Endtroducing.....

A gloomy soundscape of samples that piques the attention here and there. But I reckon it is a bit too long or could have used a bit more variety.

No es muy mi onda pero tiene buenos ritmos y me entretuvo en una caminata de una hora. No creo volverlo a escuchar pero leeré por qué es tan importante.

I think i am not quite feeling this album, but it is ok. I appreciate the love of music that is obviously behind the musician. Husband once described this style of music, (off-syncopated, skipping rhythm, not always a consistent bpm) as "music for people who are not worried". I may listen to this album again , but it wont be in my top favorites.

I was not familiar with DJ Shadow, but his influence is obvious - there is crazy skill to the complex art form of DJing/mixing, and doing it well. "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" somehow hit me hard.

I'll take L'Orange over this any day of the week, 3/5

I confess to not having listened that closely, but I don't feel like relistening, though I liked this. This is an interesting album--I don't think I know anything about intrumental (if that's the right word) hiphop. Cool beats, interesting compositions. This was definitely too long. No further analysis. My gut says 3 stars, but it's definitely a high 3.

I'm someone who is broadly very into drum & bass and I can see how revolutionary this album is for sampling considering how exciting so many of these beats still feel. However, could not make it through. It went LONG. I finished under duress

Decent album remember enjoying it more back in the day. It’s got a interesting sound but does drag Light 3/5

Haven’t heard this in ages and was expecting to enjoy it more than I did. It was a nice trip down memory lane, and it’s really nice to have some variety on this list. However, as an album it totally do it for me. It’s a pretty low key maudlin vibe, some highlights, but some elements that’s more technical skills than something to really vibe out on. I prefer my trip hop a bit sassier.

Not memorable

Again good background music not a goto for me

Surprisingly enjoyable actually. A nice easy listen for background noise at work.

I really do love mashups — truthfully, honestly, and totally. It's a fascinating kind of music: to take pieces recorded at different times, in different places, with different people and under different contexts and still find a way to make them work together. I never would have thought that "Basket Case" would sound so nice layered on top of "Fireflies" — or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" over "The Final Countdown", or "Bring Me To Life" over "My Heart Will Go On", or... I could go on. When done just right, the mashup can be a truly incredible thing that elevates every song involved and makes you appreciate them just that much more. And if I like mashups that much, you can only imagine how I feel about sampling in hip hop. Especially the ones that go above and beyond with their samples: the Dust Brothers' work on PAUL'S BOUTIQUE, the Bomb Squad on FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET, J Dilla's DONUTS, and of course today's album... Naturally, this kind of hip hop beat-work operates under a different mentality, skillset and end goal than regular mashups, but they still come from the same place. It's all about manipulating existing work to create something bigger and greater than the individual pieces. Like, it's amazing listening to this album keeping in mind that there was nothing new recorded for this album, besides the record scratches if you wanted to count those. Everything here comes from an existing record or film or whatever, but all structured and manipulated in a way that you can hardly notice. For real, I listen to some of these and I can't imagine how they were strung together. They sound like they were recorded this way fresh. And, true, part of that might be because I didn't recognize anything here except for a snatch of "Orion" early on... But still. I can't pick out where a sample begins or ends. So on a purely technical level, this album is a marvel — I mean, goodness, it inspired Radiohead to edit drum loops for OK COMPUTER. And I won't tell you it's not a great listen. Sure, it's an hour, but it remains pretty engaging for its runtime. It's just... If I have any problem with it, it's that it's not just instrumental hip hop and sampledelia — it's that it's also trip hop and downtempo. These aren't just supposed to be beats without raps over them. They're also meant to be chill, ambient, trance-like... And, look, I don't take much issue with trip hop. There's songs I like, even in mashups; check out "Golden Teardrops" by Wax Audio. But... I know I just said that this album remains engaging, and I meant that. I really did enjoy listening to this. If there ain't some times, though, where it's really easy to slip beneath the surface. Like, I put this album in conversation with PAUL'S BOUTIQUE, FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET, DONUTS... And it belongs there, of course. It's a seminal piece of plunderphonics; I'm not trying to downplay what DJ Shadow did here. Speaking just for my own tastes, however, I don't 100% think ENDTRODUCING..... entirely stacks up as an experience. Take DONUTS on its own, even. I'm not about to compare Dilla's techniques to DJ Shadow's and definitively declare one better — I mean, it **is** damn criminal that it's not here on this list, but that's besides the point... You listen to any random song on DONUTS and no matter what mood or energy it's going for, it never demands anything less than your complete attention. You're left captivated at every flip and turn Dilla makes these samples do. Hell, just how he manipulated the drums on "Don't Cry", with little regard to any of the other sounds on top of them. As well, there's also no track that runs over nine minutes, and that's not nothing. ENDTRODUCING....., for all of its positives, and there are many, just doesn't inspire me in the same way. Y'know, it's kind of like the Kleptones' double album UPTIME/DOWNTIME. I've listened to the "UPTIME" half of that album a fair bit for all of the fun ways it mashes up and strings together various sources. It's entertaining **and** impressive. Meanwhile, the "DOWNTIME" half... DOWNTIME is ENTRODUCING....., and ENTRODUCING..... is DOWNTIME, and I'm not surprised I haven't really listened to either in years since I first nearly fell asleep to them. When this album popped up from the Randomizer, I was really excited, honestly. Again, I love mashups and sample-based hip hop production. There's nothing more interesting than cutting and pasting old shit together to make new shit. It's basically a more direct version of how music has always grown and evolved. I was ready to slap this thing with a 5 just from that alone. But, I'unno, over the course of writing this, and especially once I put DONUTS on to soundtrack the back half... Jeez, I've come to feel like a 3 is more appropriate? Which pains me — I've repeatedly emphasized how much of a feat and milestone this was for sampledelia. A 3 feels like undermining it. I just can't lie about my feelings, though. Hearing DONUTS again and thinking about the best stuff off of PAUL'S BOUTIQUE and FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET... Or, heck, stuff like Danger Mouse's THE GREY ALBUM, or even more traditional "rap vocals on non-rap instrumentals" mashup albums... Jeez, and I haven't even mentioned MM..FOOD yet — how in the world has **that one** slipped my mind until now? Like I said, it just comes down to the fact that ENDTRODUCING..... is downtempo trip-hop. If I'm in the right mood for it, sure, I can let the soundscape carry me along. More often than not, though... I mean, it's not like I expected this to be MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, y'know? So, yeah, as much as it pains me, this is a 3. Still worth checking out, if for nothing more than DJ Shadows's technique, but if you ask me, any of the other albums I've mentioned are much more engaging experiences. And seriously — I hate to complain too often about what is or isn't on this list, but it's damn criminal that DONUTS and MM..FOOD aren't here. Honest to goodness...

