Endtroducing.....

Sampling is obviously a large part of hip-hop, but rarely is it the MAIN focus these days. This album in particular might be one of the best examples of sampling used purely as an art form. In fact, I think this was the first of its kind in that regard and certainly a novelty given the state of hip-hop in 1996. Everything just flows nicely due to how wonderfully mixed each track is. Heck, the "tracks" can really be considered compositions if you wanna go there.

Classic album that has unique atmosphere

Although I'd heard the name, I'd not heard anything by DJ Shadow before this album. I feel like I have been missing out. Endtroducing is an original and intriguing album. I gave it several listens and, although it didn't do enough to get a full five from me, I enjoyed it quite a bit. A strong four.

This album has me remembering just how much of my music I got from World of Warcraft pvp montages. I bet you World Of Roguecraft still goes hard to this day.

Beautifully layered album with a lot of sounds and textures scattered throughout. Doesn't feel like it completely commits to a mood however. Great stuff otherwise. Extra half star for Twin Peaks sample at the end.

Awesome. I like to picture the guy spending years creating this, poring over every transition, every sample, every beat... Some very cool moments. Solid 4. Wish I could give it an 8.7 out of 10.

Pretty cool and unique album. Loved some of the heavier beats

What is there to say about this one. Was very important to me in summer 2016… spooky as hell in the best ways. Still holds up. Maybe a wee bit long winded or slow in parts but dammit i guess that’s what he wanted out of the whole thing. Is nice and comfortably numb. FOUR!

cool

This album is really fun to listen to

Fav: Stem / Long Stem - Medley Least Fav: Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain - Medley Whatever this genre of music is, I want more of it NOW

*Cool lo-fi beats in several songs *Unique approach with the sampling, but a cool sound

Fun stuff - knew about of the history behind this and I've listened to the original once before, 10+ years ago. Amazing what he/they have done here!

Favorite tracks: --Building Steam --Stem/Long Stem --Transmission 2 --Organ Donor --Midnight in a Perfect World

It's obvious to me that The Kleptones and Girl Talk and others do not exist without this record. And I am not well versed enough in the genre to talk with ANY authority. But this is eminently listenable and explosive. It builds on what I loved about Public Enemy (and they must be on this list somewhere) but this is not a political polemic. At least not obviously. This is to Hip Hop as Brian Eno was to Glam Rock. OF the genre but building on it and creating something new, yet familiar. In the end I found myself losing interest. This could be because it is over an hour long, as most albums of the 90s were and, while none of it is filler, I just think that's about 15-20 minutes too long to sustain interest. It really doesn't matter the genre.

This was a very interesting discovery and a cool listen. The Twin Peaks quote in the last track was just the icing on the cake.

There's a nostalgia here for me. I dig this album. Not just for the decent tracks that it contains, but for the music that this album helped open. DJ Spooky, Kid Koala, RJD2, Dan the Automator. It was the music of the late 90s early 00s for me. Tricky 's Maxinque, Massive Attack's Mezzanine, and the Sneaker Pimps' Becoming X. Shadow went on then with UNKLE and the rest of his solo work. This shit has groove. While this isn't his best work, it still has some killer moves.

Muy lindo trip hop. Inesperado. Nota: 3.7

Grooved to it while coding. Would listen again.

Still sounds great and could easily have been released this year and wouldn’t sound dated. Brilliant album

Didn’t fancy this but was pleasantly surprised.

Have listened to this a number of times before. Very much enjoy it. There is a little bit of filler in the album/a tad long. Nonetheless, a solid album.

I'm not into rap, but this is pretty good!

I liked this one. Thought it was a little chaotic at times but I think I enjoyed that. 4 stars

2003 is calling and it wants my CD back (yeah, I didn't discover this album for a few years after it was released but when I did, it was ON!)

I’m a fan of the plunderphonics genre and while this one doesn’t go as crazy as some it’s still a very enjoyable sound

Strange, unique, experimental, and great vibes, are the words I would use to describe this album. I really enjoyed this.

This was fun and interesting. I prefer a more instrumental sort of hip hop, like this.

Phenomenal sampling, super super smooth, early trip-hop and DnB emerging.

The album creates an amazing atmosphere only using samples, which is pretty amazing. From the first second it drags you into this world which feels surreal, trippy, hypnotic and fascinating. Every song has an amazing progression to it, which makes it feel like a whole adventure. Stem/Long Stem's drone-y melody and post-apocaliptic vibe make it feel like a song from a spy movie. Building Steam with a Grain of Salt is one of my fav songs here, has an eerie, wintery atmosphere in the first half and then after a short drum solo it tranaitions into this absolutely mesmerizing finish. The drums in general are absolutely insane and hard af on this thing, just so cool. Most of the album is kinda chill, but then Mutual Slump comes at you with those crazy blasting sounds, idk what it even is but sounds hard as hell. Also love how the song has those calmer sections that then build up to chaos again, reminds me of how Modest Mouse structure their songs a lot. And Midnight in a Perfect World is just magical. The rhythm is so addictive and the dreamy guitars and faint vocal samoles make the song feel exactly like its title. I really don't have many complaints about this album, maybe the only one is that I don't have s trong personal conection to some of the songs I didn't mention. This is probably one of the stronger 9/10's for me and who knows, maybe one day it will join the 10 club.

