Endtroducing

#329 in Rolling Stones 500 greatest albums of all time. A true sampling tour de force, and an absolute MUST HAVE in the collection. Endtroducing not only changed my own musical trajectory, but did the same for many others. There was a palpable shift in music in the mid to late 90’s. As the golden era of hip hop came to a close, and many other genre’s found it difficult to find traction among the pulse of true heads, bands like Limp Bizkit, and Korn seemed to tap into that frustration and create It’s own movement. Although it ultimately proved superficial, it showed how starving we were for legitimate artists. Endtroducing was one of those albums that filled the void, and moved the entire musical landscape forward. Although obscure and unorthodox, it revitalized our passion into what music can be and where it can go. Built almost entirely from samples, this album is the centerfold for plunderphonics. When conventional “radio” and “TRL” cuts became tired and oversaturated, Endtroducing was a breath of fresh air amongst hazey and polluted horizons. If you haven’t been acquainted with DJ Shadow’s magnus opus, familiarize yourself with the quickness. It’s utterly captivating and magnetic, and somehow still sounds like it could have been made yesterday. A fresh 25th anniversary pressing was recently released and is quite easy (for now) to track down. Highly Recommended.