It's pretty interesting this was created almost entirely of vinyl samples. And although it's not original music, he seems to have tinkered with it enough to make it his own, and rearranging and building music like this is a creative art and impressive endeavor in itself. That being said, this was mostly just chill mood vibes, and it didn't super resonate with me on a deeper level. Enjoyed listening though!

7/10 Buon album di strumentali principalmente hip hop ma con cenni di noise Tutto fatto con il sampling, tecnica che adoro Sicuramente utile anche come sottofondo per lavorare

This wasn't a bad album but it's not my style.

It's a good album, I'd have given it a 4 if there were actual lyrics and not just instrumentals.

A good time

It sounds like royalty free background music on youtube videos. It's fine and I think DJ Shadow is talented, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Good beats but not want I wanted

cooli rhythme, sphärisch, jazzy wenn au oft repetitiv, bass-prominenz gfallt mer. fänds glaubs als dinner-hintergrundmusig no toll, devo abgseh passiert mer ned gnueg 🤔

Fing geil an, chillige Samples, wurd mir mit der Zeit aber immer stressiger und meine Bewertung immer weiter gesunken.

Would listen again as ambient music; an interesting experience; tough to pick favorites but i liked floating along with this in general

Not something I’d normally listen to but was ok for something different

Really cool album.

record scratch

El álbum tiene un concepto interesante y puede servir como música ambiental para un día de lluvia, quizá. De todas formas, es un álbum que rara vez volvería a escuchar.

Enjoyed it in the background.

Great chilled album

If nothing else, this album is one-of-a-kind. A compilation of our favorite movie lines, TV Show themes, a pinch of Metallica, a pinch of arcade, and as a result, we get an entire album of samples. Favorite Track: "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 – Blue Sky Revisit)"

Was skeptical reading the description but lots of cool grooves put together, creative idea. Enjoyed it much more than expected.

Cool vibes but it wasn’t quite right for just a listening experience. This one needs a party or hang or something to share. The influence is clear and wide-reaching. But I couldn’t fully engage with just headphones on.

Got me in the flow fr. 90's turn table and drums vibes. I realized halfway through that there's no vocals LOL. Record sampling is dope af.

It didn't work for me. Considering the time it was released and the skillful work that went on with a primitive device such as an MCP60 sampler, I am sure a lot of folks from the late 90s resonate with the album and have high praise. Sampling as an art form sure has come a long way, and to go back to the origin and enjoy the same in the present is hard, like a marriage that never worked.

First album I've been excited by. Definitely a passive listen, really good for in the shower

Solid instrumentals album. Some of them reminded me of ones I would listen to on YouTube growing up. That said, want too great. Standouts: Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt, Changeling, Stem/Long Stem, and What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 1.

ist ok

An album that has clearly much more effort than payoff, in my opinion. It’s no doubt a landmark hip-hop record, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get tedious fairly frequently. Quick couple minute tracks like “Organ Donor” would’ve strengthened this album a lot, which would be more akin to the stronger Donuts by J Dilla.

Endtroducing… is undeniably cool, enthralling, and innovative for its time. You could even say that at its heights it touches on the sublime. I like it a hell of a lot more than The Avalanches’ Since I Left You, that’s for sure. Still, trip hop is just not really my bag. Much respect though, and glad I listened. I’ll always hold this record in high esteem as a landmark of the genre and one of the boldest, most interesting LPs of the 90s.

Artiste inconnu. Classé dans le Hip-Hop, mais sans chant, ce qui est un vrai plus (+2) pour moi. Les samples sont biens choisis. Même si certains morceaux m'ont parus longs, ils restent variés et pas trop répétitifs. J'ai apprécié l'écoute de cet album. Il ne rejoindra pas ma collection, mais je pourrais avoir envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>3/5

Gonna assume this was vital in the development of lo-fi beats to chill to.

This album screams 90s hip hop. The samples. The lyrics. It’s all there. It’s all what you’d expect. It’s not a bad listen, but certainly one that I wouldn’t’ve found on my own.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to. Who knew that bunging loads of samples together could be pretty good. Instrumental Hip Hop? liked it!

Nice sound, good for background music.

Midnight In a Perfect World has a good beat. Otherwise, not really a music genre I listen to.

Ah, so hip-hop doesn't always have to include rap. That's one positive - no filthy lyrics to endure. Another positive is some of the drum work, especially The Number Song and Mutual Slump. But instrumentals only go so far with me. It was fine, but I probably won't listen to it again. Oh, and bad album art.

Nice album, easy listening

Nothing amazing. A good album to clean I would say. 3 stars. Positive tendency.

excellent throughout, not what I was expecting, enjoyable and sent me looking for more

The cover artwork for DJ Shadow's album Endtroducing..... serves as a nostalgic homage to the hip-hop culture of the '90s, encapsulating the essence of crate digging. The photograph effectively portrays the dedication and passion behind sampling. While the image is evocative and relevant, it lacks a striking visual flair that could elevate it further. The simplicity of the design reflects a raw authenticity, but it might not captivate those unfamiliar with the context. Overall, it's a fitting representation of its era but doesn’t stand out as particularly innovative or memorable in the broader landscape of album art. Album artworks rated: 21/1001 The music's not really for me.

I liked the samples :) 3/5

Would really have to be in the mood but cool concept

Massively regarded, but why??