I’ve never heard of DJ Shadow, so I’m excited for this one. It's amazing that this is all samples and drum machines. Pretty sweet bass lines throughout, especially "What does your soul look like, pt. 4." Easy to play but slaps. Very cool beats, easy to listen to. Pretty cool album, reminds me a lot of trip hop like Massive Attack. Not sure which came first.

It feels at once hypnotic and fragmented, drawing the listener through shifting textures, layers, and emotional tones. There’s also a melancholic, almost spiritual undercurrent — a sense that Shadow is archiving forgotten cultural fragments and giving them new life.

Very good background beats

I’m finding out that I love a good instrumental hip-hop album (“Donuts” by J Dilla anyone?). This isn’t something I would have found on my own, which is why I started this project in the first place. Really awesome beats throughout, and an overall great listening experience.

Some of the songs perfectly capture the eery sounds of a stoned city in 90s. Good stuff.

actually really good easy listening

A very mediocre album overall. DJ Premier is fantastic, but I find this to be his most basic production…very simple loops. Guru isn’t a fantastic rapper as well. He lacks a lot of charisma you could get from many rappers

Still pretty good. It was the first type of album I'd heard like this from a DJ so has a special place for me. 4/5 cover art.

This was great! I think I only knew one song (Midnight in a Perfect World) but I really enjoyed the entire album. Great sampling, great mixing. Really showcases how much of an artform good sampling can be.

V good for reading/working as there's no words.

A creative and interesting landmark in the art of music sampling. It's often chill, but there's a haunting melancholy that I connect with. I find myself switching from active listening to passive throughout. It's been a good album to throw on while I'm working on a project.

3.5 RYM

Extremely creative all around. The sampling work is genius and really shows that sampling is a transformative art form. This album would probably have been perfect if some of the fat had been trimmed off of some of the songs. I haven’t heard too much music like this, and the music like this I have heard came after. I can’t imagine how revolutionary this must’ve been at the time. 4/5

I am not entirely sure what that was. But I am moderately sure I enjoyed it.

Bon album électro!

4-

My first thought was... oh no not yet another random hip-hop album please... I've been on a long stretch recently. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with this album that I had only vaguely heard of. It's chilled, very well made, instrumental (apart from sampled vocals) hip-hip, and I'd say bordering rather on trip-hop (which I love). The drums, as the only "real" instrument, hold it all together. Enjoyed the sound of this, tastefully sampled and expertly mixed, and I understand DJ Shadow was quite ground-breaking. Can't give it a 5 because without other people's music, this album would be nothing but an hour-long, boring drum solo. Of course all artists "steal" but not to this extent. But it's a 4 because it sounds great and is well made and is (was) novel.

I had never heard of DJ Shadow before, so I had no expectations going into this album. I have to say that I was quite impressed by this album, especially since it is quite outside the genres of music that I normally listen to. I found the instrumentals to be well constructed and engaging, and the album does not stick to a certain sound for too long. The overall atmosphere presented by this album is very pleasant and I could definitely see myself relaxing to this album in the future.

Fedt!

I can tell that it’s musically incredible but kinda boring to me

Whacky, totally different to the later stuff I’m more familiar with.

This was a weird one as the first time I listened I really didn’t take to it, but second time I listened more closely and turned out there is some good stuff here. Why are all the albums in this genre so damn long though. No need

-ough hell yeah.. this is like my third time listening to this album and it gets better every time. so entertaining and creative -makes me want to go on a long walk through a dimly-lit city in the middle of the night too bad that’s not rlly safe -there are some genuinely beautiful and mesmerizing tracks on here too… they’re not ALL mindblowing but there’s something new to discover with every listen. 4.5 stars -Favorites are Changeling, What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4, Stem / Long Stem - Medley, and Midnight In A Perfect World

Another 90s trip-hop-ish record. Perhaps 'DJ Shadow' was legit in the 90s, but now it feels more some 10 year old would name his rogue in World of Warcraft. Staying true to his name, many of the songs had quite ominous and evil sounding samples for being trip-hop, like 'Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt', 'Stem/Long Stem', or 'Organ Donor'. Felt like they could feature in either The Excorcist, or one of the Resident Evil games. Overall I felt like the record was a bit of a roller coaster. There were some really good tracks, like aforementioned 'Organ Donor', and especially 'Midnight In A Perfect World', and 'Changeling', and then there were quite boring drum heavy ones like 'The Number Song'. The transmission songs were also a bit... edgy. Overall the album was stronger at the end. I think I'll give this a weak 4, knowing it fits me quite well, and while there were lowpoints, I still enjoyed listening to it a lot.

