songs though
Some of it I really enjoyed, it kept me engaged by consistent vairations of whatever the fuck was going on. But at other times I was bored by an 8 minute song that just didn't need to be. Overall some cool stuff in there!
Bom disco de trip-hop/chill, mas serve mais como trilha sonora do que algo pra apreciar ouvindo.
One day I'll find the non deluxe or re-released album so I won't have to complain about it being HOURS LONG. Also I'll be so fr I thought he was a black British dude not a white American sob emoji
what does your soul ... good
This was oka
This was huge in the nineties but I haven’t listened to it in ages. Let’s see how it holds up. It’s funny how some of the most popular instrumental hip hop nowadays is “chill lo fi beats to study and relax to”, that was so heavily influenced by this album, yet is so different. Yeah this has lo fi beats but it’s not chill. It’s engaging and alive and it tells a story. It does feel dated though. Compared with say Boards of Canada which is still interesting to listen to. This is more of an historical artifact. I mean it’s a nice listen and definitely merits inclusion on the list, but I wouldn’t put it in any personal favorites list or anything. Three stars.
It was a bit better than expected, but the bar was low
Some interesting stuff and as a drummer some of the beats were really good but there’s not enough here to make want to come back and listen again.
There are some standout tracks, like What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) and The Number Song. However, some tracks become repetitive to the point of annoyance. Overall, the album falls somewhere in the middle. While I could give it a higher rating, it ultimately feels like a fresh way to recreate similar music using new technology.
I like this style but primarily as background listening. Interesting enough to tune into but also to focus on something else while it goes on in the background. I don’t mean it as an insult to categorize as hip hop elevator music. But this can probably be playing in a Whole Foods.
Some good diverse tracks here and there. But the thing about hip-hop without the bars is that it feels... lackluster? Like the entire time I felt like there was some essential ingredient that I'm missing.