Not terrible at all. Not really my thing, but there were some nice moments and I didn’t feel the need to skip anything on my drive to work. Listened twice. I’m unlikely to come back to this regularly, but I’m glad I listened to it and as an indicator it certainly belongs on the list

One, two, my test. One, two, my test. Is this mike on? Oh, we’re recording? Oh, OK then… this is Why Hip-Hop Sucks In ‘96 It’s the money. The album gets better if you know he built it from samples and wa made in his basement. Pretty impressive (2.9*s)

DJ shadow was/is a pioneer in cut work no doubt and I do enjoy a good sample track. This was a smooth, chill "instrumentals" album that does well as background. It was a little too slow and I do prefer some other cut chemists in the game more (i.e. RJD2, Coldcut, Lemon Jelly, The Avalanches...) but DJ Shadow has earned his place. "Organ Doner" got heavy play from a buddy of mine in college during many a Sunday smoke sesh. I give props to artists that can produce a full album built purely from samples even it doesn't seem original...it takes skill. Most of the time, these DJs do better when they collab with MC talent and I think this is the case for DJS but a solid 2.52 stars for endtroducing me to the project.

Great album! Just what I needed that day.

Good mix. Will need to come back to this one to try appreciate it some more

Hmmm... jest mi smutno, że nie mogę dać więcej, bo bardzo chciałem. MEGA dobry początek, ale kurde, ok. 75% płyty nie tylko nie wywołuje u mnie efektu wow, ale trochę mnie nuży... Słuchałem całości 3 razy ze sporymi przerwami pomiędzy i ciągle ten sam wniosek. Dlaczego CHCIAŁEM? Bo imo to perełka na tej liście, coś świeżego i innego, no i sample potrafią być zajebiste i dosłownie robić niejeden kawałek. Do tego jak wspomniałem przywitał mnie BARDZO dobry początek. Idk, może doceniłbym bardziej resztę w pakiecie z tekstami (?). Jest OK jako całość, ale spory niedosyt.

More interesting than I expected, sounds pretty complicated to make, but it's about twice as long as I really wanted it to be. Worth listening to, nice background vibes.

Interesting

interesting

ok but not more

clearly succeeds in its aims, though the final result feels a bit like muzak. pleasant & forgettable.

Ok so I've thought these thoughts from the beginning but I really think this should be a 10 rating system not 5 to better understand the music but alas, here we are so I'm going to break down MY system 3- obviously fine to listen to, usually popular, nothing wrong or jarring 4- I liked it and was intrigued, excited by possibilities, want to explore the artist, would listen again 5- I'm buying the album, will listen to many times or already have Now the bummer 2- I get it from a critics point of view, probably very easy to sample from or ground breaking or they thought was fucking genius. I listened, I heard, I'm good 1- I did it. That's it. I feel it's hard to give a 1 but that fucking Leonard Cohen Album the day after elections made a 1 a possibility and now my personal standard

great

Absolutely loved some of it. Some of it made me feel completely uneasy.

Cleverly crafted but surpassed by many of the artists and albums it helped spawn.

Det var faktisk overraskende godt. Det her er mere min form for hip hop. low tech, og ren beat uden forstyrrende rappere ind over det hele. Fik det hørt 2 gange over weekenden.

I enjoyed this album a little more than expected. It was great as background music in quite a busy day. Excellent chill level and some awesome sounds!

Endconsistent..... Some parts of this were really good. I was grooving a little. Other parts dragged on the same repetitive sample way past the point of boring and into annoying territory. Overall I appreciated it but I think it could've benefited from an editor.

the mixmaster, assembled from his massive collection of vinyl, pulversing with endless snippets - beats, piano, instructional LPs, old funk singles. definitely an album to be admired for its craft. if it sounds dated, that is partly because so many people lifted ideas from it, so this form of making an album was very popular for a while

From the time perspective it was something else in 1996. Today sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn't. Although "Organ Donor" is a timeless type of beat itself.

Might actually be the first proper DJ-ing record I listen to. Banging grooves.

Not bad but not really memorable

It's the production approach and beat making skills of what's usually consigned to be back-up support in music, taken to the extreme point where the otherwise dominant element of hip hop, rapping, becomes extraneous. This one's been in my regular work-listening rotation for years. Does a good job keeping out other noise, interesting and varied enough to not become annoying, but relaxed and chill enough to not demand attention or take focus.

20-25 minutes is enough.

I like the ideas presented but it doesn’t keep me as engaged as I would have liked.

3.8 really funky I liked it

Much like J Dilla, DJ Shadow uses beats that are just a hair off kilter. The results are either engaging or annoying. I kept going back and forth on this one and just couldn't figure how to rate it. So it gets a three.

嘻哈知名专辑……所以这是什么，采样是什么……好像有几段还可以？

Really enjoyed those tracks, going to listen to this again.

Sure, the beats are cool but hip hop without rap has a ceiling on it.

3.2 You have to respect the imagination and technical aspects of making this album but for me, it doesn't rise above being really good background music

I was really looking forward to this, but honestly this is a bit of a letdown. Whilst I can tell this was cutting edge for the time, and the mix of samples together on a lot of songs was genuinely great, it was just really missing that oomph that I would be expecting from an instrumental hip hop album. Comparing this to Donuts by J Dilla or the Rappers Best Friend series, does this stack up to those - which are my favourite instrumental albums? I don't think it's even close. Definitely cool record and a worthy listen if you're trying to study or work and want something interesting to focus to, but as a greatest/must listen album of all time this doesn't hold it's weight.

Lowfi chill hiphop beats to be disappointed/disinterested to (10 hours).

This was enjoyable background music, especially for a drive. Appreciated that the mixes were more music than vocal.

The drums were alright which was what seemed to be used a lot thus it determined what rating it received

this was an interesting album. it fell into background music but I enjoyed hearing the piano, violin, and slower tempos sampled. would I seek it out to listen to again, doubt it though.

Fast Car is such an incredibly perfect song. The rest of the album is quite good too, though it’s not something I can see putting on often.

Ok

5/10 chill beats... 10-21-2024

While this is something I typically wouldn't listen to, I found it to be quite enjoyable and interesting as it is a unique concept.