I have such respect for people who worked with sampling pre-digital sampling. Just the amount of work that they had to put in is insane. Because of this I’m really impressed with this album. Still, even without the technical feat, I think the music is good on it’s own. There are plenty of good, dark, menacing trip-hop beats on this album and even though it ran for an hour it didn’t get boring. Favourite songs was probably “Building steam from a grain of salt” and “Stem/long stem”. Previously I only knew DJ Shadow from their very good colab with Run The Jewels “Nody Speak”, I’m glad to have found out he has more to him. All in all, a very good trip-hop album that I will come back to more times, it just lacks some more killer tracks to push it past a 4 star rating.

A masterful job layering samples -- musical, found sound, interviews, otherwise. I've said it before: I don't really know much about music that's not primarily made with instruments. this is compelling, though. It's dark and moody but also lively and infectious. DJ-based music like this may not involve the person named on the album playing every instrument but it certainly reflects a deep understanding of music. I first encountered DJ Shadow's music in the 2000 documentary, "Dark Days" (by Marc Singer), focusing on people dwelling in a disused train tunnel beneath New York City. It's easy to see why he was picked for that soundtrack. This is an easy 4/5 for me. Not life-changing but worth a listen anytime and well worth revisiting, whether for study or fun.

Very sympathique

Atmospheric hip-hop beats that feel quite haunting & provocative. Almost has a dark & heavy feeling to it despite the lack of lyrics. The album has a good pace to it, with ebs and flows in intensity, and I could easily get lost in it's tone and grooves.

This was a bit unique, but I had Organ Donor in my library already. I think this is a 4. I wouldn't call it Hip Hop or Rap though.

I'm actually really enjoying this. It's not my taste in music at all, but it's really nice to listen to. Reminds me of when I would listen to the Joseph Hann tracks from Linkin Park.

Really enjoyed this. Good background music for work or around the house probably. Will make me listen to more DJ Shadow in the future.

Hate being a late millennial

I had low expectations of this and was very pleasantly surprised. I thought it was going to be one of those 90s dance albums but it was something entirely else. I'm not exactly sure what, mind, but something else. A bit hip hop, a bit experimental, a bit ... sounds. Some tracks wouldn't feel out of place on the soundtrack to Alien, and to me that's a good thing, so this album was a good thing.

Did not expect for the album to be an instrumental, i thought it was gonna be a hip hop rap album. the instrumental samples were really enjoyable and calm, I'd listen to this when im studying or trying to relax, which is... kind of weird to say to hip hop?

I hadn’t heard this before. I really enjoyed it. There were so many great beats and you ask tell this guy is passionate about what he makes.

4,0

Very cool. Butter than most classic rock albums until now.

This just sounds cool like it was meant for something else. Feels like it comes straight out of a 90's sci-fi has since become a cult classic (looking at either Ghost in the Shell or Strange Days). I kinda wanna relisten to it now. Maybe not 5 stars but it's probably the coolest album I've ever heard.

Groovy beats

Nice to revisit this album all these years later. Still has the same feeling as the first time I listened. Great music to chill to after a long day or on a lazy weekend. Also, a great album to go down the rabbit hole with on Whosampled

i like the vibes, really good to work to

almost entirely made up of samples, this 2 year endeavor of DJ Shadow was groundbreaking in the world of sampledelia and instrumental hip hop / trip hop. Great album.

Great beats, great production , wish I wasn’t as hungover when I listened

Endtroducing….. – DJ Shadow (1996) | Instrumental Hip-Hop / Trip-Hop | Avg: 7.85 | Favorite Song: “Midnight in a Perfect World”* Endtroducing….. feels like a sonic collage that’s as moody and hypnotic as it is meticulously crafted. Even with a few tracks unscored, the ratings paint a clear picture of consistency, with most songs sitting in the 7 to 9 range. “Midnight in a Perfect World” stands out as the pinnacle of the record; it’s eerie, soulful, and beautifully layered, capturing the dreamlike aura that makes this album a standout in instrumental hip-hop. There’s an emotional weight here that sneaks up on you, track after track, as if you’re drifting through a late-night radio broadcast from another dimension. What’s interesting is the number of interludes, and how it doesn't seem to disrupt the flow. That might actually speak to the seamless transitions and ambient cohesion of the project. DJ Shadow isn’t throwing out obvious bangers, but instead building a mood that lingers. This isn’t an album where every track demands attention; it’s more about the experience as a whole. And while that means some moments blur together, the consistency and intention behind the production make Endtroducing….. a landmark listen in its genre, especially for those who like their beats introspective and cinematic.

Surprised that this was actually really good background music for work. Great album? From what I can gather it made its mark as landmark recording in hip hop in 1996. Context is important. a 4. Not a 5. why? I've surprised myself by wanting to play this again, but I think it needs something more to be great. That may be my remaining bias speaking.

I’m a sucker for instrumental works like this, so this album was right up my alley! Loved the samples and lo-fi beats, and how they changed from track to track. I can see why this album is so influential!!

