DJ Shadow Biography

Joshua Paul “Josh” Davis, aka DJ Shadow, is an American record producer and DJ from Davis, California. His career extends over almost three decades during which time he released 5 studio albums, 6 live albums, 6 compilations albums, as well as multiple remixes and mix albums, extended plays and singles.

Early Years & Musical Style 

Davis was born in 1972, in San Jose, California. He became passionate about music during high-school. He then studied at the University of California, where he worked as a DJ. During that time, DJ Shadow developed experimental hip-hop and began releasing complex singles, such as In/Flux and Lost and Found. He gained recognition due to his ability to mix various elements and influences, from funk, jazz, soul, ambient, to rock and hip-hop. In 1991 he started to release remixes through Hollywood BASIC, notably “BASIC Beats Sampler”. In 1993 he founded the Solesides label, with Blackalicious and Lyrics Born.

Studio Albums 

In 1996, DJ Shadow released his debut studio album, “Endtroducing…..” to immense acclaim. It reached number 17 in the UK and number 37 on the US Heatseekers chart. Additionally, it was greatly appreciated by critics. Alternative Press declared it “an undeniable hip-hop masterpiece“.  In 2002, his second album, “The Private Press“, came out to an even greater success. It marked number 44 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two top 10 singles. The next albums, 2006’s “The Outsider” and 2011’s “The Less You Know, the Better” only made it to number 77, respectively, number 149 on the same chart. More recent, DJ Shadow released his fifth album, “The Mountain Will Fall”, topping the Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

Photo credit: The Noise Gate