I played this album twice. And then discovered that I'd actually listened to a thing called "Endtroducing Re-Emagined" It's very dull and not at all engaging. Then I found the 'real' "Endtroducing...." and it's a whole lot better. Not brilliant, but rather pleasant to listen to!

I guess this is one of the premier trip-hop and sampling records? Pretty good if you like that stuff. A bit sleepy.

Interesting. Highly sampled. I almost liked so many songs but it leaned towards heavy repetition and some harsh sounds.

Album d'instrumentale hip-hop (samples). Intéressant, après je préfére clairement quand ya un rappeur sur les prods. Les samples étaient cool, car plutôt uniques. Je garde cet album en tête pour poser !

Some Fitnessgram pacer test type shit. Was nice to work to. I may return to it for that reason. I probably won’t relisten otherwise.

Better than I thought it would. I understand why it’s on the list. Don’t want to listen to more though.

Megfáradva estem neki az ötödik óra elektronikus zene után, de ez nem is volt rossz! Izgalmas, váratlan és végre valamelyest érzelmes zene. Kategóriájában az eddigi legjobb, amit hallgattam. Szóval kösz, algoritmus, hogy nem csak az uncsi diumdisumot nyomod bele az arcomba.

not bad, but not really up my street

Not bad

Can't believe I never really listened to this. It was ubiquitous in the 90ies and I listened to a lot of music that sounded like this and was inspired but this but somehow never got around to the origin story. With 2024 ears it sounds quite dated. I like the film soundtrack samples with a hiphopbeat aspect but the scratching and the endlessly repeated film dialogue samples feel, well, very nineties. It's also quite serious. I got more into this kind of thing when it turned into fun party music (Fatboy Slim, Wiseguys etc). Might be related to the fact that I've never smoked dope in my life...

This was good. Interesting and experimental. Heavy mixing of familiar tracks to create new songs. Nice background music. 3/5

I liked this more than I thought I would based on the description, but probably won’t ever listen again (sorry, Joe!)

DJ Shadow is a lame name so my expectations were v low but enjoyed this more than I thought. Mostly the beginning of the album then I felt it got weaker

Above average interest-wise electronic music for someone who doesn’t ordinarily listen to this type of music. Acoustic instruments or very realistic ones are mixed in with the typical electronic sounds.

- Super foundational sounding. seems to lay the groundwork for a lot of what slum village, dilla, flylo, nujabes, the avalanches, and other beatmakers were doing in the 2000s. - Do i hear some european DnB / industrial influence? Is this dude Bri'ish? - Breakbeats and sampling are 100% reminiscent of the 90s but timeless when considering the decades of mimicry and inspired tracks that follow. - I bet this was pretty avant-garde at the time

It's just music!

Vibey, mostly instrumentals

Not for me

This was fine. Liked it, didn't love it. 3.3

Perfect example of a mix when you're out, has a lot of opportunities to remix but also perfect to chill on you headphones

Semisti latisti fiiliksiä kun luki miten levy toteutettu. Oli ihan hauska matka läpi erillaisten biisien ja kolme kertaa pyöräytin läpi. Oma suosikko Stem/Long Stem

Instrumental, smooth hip-hop, pretty enjoyable - got my head slow bopping

You know when it's a DJ that there won't be any original music. That being said, I really enjoyed his mixes and even recognized some of the samples. Anyone that samples Bjork is ok in my book. I'll say this, I enjoyed the album enough to actually look up the references. It was a bit of a nostalgic ride through the nineties. Tribe Called Quest, Nirvana and Twin Peaks...there ya go...I'm in. I will definitely listen to this album again.

This is definitely one of those albums that is on this list primarily because of its influence. I didn't particularly care for it, but Wikipedia says it was really important so I suppose that's worth at least three stars.

Pretty interesting listen, even if I’m unlikely to ever come back to it again.

Unser chill-Act bietet eine angenehme Mischung aus Lounge-Musik, die mit Nuancen von Acid, Techno und Soul angereichert ist. Es ist ein interessantes Werk, das sich perfekt für einen entspannten Sommernachmittag am Strand eignet. Die Tracks schaffen eine entspannte Atmosphäre und laden zum Verweilen ein. Allerdings fehlt dem Album das gewisse Etwas, um wirklich spektakulär zu sein. Die Kompositionen sind solide, aber es gibt keine herausragenden Momente, die im Gedächtnis bleiben. Insgesamt ist “Endtroducing” ein gutes Album für Hintergrundmusik, aber es hebt sich nicht genug ab, um einen bleibenden Eindruck zu hinterlassen. Perfekt für entspannte Stunden

never heard of this album before now - throughly enjoyed tho

Sounds like the background music in a video game. I don’t mind it but it’s not active listening material.

I don’t think I properly respect this sort of thing as an art form. I often like hip hop that is built on samples, and Shadow is one of the best at that. But removed from that context, a record of samples stitched together, existing entirely for its own sake, rather than working as a foundation for something else, maybe just can’t do it for me. I know what he’s doing is impressive and cool, but I don’t know that I care.

Alright to play in the background.

I started off really liking this, there was a lot more musicality than I thought there was going to be and it felt like all the samples were elevated and used thoughtfully instead of just being a reference to that song you know. That being said it did drag a bit and lost me in the middle. Some bits I really loved but maybe it was just a little long. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would but I didn’t love it.

Meh. It's fine. Has a few great moments, but boring overall

It's a fun album, I had a good time listening to it. It's got a ton of really nice beats, really deep and rich sound too. I can respect what he's doing, but to me, beat albums can feel incomplete and can get boring kinda quickly. A couple of features would have taken this album a really long way.

Made mowing the lawn significantly more enjoyable

Nice and cool but will only be background music 6/10

Building Steam With A Grain of Salt takes this thing up a notch

I really enjoyed it, if maybe a bit dated. But I had to listen to it 3 times.

It deserves an extra star for being interesting, at least the way it was made. As for the music it’s kinda just forgettable

Not at all what I was expecting but ended up really enjoying it. Not much lyrical content and mostly sampling with very cool beats.