This isn't the type of thing I would just listen to. It didn't seem like the goal was to entertain, but rather to engage deep thought. It was very similar modern art just in musical form. It's something that's meant to be the focus of your time for sure, not just background noise.

Not my usual genre but I enjoyed it!

Solid, delightful samples. Great album, best so far

I know nothing about the DJ world. I don’t know what makes them good, or well-regarded, or renowned. I can only base my score on the music, and I like some of the moodiness of this DJ Shadow album.

Really enjoyed this. Fresh take on sampling and still relevant 30years later

Dj

This was impressive and groundbreaking for the time. Nowadays it blends in a bit with it's contemporaries, but the first half of the album still slaps. 3.5/5 - > 4/5

Instrumentals that keep you engaged and keep suprising. Organ Doner as a stand-out track, among others. Good album, definitely coming back to it.

Love the bass in all of the tracks. Find myself vibing to the music in the background. Pretty repetitive, but very nice for just chilling or working/studying. Still feels fresh, like I'm listening to it in 2025, not 1996. 8-12-25 1:15 am

I’m not always a fan of pure instrumental hip-hop. I feel like so much of the joy in hip-hop is in seeing the combo of killer production with a great rapper, the pairing of poetic production and lyricism. For all its strengths, I often feel you end up missing something if the vocals aren’t there. With that said, I was really pleasantly surprised by how well DJ Shadow kept my attention the whole time. Really well-structured album with a lot to enjoy, great sampling and beat creation, and a surprisingly easy-to-follow narrative given the lack of pure words. There were several songs that achieved a kind of flow state, where the meaning of the record sort of flowed through the beats. Really great stuff. With that said, a few songs didn’t quite work for me, with either samples and beats that didn’t quite meet in the middle in terms of a consistent time signature, or else production that was just to busy to get all the way into. Still, a great record with a ton to love.

It took a few tracks but by the middle of this album I was surprised how much I was enjoying it. Some of the drum and jazz samples were really engaging , crazy how much rhythm can be created by samples and loops. I do find myself looking to judge this album a little more harshly as a dj mashup without traditional "musicians" but what it gets docked for this, it makes up for with how cutting edge this album was. I do think there are so many artists now that sound just like this but from my little bit of research, it sounds like Dj Shadow and Endtroducing were the first to do it.

Really good to just vibe to while driving The bass in what does your soul look like 4 is incredible

3.6 1x flagged to listen again

It reminds me of funk. It would be great to listen to on a night drive. I kind of like it

A beautiful, very atmospheric record that I come back to every few years. As one of the main players of the Mo’Wax label, DJ Shadow helped bring instrumental / abstract hip-hop to maturity while staying true to its underground roots. He perfected the art of layering, made a few fantastic albums, and yet never stopped being a DJ (I’ve seen him perform in a club in the early 2010s, and he didn’t disappoint). His first album displays the same weakness many abstract hip-hop LPs from that period do : it’s a bit hit-and-miss, with some excellent ideas and some less judicious ones. Another thing I regret is that Shadow is not really a scratcher, something that could have benefited some of his compositions. Overall, this album is still a classic for me, even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. Building Steam, Stem and Organ Donor are haunting, eerie pieces of music that I never get tired of. Ideally I’d rate it a 4,5*. It’s really a pity that the most abstract side of Mo’Wax is so under-represented on this list. DJ Krush, an even better artist than Shadow in my opinion, would have fully deserved a place here – but apparently it’s almost impossible to be on this list if you’re not American or European.

Álbum revolucionario para el sampling, un álbum que sorprendentemente me gustó de mucha formas y me hizo un paraíso sonoro.

Really good stuff - it's nocturnal, sinister - don't need the mythology around sampling to engage with this but it does help elevate it as well.

More of background beats for a rap song but honestly the beats are interesting, well mixed and feel like the necessary base to great songs that are unfinished

That was really interesting and I am surprised how much I enjoyed it.

imagine waking up NYD 1996 and listening to this for the first time. world building music. 4.5/5

This was enjoyable background music. a pre-cursor to lofi beats.

Holy moly, what a cool piece of art. Sometimes i forget that i like this trip hop stuff, but this LP reminded me vehemently. On this fusion kitchen of hip hop, funk, soul, jazz and rock DJ Shadow proves that this guy knows how to cook. Bonus points fornthe context again. This is entirely made out off samples, which is fun. Found that Radiohead got inspired by this for some parts of OK Computer. Thank you for that! So why not 5 stars?!

