Back in 1996 DJ Shadow aka Josh Davis released the album Endtroducing, probably one of the most influential cutting, scratching, and sample-heavy productions of all time. Everyone from Cut Chemist, to Q Bert to Kid Koala have shown how much that album influences their own DJ work today. With that kind of pressure, it's no wonder that Shadow has taken six years to make a proper follow up. After 1998's collaboration on U.N.K.L.E. with James Lavelle and a handful of vocalists, Shadow is back to work making new magic out of old vinyl.
The Private Press is all over the place, with everything from a mother's loving message from the year 1951 on the song "Letter From Home," to the frustrations of a traffic jam comically strewn across the track "Mashin' on the Motorway." Only Shadow can mix together what sounds like a French Nascar announcer and a baby's cooing and make it sound this funky. The new album isn't quite Endroducing, but nothing will ever match how groundbreaking that album was. Shadow is still at the top of his game and armed with his milk crates full of wax he's still getting it done.