This would be a great album to drive late at night to. I can’t see myself just casually listening to this, though. I think there is talent at cobbling together a bunch of samples and making it sound this good. 3/5

Building Steam is pretty badass. I enjoyed working to it. “Number”song dropped it quite a bit for me and I had to skip that track and then the rest was a bit of a mixed bag. I liked parts of Stem and liked What does your soul look like and Organ Donor as well.

Clearly technically very accomplished, but didn't give me the musical equivalent of an wedgie. Probably of those where you want to nod wisely when someone mentions it "yes, yes, of course I've listened to Endtroducing" but that you will never listen to again.

Amy could probably listen to this at work. Definitely a prelude to the lo-fi focus beats that Youtube has in droves now.

it's hard to form an opinion on it because of the sampling making it so... erratic I guess. It does get props for being the one album so far where I've added a song. The vibes are good I need to sit down proper and analyze the whole album but as a vibe it was nice.

I mean… it's alright, but perhaps due to just being used to this sort of instrumentation, the album just comes off as another drum focused electronic album in the 90s. Is that fair to this album? Probably not, but that doesn't stop me from feeling like this an album with far more importance to those who were alive during its creation. That isn't a mutually exclusive rule, but I fail to think more than "that was neat." It had some cool parts: the intro to Mutual Slump was brash, sudden, and a pleasant surprise, and I'd say from then on the album was hitting a cool groove in my head where I understood the hype a little more, but a lot of the other tracks felt too mellow for me to get anything I couldn't get from an album I'm already familiar with. An album probably influenced by this, no doubt, but that doesn't change that I'm just not feeling as impressed as I think I should be. It suffers from the curse of the 90s length album, and while the scratching was neat, anytime it wasn't there I didn't gather anything from it that wasn't already acquired via Aphex Twin on the mellow side, or the Avalanches on the plunderphonics side. I can recognize the quality, and as I said, "part three" is pretty great, but there's too much to sift through now to get any deeper enjoyment from it, in my opinion.

I like the fragments of time all throw together into a backbone of beats. The existential feel is appealing for a run on a dreary day when you’re lost in your new neighborhood.

Up until this record, most people picked samples so the sample set the mood for the song. DJ Shadow took samples and turned them into something completely different. Cut them up, change the accent, etc. So it's an important record for the development of music. However, like a lot of other groundbreaking records (black sabbath, frank zappa, run dmc,...) , I wouldn't recommend it to young people. Because by today's standards, it's not that good. Favorite song: organ donor.

A bit dated

Var skeptisk men till min förvåning så var det ganska okej.

Maybe it's technically proficient and 'cool', but let's be completely honest: this gets boring after 15 minutes. It's not bad and it's not good. It just is.

Very clear and defined hip hop rhythms here, and I'm sure a lot of them would work great as backing tracks for a strong vocal. Unfortunately, I personally think a lot of them become a bit repetitive and slightly boring without a vocal to break the monotony. 'Changeling' makes itself noticed by being _only_ 7min long, but somehow making it feel like 15. Great if you feel like time is moving a bit fast and you need to slow it down. But a great listening experience it does not make. Further down the album around 'Transmission 2' the sound starts becoming more ambient which I enjoyed a lot more. The album also feels a bit like what we'd call a "shitpost" in modern meme culture with tracks like "Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96" serving as a one-off joke jab at the genre. Seemingly 'What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt.' 2 & 3 has dropped off the album, which I find funny for some reason. 'Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt' seems to be self-reflection, and biographical which I found kind of cool on the 2nd listen Standouts Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt Transmission 2 Mutual Slump Transmission 3 "Guess who's coming"/5 (3/5)

I didn't know what to expect from this album. Did not realize that it was going to be completely instrumental. It was a pleasant surprise, and quite enjoyable.

This was fairly chill to listen to although there was a bit too much scratching in parts and a few spots where the vibe was interrupted by uncomfortable musical phrases.

Yeah sure it was fine.

I’ve always liked DJ Shadow’s single from this album: “Midnight In a Perfect World” but an album of just samples is a bit too much for me.

6/10. Pleasant music with some nice beats to it.

Interesting.

It lasts over an hour Good tho. Bit long but enjoyable. High 3 baby

It's cool but I always love a vocal

A good and well produced rap album. Practically instrumental, few lyrics, but with a great vibe. It was a pleasant surprise!

I lack the expertise to adequately review this. But I didn’t hate it, was slot at times. 3?

This is fine. Not my thing, but it’s fine. 2.75/5

Some cool beats, especially towards the beginning, but ultimately just background music for me

Eigentlich ganz nett, ruhige Passagen wechseln mit schnelleren. Melodisch.

Interesting and full of samples

I liked it more than I thought I would.

Not bad, though would possibly not listen to this a lot.

Intrigerend album, bestaande uit enkel beats en samples. Begint wel erg lekker met sterke tracks maar ergens zit de angst in slaap te gaan sussen in de loop van het album. Dat valt mee. Tuurlijk kom je met de elektronische beats in een soort flow terecht, maar DJ Shadow knalt er af en toe iets geks in waardoor weer even op het puntje van je stoel gaat zitten. Intrigerend concept en verveeld niet. Dus sterker dan gedacht. 7,5/10 Highlights Building steam with a grain of salt

Cool concept, elevated the sampling game, interesting listen but not very moving for me. In-mixer effects a bit gratuitous. Give me Paul’s Boutique over this any day.

Solid beats. That's all I've got, I'm on 4 hours of sleep right now.

Interesting for sure. I’m always fascinated with this era and style of producing. It reminds me a lot of The Bomb Squad at times. That being said it also feels like it’s missing something to me. It’s just too easy to dismiss without an MC on top of it.

Lots of good beats and samples. Several songs felt like they were missing something.

Decent background music. Not super stimulating or profound. 2.7

Interesting - best suited for inactive listening / playlists.

Not bad.

Interestingly forgettable

Great example of a samples album, clearly influenced a lot of hip hop.