Dense, captivating, classic of the genre. Top Three Tracks: What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt.4, Mutual Slump, Midnight in a Perfect World Least Favourite Track: Organ Donor 8.5

Have listened to this album many times in the past, fantastic album

Das Debütalbum Endtroducing... des US-amerikanischen Produzenten DJ Shadow wurde vollständig im kalifornischen Studio The Glue Factory produziert. Es gilt als ein frühes Beispiel für ein Album, das ausschließlich aus Samples besteht, ohne dass dabei konventionelle Instrumente zum Einsatz kamen. DJ Shadow arbeitete mit dem Sampler Akai MPC60, um aus Hunderten von Vinylfragmenten ein zusammenhängendes Klangbild zu erschaffen. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Werk im Spannungsfeld zwischen Instrumental-Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop und Downtempo. Die Tracks folgen keinen traditionellen Songstrukturen, sondern sind collageartig zusammengesetzt. Besonders bekannt wurden Stücke wie „Midnight in a Perfect World“ und „Building Steam with a Grain of Salt“, die sich durch ihren melancholisch-rhythmischen Aufbau und eine sorgfältige Dramaturgie auszeichnen. Das Album entwickelte sich über die Jahre hinweg zu einem Referenzpunkt für samplebasierte Musikproduktionen. Es markiert einen klaren Gegenentwurf zur damaligen Pop- und Rapproduktion und wird häufig als stilbildend für eine experimentelle Herangehensweise an elektronische Musik eingeordnet. Endtroducing... ist ein durchdachtes und in seiner Form geschlossenes Werk, das einen prägnanten Moment in der Entwicklung instrumentaler Hip-Hop-Musik dokumentiert.

Outstanding! Genre defining and really creative sampling technique in this long in the making debut album. Was waffling between 4 and 5, but will round down for the time being. Fave tracks: “organ donor” (what a beat!), “changling” and “napalm brain”.

Engaging and clever, I might listen some more as background music.

Pleasant surprise.

Great ambient

Many tracks are very pretty. Didn't feel like an hour.

Weirdly fun. Trancy. 4/5

How have I never listened to this before?? Such energy, love it!

This is not really what I thought it would be. Some arrangements are veery easy 10/10s. And I thought it would be just a bunch of bangers and instrumental hiphop. But this is an eletronica record with a little bit of trip-hop. And also I was very surprised by melodies coming back one or two songs later. It's like the whole project is trying to capture the art of creating music based on samples. In this context, it could be a 5/5, I know it's significance, i know it's influence, but I still don't want to listen to it all day every day. I love Massive Attack and Portishead much more in this era, they did trip-hop much better in my opinion. Still it's an easy 4/5 for me

I enjoyed this! Not sure I would revisit a ton but great background music and has some nifty experimentation. I’m a fan of the artist ‘Little People’ so it was cool to listen to one of his influences

rockin 4/5

I enjoyed this album. It is not something I would’ve listened to on my own so happy it was recommend. I’ll be using it as work music and background music in the office

One of my most slept on albums ever. Absolute classic. Favorite track: Midnight In A Perfect World

Crazy good. Exactly what I never knew I was looking for. Going to check out more by DJ Shadow.

Great album, sets a mood in the background for hanging out or doing anything, really. 9/10

God this is such a good album. It is unfortunately getting a 4 here because there's honestly not a ton I'd listen to more regularly, but it's a really good album. This is a 4 much like The Wall was a 4. Would be a 4.5 given the ability.

Just tight vibes out the wazoo. It didn't change my life or anything, but I very much enjoyed it.

This is definitely something I want to keep going back to. Great background music. Bass was poppin’

Great variety of beats, with the bass and drum selections being a frequent highlight across the album. The low end on Changeling had my apartment shaking, it's so fire. Overall it's an album that I'm sure to revisit for the vibe. Standouts: Changeling • What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4 • Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain

90s hip-hop with some turntable elements. Say no more, fam.

Love 90s hip hop. Enjoyed listening to some of his earlier work

God this was phenomenal, first time hearing it. It's not only extraordinary from a technical standpoint, but also the music itself is great. I just don't understand how this level of sample-based music can be assembled so well. I don't know exactly where this fits in the history of the genre, but it seems to be a leap from 80s and early-90s sampling, and pre-dates people like Madlib, or at least perfects it prior to its peers. Listening all the way through got tiring in a few spots, as some ideas are jarring or short or disjointed, but other tracks are vibey and atmospheric. I think this could be a 5/5 after some repeated listens (thinking like Madvillain which I didn't completely connect with the first time but is now one of my faves).

Ultra cool, varié et pas rompiche

Fun album that I would not have come across. Enjoyed listening to this one!

Very cool! I think I need a bit of time to really decide on an opinion, but it’s a great album for sure.

I liked it. Especially one of the songs. Nice switch up from rock

It had been a while since I listened to this end-to-end. It's a little hard to recreate the first impressions I had of this genre, as it sounded a bit like it came from another planet. Now it has a familiarity to it, but you still appreciate the craft and skill that went into finding the records and the turntablism that rendered the record.

Hell yeah

Good chill 90s DJ stuff. It’s cool To know where a lot of Joe Beats and similar artists got inspired.

Excellent

Really enjoyed this. Great vibes to start the day. Had never heard of him before today.

Decent album. I assume it was very influential in hip hop because I’ve heard many songs sampled

Chill vibes

Fun to revisit this one. A lot has already been said about this landmark album…a rich tapestry of sounds, does well to create a sense of atmosphere. Also works as great text to discover music

Very strong instrumentals and a chill vibe throughout. Was a solid album, but feels more background music

So good - samples that have been sampled, but just really varied and solid.