Second time listening and both times I went in excited but both times I haven’t gotten much out of it. Points for being arguably first album of all samples but the Avalanches do it so much better a few years later. Rating: 3.2

3.75

When i listened to this at first i was SOOO with it like some of the samples in this shit had me hooked but it got more general i fear as it went down. I would listen to this again to study tho i enjoyed

light 3. ya know a lot of this music doesnt really hit me like that like its cool like its a fun concept but im not really on top of it like that. the ones that i did like, like i actually like significantly more than the other songs on the album like sampling this really chill shit really gets my balls hot. where did the other what does your soul look likes go. i like those 1. What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 2. Midnight In A Perfect World 3. What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4

This was pretty cool DJ music but also was annoying at times. I liked it overall. 3/5.

Interesting vibes. Probably won't listen to it again even though I liked it. - 7/10

This was aight. Lyrics r usually a nice touch and this wasn’t super lyric heavy. Don’t know that words would change my rating tho. 6/10

5/10 - Some of the samples are pretty cool and they do a good job of bringing them into the music. Some of the songs however are quite strange. Building Steam with a grain of salt and changeling I enjoyed parts of and some of what does your soul look like was good too however, it was all just kind of strange.

Never really been able to get into instrumental hip hop stuff. J dilla’s donuts is pretty good, but otherwise I just kinda find it boring. I tried to listen to this album a while back and didn’t really like it, this time around it was just whatever.

not bad, similar vibe to "pretty lights"

I had much higher expectations than what this was able to deliver on

Not my usual listen. This was ok and pretty much blended into the background. I listen to a lot of chill instrumental music at work but I probably won't revisit this. I'm adding an extra star for not having to listen to some guy boast about his money, his guns or his dick for an hour.

I suspect this one would take a few listens to get under the skin. From a casual listen, it's clever but not captivating.

Huh, that was different. Glad I had this experience, but I don't think I liked it? The concept was really interesting, but I'm not sure the product was worth it. Many of these songs are quite chill and easy to relax to, but then the album slaps you with something less chill and kinda disconcerting that really ruins the mood. Not bad, but I can think of many other albums I would rather use to relax to.

This is chill, was nice to study to. Feelin a solid 7/10

ok tönt noch vieeel scratches aber finds bis jetz (bin bim zweite song) huere geil. number song au easy geil, ich check monig ob alles samples sind. okay s sind nuuuur samples der boi het gegraaaaben. what does your soul look like isch seeehr spacey cool. finds seeehr schwierig zum sege joo de song usch so und de isch so, wells sehr inenand ine flüsst und so. midnight in a perfect world isch huuere geil lieb s e piano mit phaser. tönt noch labi siffre.

Must have been revolutionary at the time. Has maybe lost some potency given the prevelance of sampling in modern music.

No thx

pleasant to listen to. didn’t skip anything. but probably won’t go back to it.

I enjoyed a lot about this record, but for me, it doesn't reach the heights of Unkle's Psyence Fiction. That said, I still like a lot about it, especially after repeated listens. Favourite tracks: Changeling, Stem / Long Stem - Medley, Transmission 2, Midnight In A Perfect World

Some interesting ideas and experimental tracks here. Sample work was also interesting with the sample of Metallica's Orion on The Number Song being particularly effective. The light jazzy elements and bass line of What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt.4 was a nice change of pace from the more disjointed sounds of the rest of the album. Midnight in a Perfect World also offered some lo-fi escapism which I enjoyed. Favourite Track: What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt.4 Least Favourite: Mutual Slump

I find the DJ work more interesting than a lot of the rap I'm seeing on this list, still, what makes them so unique that they need to end up on a "must hear before you die" list eludes me. I enjoyed the listen for what it is.

This was super cinematic and I could only engage with this album when I was actively listening. There's a LOT happening but there's something about this that definitely feels like it was way ahead of it'stime! !

Endtroducing is a marvel, it revolutionized hip hop, electronic, and ambient music. It’s an album crafted almost entirely with samples, making something totally new out of scraps and pieces in a way that had never really been done before. Although it’s an amazing piece of technical production, unfortunately the album generally doesn’t really appeal to me. I think I’d feel differently if the album was 100% instrumental and didn’t have breaks with spoken word samples. Unfortunately those bits really just take away from the immersion for me and dilute what is otherwise a fantastic ambient instrumental hip hop album.

Sometimes harsh and grating but overall very nice

Very chill, maybe too chill?

Impressive technically, overly long 3*

Liked It more than I thought I would.

Several tracks got on my nerves a bit but overall I thought it was really chill. I’m usually not one to listen to instrumental music but I actually really felt it this time. One thing I did not like was how I would find myself really loving the beat and getting lost in it a bit but then it would be interrupted by a random sample of someone speaking.

Pretty dated

I only know of Dj Shadow because of his collaboration with Run THe Jewels and their song “Nobody Speak”. While I can acknowledge that this took a ton of time, devotion, and skill to put together, it’s not something I’d regularly listen to. I’d give his other albums a listen and see if that is more what I enjoy. I do think it deserve to be on the list as it’s an unique style.

Chill beats and wide range, DJ Shadow knows how to make and keep a mood

Really nice instrumentals. Something my dad would listen to.

would give it a 3 and a half if i could but there’s no half stars

Not bad but not something I would go out of my way to listen to, except in the background.

Different. Not sure what I just listened to. Sometimes sounds like the sound of street musicians playing percussions add some synthesizers. I would. It pick this but was not terrible either

Uh oh. Wikipedia defines this as “an instrumental hip hop work composed almost entirely of samples from vinyl records.” That doesn’t sound good. Well, let’s see. Some of this is OK in a background sort of way. Except for the fact that it is all collages of other people’s creativity. I can see the technical achievement of cutting and pasting bits into a new whole, but I don’t especially enjoy it. There’s a nice range in mood and tone, but I’ve never liked scratching, I don’t really appreciate the completely sampled thing. The various spoken bits don’t add much, with bits like: “And I would like to be able to continue to let what is inside of me, which is…. Which comes from all of the music that I hear, would like to let that come out. And it’s not really me that’s coming… the music’s coming through me” I can see where this was perhaps groundbreaking and influential, and maybe even a landmark for what it is. But I simply don’t appreciate what it is. 3/5

Everyone was obsessed with this when it came out. It’s good chill background music. Inoffensive. Nicely nostalgic?