I like it a lot more than last time I listened. Repetitive but with a purpose and if you go in expecting that it helps

Oh this is so cool. I'm a fan of this sort of sampling; the ways that recognizable sounds and tracks can be transformed is fascinating. This album is well orchestrated and inventive. Never heard of DJ Shadow before today but I might have a listen through his other work once this is done.

Peaked on his first release. Another of the great sampling albums.

didn’t think i’d like it but it was really good

Very pleasant surprise!

Really, really love these 90s instrumental hip-hop albums. Reminds me of Nujabes / J. Dilla, and very influential as well. Didn't get 5 stars because it didn't absolutely blow my mind away, but well-deserved 4.5 stars.

It’s hard to separate “importance” from actual sound. This album set the standard for MPC sampling in hip hop, and can be seen as the grandfather to both sample heavy rap beats a la Kanye or the chiller lofi style like J Dilla. That being said, this album is not without its flaws. Some tracks run considerably long, others fall a bit hollow, but there’s still enough meat in the winners to enjoy consistently. Genre hopping tracks kept me engaged through the whole thing. Importance: 5 / 5 Songs: 3 / 5

I found out I like one song from this album before, it was definitely lost in my liked songs playlist. This was an amazingly chill album and it is crazy how it us completely created with samples.

Very nice album. Interesting use of samples and love the chilled beats.

Tasty background beats. 7/10

Cool interesting chill beats and samples. high 4

liked it before, really like it now

Beautiful music. Not into instrumentals, but this was great. Solid four.

Overraskande. Ikkje mi greie vanlegvis, men denne likte. Gos skrivemusikk. Ligg å driv i bakgrunnen, mørk og behageleg. 8/10

I wish that there were lyrics on much of this album but a great collection of beats I had never heard.

Groovy

It pains me to praise another time a no musician album but these guys do have the gnack for music. I bought this disc in the early 2000's and haven't stopped liking it.

hot tracks, hot beats, hot samples, hot producing

Enjoyed

A nice solid album. I bet it gets more interesting when you know where the samples are from, and it's groundbreaking at the time. But right now? Almost all of these tracks could flow right into lo-fi girl sleep playlist & you'd never notice them. I do like lo fi, though.

Great beats. Way ahead of its time

Nice Sampledelia album, back half is better than the first

This one is fantastic. So vibey and well crafted.

This is a very groovy instrumental album. I love how all the different samples work together. The drums sound great. There aren't any stand out classic songs that would push it to a five, though.

Before: I've never heard of this, but it looks hard af; very Frank Ocean. I'm thinking it'll be a hip hop record. Standout tracks: Changeling Building Steam With A Grain of Salt Stem/Long Stem Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96 What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 1 - Blue Sky Revisit Weakest tracks: The Number Song What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 4 During/after: Really neat and funky first track that sets the vibe for the rest of the record. It's interesting that my first thought upon looking at the album cover was that it reminded me of Frank Ocean because the distant TV and radio chatter that begins Frank Ocean's album "Channel Orange" feels very similar to that in Best Foot Forward. I wonder how much influence Frank took from this record or DJ. Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt has very cool instrumental mixes with jazzy drums, guitar, and piano that lens itself to a dynamic, funky late-90's sounding track. I'm not in love with the pervasive low synth prevalent through a lot of The Number Song. It's a very chaotic track with some weaker and stronger portions, but the chaos isn't doing it many favors in this case. This one felt very much like "let's throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks" to me, and some of the spaghetti was stickier than others, I fear. Not in love. The record keeps going with Changeling which I liked a lot better. It's a repetitive, droning, almost dreamy drum and bass track. It speeds up a bit and becomes more dynamic about halfway through, serving as a perfect transition to Transmission 1. It's a great interlude with more Frank Ocean-esque muffled radio vocals with an eerie, spacey, sci-fi theme. "This is not a dream, we are using your brain's electrical system as a receiver, you are receiving this broadcast through a dream" adds to the ethereal sound that's been underscoring the entire record thus far. What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 4 goes back to the chill, less spacey sounding themes with a low "bwaaaa" sounding synth that was driving me crazy because it sounded like someone burping honestly. It was disappointing because it would have been so much better without it. It added (to me) almost a touch of humor because it just sounded goofy, but that lead into Untitled well, another interlude that is objectively goofy ("they've all got ass, one of them's got eyes as big as Jolly Ranchers"). At least there's track-to-track cohesion there, but now I'm just confused about the overall vibes of this record. The serious, almost eeriness is being replaced by the funny lyrics and plucky guitar. Was this just a break from the intensity of the rest of the record? Like Fertilizer off of Channel Orange? I don't love how it's done on that record either, but that could be personal preference. It leads us right into Stem/Long Stem, opening with a really intense, almost creepy rhythmic piano riff and low synth beats before we are introduced to some unique, jazzy clarinet and soulful vocals before a sudden switch back into the droning, melancholic, spacey, ethereal sounds and radio vocals from before. Really great track. We see another change in style in the experimental Mutual Slump, with various types of funky drums and cymbals and some sexy female vocal samples with some record scratches that are very hip-hop. Loved the short track entitled Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96, with the only lyrics being the echoing "it's the money." It's self-explanatory but powerful and lends to the experimental nature of the album, sending a message to traditional hip hop. Midnight In A Perfect World has the most Spotify streams of any track on the album and it isn't hard to see why. Another sexy, easy to listen to track with some good female vocals. Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain is a long one at 9 minutes. Not sure if we need to be doing all THAT, but I'm not totally mad at it. More cool, funky synths with some cool (dare I say, Santana feeling?) guitar around the first half is followed by some snare beats and twinkly percussion. What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 1 - Blue Sky Revisit has more beautiful and jazzy saxophones, flutes (love a jazz flute), and bass and drums that keep the album moving but provide a fitting lead up to wrapping up the album. It highlights everything this record does best - jazziness, vibes, cool vocal samples, and an ethereal feel that showcases the timelessness and influence of the album. Transmission 3 is a perfect final track, finishing off with another eerie, melancholic, but peaceful radio transmission about the broadcast as a dream. This seems like an influential record for lots of newer, alternative hip hop and r&b. Although DJ Shadow is not a wrapper, but instead a producer a producer and DJ, this record is absolutely considered instrumental hip hop and the experimental and ethereal (but still very cool) sound reminds me a lot of modern alternative hip hop and r&b. It has a relatively long runtime at just over an hour, but I didn't find myself getting bored or staring at how many tracks were left. I was very torn between a 4 or a 5. It was REALLY good and it was cool to see the ways that this record (or at least ones like it) influenced modern hip hop. I'm CAUTIOUSLY giving it a 4/5, but it teetered very closely on a 5. If I could give a 4.5 I totally would, but the major things that bring it down are some of the harder to listen to synth features and the whiplash that comes from the consistent vibe switches. I understand it was probably to keep the record interesting, especially at its long runtime, but it left me a bit confused and felt disjointed at times. Overall VERY good, though. Loved this. 4/5. **Check me out on https://rateyourmusic.com/~annainaz for more music reviews and discussion!

Look up “Beats to think to” on Spotify. The playlist pic is me listening to Endtroducing

Great sound, really enjoyed

I generally hate hip hop but this was a bit more interesting. Id have given it 3 stars but my wife loves DJ Shadow and told me I had to give it 4 or else...

I liked this, certainly nothing actively bad, very chill and I liked the sound that came with it. Nothing stuck out to me super hard though, felt like the whole album blended together very seamlessly. Probably won't be returning to this.

surprising, unexpected, good

Never heard of this album, despite its critical acclaim. Reminded me of J Dilla’s Donuts. Flowed perfectly start to finish, clearly a labour of love. Always odd knowing this was effectively a work of hundreds of musicians stitched together but worked well. Nearly a 5

I had never even heard of this let alone listened to it. Loved it. Lofi hip hop sound kept interesting throughout. Will be going back

Alltid varit svag för instrumentell hip-hop i allmänhet och hip-hop från den här eran i synnerhet, så det här är rakt upp i min mumindal. Finns några lite svagare spår så blir inte full pott, men överlag riktigt bra.

Follow that Tuxedo!

eyes as big as jolly ranchers

Used to think this was boring. But i was very wrong. I love the drums here specifically. Ending with a twin peaks sample made me sad now tho

Good listening

There's a lot of great stuff here. As with most albums of this genre, it's not really an "active listening" event, but more of a subliminal mood setter. And, for the most part, I totally dug the mood that was set. There were, however, a few noisy misses and some run-on sentences, but I'm overall more pleased than pissed with the experience.

Impressive what he's done with such a simple concept. Such an easy listen, would go back to it! 3.8

Pretty interesting, sample heavy...obviously.... Absolutely loved What Does Your Soul Look Like, 4. Much of the rest was cinematic, atmospheric. Been a bit of a vintage week in 1001 World. I suspect this one will have me diving into the 90 SF/Bay Area underground hip hop albums/scene this weekend, instead of playing the next up Neil Young..

could've aged better but still

All time college years classic

Solid beat with some cool hooks. Some of the soundscape was a little jarring but might have been less harsh if I was not listening on ear buds.

Anything with a Twin Peaks sample gets at minimum 4 stars.

Hip hop instrumentals with powerful, interesting drums. I don't care for the talking over some of the wonderful music, but there's still plenty here to enjoy. I can't rate this among the top of my albums, but some of the tracks I just love. 3.5/5

Id heard of Shadow but never listened, gutted for me, I WILL be returning. Really really enjoyed this.

Favorite Track: Organ Donor

Absolute classic.