Love changeling

DJ shadow was a big influence on a lot of the music i loved late 90s and i'm happy for his continued success. In the 90s I had no idea who made any of the music i heard at raves, but i loved it. What this record in particular made me think about was the lost art of scratching. There really were only a few DJs who ever got to a master level: Terminator X and DJ Jazzy Jeff being the top ones of my youth. People that could make random noises come together to make a whole new sound is really wild to me. Anyway, I personally find it hard to really get into instrumental music without the help of some stimulant / dopamine drugs and dancing my ass into a myocardial infarction so i cant give this more than 3 stars.

Had then same experience with a DJ Shadow record I've had many times before. I put it on, it sounds good. I like it. It was good to listen tomdriving around on a sunny afternoon. Not one track jumped out at me though. The dude hath no bangers.

Schön chillig.

more real early hip hop. Lots of samples and instrumental apart from adlibs. Good enough for background to get a 3

This was interesting! Not anything I would have chosen to listen to on my own, but was some relatively neat background/instrumental music that I enjoyed.

I accidently listened to the first disc of the "Deluxe" version of Introducing, so I heard some longer cuts. I thought the album was dope. Something I wouldn't mind listening to on a chill day at home. Loved it.

Remember this being a thing back in the day, but never loving it as much as Massive Attack or Tricky or other mid 90s precursors/contemporaries. So, good to return too, even if it leaves me feeling exactly the same. S'alright. Preferred some other stuff.

Nicely constructed album that has some of the more nimble and diverse uses of sampling that I've heard. Surprisingly evocative at times. Mostly fun to listen to, but my main critique is that it gets a bit repetitive. I needed it to be several songs shorter. Fave Songs: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt, Midnight in a Perfect World, Stem/Long Stem, Organ Donor, Changeling/Transmission 1, Mutual Slump

good ambient album

driving rhythms through endless samples and loops. not normally an instrumental guy, but this is pretty good. solid effort.

A mix of really good and boring tracks throughout. I wish more beat tapes would either shorten the run time or if they insist on being an hour long, find a way to keep the listener's attention.

Pleasant DJ sounds, but nothing Earth shattering.

I enjoyed a lot of this. Changeling was fantastic. However, I don’t really buy that it was such a sea change when it was released in 1996. Reading through the Wikipedia and there are quotes saying it set the bar for hip hop and other grandiose statements because of its use of sampling. But this album came out almost ten years after Paul’s Boutique, which basically did the same thing as this album in terms of sampling. I was 5 when this came out so it wasn’t really on my radar at the time. So maybe it was as important as they say, I’m just not seeing it.

A very interesting album. It's an incredible use of sampling, and there's some awesome hip hop beat on here. Some very creative songs, but my main complaint is that it sort of dragged on.

Exciting at first, but ultimately repetitive.

rly impressive that you can make smth so cohesive just out of samples. it’s very well done! just not super engaging

Not bad

Niet zo boeiend

Very cool beats, driving and funky. This reminds me of a more chill J Dillas Donuts. I think I'm learning that I have a harder time getting into music without lyrics in this process. This is rad but did not hold my attention

It's pretty neat that the first real all-sampled DJ album came out sounding like this. It's not my favorite kind of music, but the history is really cool.

I didn’t love the album. I also didn’t dislike it. Gave it about two listens and I more so enjoyed it as a background noise more than an album I sit and listen to intently. Overall, the feel of the album takes me back to the days of playing a game like NBA Street V3 and those are good memories.

Some good tracks like Changeling, Midnight In A Perfect World for the most part and What Does Your Soul Look Like pt 1. Also some odd choices, like a sound that reminds me of Chewbacca. The drums are sometimes too busy for my tastes.

I was so pleased to get this album as I have been meaning to listen to it for ages! I wasn't sure what to make of it the first time around but after a bit of research to actually understand what it was I liked it better the second time. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Organ Donor, Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain - Medley Rating: 3

I was going to give it a 2. But it's 2 good for a 2. It gets a 3.

It was ok background music but some of the songs were grating and were immediate skips. Did not finish the album.

Some songs are cool...

It's aight. I enjoyed mutual slump and realized it was actually a maybe a bjork or portishead sample I was enjoying, but the nonstop wide open drum and cymbals kinda grated. overall really like some of it, particularly the down tempo bits and the conversational clip type samples were cool reminding me of the way sublime did similar.

- relatively enjoyable listen - It’s good, but all instrumentals and many of them got stale over the run time. I can appreciate it tho

Þetta er alveg ágætt að mestu leyti. Hálf-peppuð chill-tónlist. Er það a thing?

Really excellent sampling, a road map for what's to come. Has had a lot of influence on what I like, and includes a healthy amount of politics in the darkened tones of classic 90's hip hop

Endtroducing is a somewhat pioneering album with some of the ways Shadow manipulated sequences into tracks. I respect it. But I don’t really like it. That said, I’m not sure that this is really meant to be “liked” in the normal sense. I think it’s meant to really make you think. And it does a good job at that.

I’d never heard of DJ Shadow before but I was fascinated by this album. I listened to it 3 times and I want to hear it more.

What a pleasant surprise

Solid. Lo-fi. Not my thing.

A classic! I had this on loop in high school, happy to revisit it as it has been a while since I last listened to Entroducing... There is a lot more filler/down moment than I remember, but still a fun listen. 3/5

Good background music

Is this never ending?

I know it's instrumental, but it always sounds like someone is about to start laying down bars and it never happens. Oddly frustrating that way.

This is the second DJ album I’ve gotten this week and honestly I think the first one is better and more dynamic. However, the technicality should definitely be appreciated for this one

Not my cup of tea

I liked this more than I expected to. Cool concepts and production.

Good and interesting one for a listen, don’t need to hear it again. But it sent me down a rabbit hole of similar music, which was a good time.

Will I listen to an hour and three minutes? Not likely, but not what I was expecting at all. What genre is this? Trance? Trip Hop? I'm thinking it's it's own genre. Just read that this is composed almost entirely of samples - interesting challenge to compile it all into an organic whole. Let's see if DJ Shadow can actually do it. The whole issue of sampling... especially if it's ALL samples, who gets credit for the compositions? Is this the same question of AI using art already in existence to create something new? Is ANY piece of art new, or is everything influenced by what came before that then gets built upon? I honestly don't know what to think of this album. I mostly enjoyed listening to it, and I think I comprehend the amount of work required to pull and put together enough samples to fill 63 minutes. But if every beat, every note, every riff, and every word is taken from someone else.....🙃. Would Andy Warhol even have existed if somebody hadn't designed the Campbell's Soup label first? Is it 63 minutes of some radical new fusion or 63 minutes of shit? Can't decide so it gets ⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 36 🎧 LPs left to review: 965 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 9 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 12 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 10

Matig 90s albumpje, bij sommige nummers droomde ik wel lekker weg, vooral What Does Your Soul Look Like. Echter kwamen die luie, slepende drums me na een paar nummers wel de neus uit. Hier en daar wat herrie is DJ Shadow ook niet vies van.

Needs more lyrics was just beats

When I’m in the mood, I’ll return to this.

Not my bag, but I was and am determined to listen to whatever comes my way. I believe this is where 'trip hop' had some of its beginnings? Really enjoyed this album and will be revisiting.

I get it that this album is important in the way it was made and the craft involved but its not something I would listen to again.

3.4 - It was good, but not sure how much it did for me. Maybe I'm being a little bit snobby

Another album full of instrumentals. No groove, no melodies. A DJ with nothing to dance to. This is the closest for sure I would give a 2 star review to. The guy must be doing something right though. Not for me.

Very different songs. Sometimes a little bit too much experimental.

Did not expect to like it, was actually surprisingly decent.

Not bad

Nicht ganz meine Linie, aber definitiv gut zu hören.

nicht mein Geschmack, als Hintergrungmusik ganz gut

Amusant et cool mais fort répétitif au final

Pretty good

Kinda interesting.

Wel oke, beetje chaotisch

I never thought i would like this kinda shit but its crazy good and innovative, i've never heard anything like it. For non vocal driven music its great

Lofi

Boom Bappy Basement indie/r&b/rock/hip hop? Chill beat driven grooves. Lots of experimental sounds. Jazz undertones. Giving off Moby Vibes -What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt1 ... and Pt4 -Midnight In A Perfect World

All over the place in a good(?) way. Artists pulls you into beats and allows you to get lost in the groove before abruptly pulling you out like a splash of cold water to the face.

easy to listen to. hypnotic

I could have sworn I’d listened to this before. I’m quite familiar with the album cover, and its existence, but I don’t believe I’ve listened to this before. I’d say I’m a fan of hip hop, but beats albums are rarely something I like to listen to - Dilla, Nujabes, Oddissee, Karriem Riggins notwithstanding. I can’t say this one is really doing it for me, either. I appreciate its significance and quality. It’s definitely well crafted, but as far as wanting to put this on… it’s not chill for any significant length of time, and I’m not much of a partier these days. I don’t hate it but I just don’t think I’ll come back to it.

Not my style

Ok nice hip hop å ha som bakgrunnsmusikk. Er dette tidlig lo-fi hiphop??

Synes sangene var ålreit, men ble litt kjedelig i lengden. Hørtes ut som noen bare hadde laget masse sanger, uten å ha funnet noen til å rappe over dem.

Not familiar with him. Music was not really my thing but couple of songs were good.

Moody, Atmospheric chopped up! Some of it was ok.

Ziemlich cool eigentlich, könnte man öfter mal hören

Fascinating. Enjoyed it and exactly the kind of thing I would never know was out there without this list. 3.5 stars

not really my thing, but has 1 or 2 cool songs

Had not heard this album before or this artist (unless it was mixed into a compilation I am unaware of). I enjoyed it and saved one song to a playlist. And i want to listen to it again, which is always a good sign. I think i’ll need some time to have it seep in, but might, in time, be an even bigger fan. Great to have on while working.

Some great instrumental soundtracks I am certain have been sampled in other artists I like. The more industrial tracks were a bit too intense for me though, bringing the rating down. Favorite track was what does your soul look like part one

It's decent studying/relaxing music but not much more than that

Before yesterday I had no idea who DJ Shadow is and that the album Endtroducing..... exitst. I had no idea what to expect, but I was surprised with mellow, laid back, and sometimes lovely melodies. Some of the songs, like "Midnight In A Perfect World" had strong Trip Hop vibes, which I liked. On the other hand, I felt that some of the songs are too long and repetetive. This clearly isn't my genre, but I enjoyed listening to it, however, I don't think I'll pick it up ever again. Hence my rating.

I’m rating this 3 stars due to its historical significance and place in the evolution of hiphop and electronic music. But personally I could never truly get into it and at times it feels like a pretty sonic wallpaper, almost a collection of radio jingles. But it would be a very cool radio station.

A lil bit like Hello Nasty and Fates Warning

It is great as a background music, but in my opinion is missing some catchy melody or progression, and it feels a bit flat throughout its length.

Gave this album a fair listen but nothing really does it for me. I love a good instrumental/beat album but nothing really stood out to me... I will give props where they are due though because DJ Shadows ability to mix, sample and produce a track are top notch.

Atmospheric in places

Remarkably pleasant instrumental hip-hop. Not boring and not intrusive and great music for just hanging out or doing work. I don't generally enjoy instrumental music like this, but this does feel different. Would I turn it on again? Quite possibly not, but it deserves a place on this list and I am happy I heard it.

good reading music

The crowning achievement of a massive crate digging undertaking. 3 vinyl discs out of 5 📀📀📀

3.5

Like a weird hip hop jazz type electronic album. One of those late 90's albums that maybe helped grow the genre. I'm not sure, I thought it was fine.

This wasn't bad by any means, but I'm also not really sure what this was supposed to be. Most of the tracks didn't sound like songs, just a beat to rap over. Maybe that was the point, I don't know

Definitely an interesting project, but it didn't really appeal to me.

Good

pretty cool but