Dark Daaaaaays

This is kinda everything you'd want from a late 90's beat tape. This and Tribe's Beats, Rhymes, & Life and more importantly Dilla gave way to those groups and producers that sounded like Jet Set Radio on steroids. Love to the pioneers who paved the way for everyone to be as weird as they wanted and have a group and a sound to call home.

An undeniable banger - full of unbelievable sounds that you feel like you haven’t heard before! Need to spend more time with it tbh but it’s so great

I'll admit I read your review before I listened to the album, and I was sure we were going to have another album where we completely disagreed, but instead I think I completely agree with you. My only exposure to DJ Shadow before this album was his collab with RTJ. There are definitely some bops, not all of it was my thing, but overall it was a great listen.

There were a lot of really cool sections throughout the album. Looking at reviews, it seems that this is a hit or a miss, probably because of it being just an instrumental album. I've always been a fan of instrumental music, so that never bothers me, and lo-fi hip-hop has always been in my rotation for certain occasions. There are definitely some bops. I can see myself putting on this album again.

I really enjoy a lot of music in this sampling genre. The classic Frontier Psychiatrist comes to mind, as well as more online artists like Pogo. I am giving this one a pre-emptive and possibly premature four. I enjoyed quite a few songs and I think with more relistening it will grow in me the way other sampling music often does.

un 4 de manual, esta requeteguapo

I have some fun personal history with this album, but I tried to set that aside to listen to it. DJ music isn’t my favorite nor a go-to by any means, but this album was solid. enjoyable front to back, a complete vibe. Will listen again.

Vibey in a 90s way. OG drum tracking.

Good listen! I'll be adding this to the mix

Good music to work to. Enjoyed having this on. I already had Organ Donor on a couple of playlists.

Lot of really nasty beats here, I love the kind of haunting feel he achieves with the piano and strings. The more mellow songs are beautifully done as well. Overall very enjoyable album, but I can't help but think about what could have been if these songs had vocals as well. Imagine Nas or Jay Z or any great rapper penning verses to these beats. It could be majestic. Same goes for a great soul or R&B singer on some of the slower tracks. Favorites: Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt 4 and Pt 1, Stem/Long Stem

wow - a rare gift - not really hip hop, as more Chill music. I enjoyed.

Endtroducing is a masterclass in sampling and must be one of the biggest influences for the "lo-fi movement" of the late 2010s and early 2020s. While some of the songs feel long and repetitive, Endtroducing is still influencing hip-hop and electronic producers to this day. Best Songs: The Number Song, Organ Donor Worst Songs: WDYSLL 4

Cratedigger elegy. On the hunt for an elusive feeling. It's an excellent mood, if not massively exciting much of the time.

Some of it sounds like video game background music, but overall some pretty good beats. Kind of hoped someone would get on the track and start spitting but I appreciate just the instrumentals as well. Very calming. Great to have on in the background while you do chores around the house. What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 1 is a phenomenal track.

4- Stars (10/15)

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would.

Some fun boom bap rap in here. If that's all it was, I'd probably just give it 3.5 and round down. But "Why Hip-Hop Sucks in '96" is the shortest piece of musical (and comedic) genius I have heard in awhile. So I'm rounding up to 4.

Really enjoyed this! So playful.

Listened to this a lot in my college days. I remember being pretty disappointed in most of what followed this album. I think I'd find this more listenable nowadays if the tone wasn't so dark, embracing more of the r&b tone of some of the samples. (19 known/30 new)

So stereotypically 90s - some of the producer tags really made me laugh. I did enjoy this, good vibes

Really great album. Pity I missed it when it first came out.

Endtroducing..... was actually a very good album. It is interesting to see an album that was entirely made up of samples in a very lyric-focused genre like hip hop but this album managed to work with that very well. The beats all felt cool and had a downtempo like ambiance to them which really added to my enjoyment. Even when the songs were long (mainly when they were doing medleys) they were still good even if they did take a while to get to that point. There were also some samples/ideas that didn't work so well but the good heavily outweighed the bad. This is a really good album for what it is. Best Song: Changeling Worst Song: Organ Donor

Interesting stuff, not my usual type of music but i enjoyed the listen a lot.

Basically an entire album full of samples but god it’s good

those some cool sounds

Woah holy shit twin peaks.

1 2 3 4 5 breakdown baby

Really solid electronic/hip hop album

I'm probably never gonna listen to this one again, but hey, this was fun. Every track a bit different, love the titles not taking themselves seriously.

'Entroducing....' is a masterclass in the art of sampling. Atmosperic without making the songs sound overproduced. Classic

cool music

Listened: 5/02/2025 Album no: 14 % rating: 68% Fave Song: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt This is not what I think of when I think of Hip Hop. I feel like I have an avenue into this through British dance music and EDM so it makes more sense to me than “traditional hip hop” (what ever that might be?). This feels simultaneously very 90s but also very modern, it’s aged really well. It is giving low key Matrix vibes though haha. This is still a tough listen for me, but the challenge on this one is very welcome. I definitely like it, but I don’t think I could be a passive listener of this just yet. It’s taxing my noodle, but in a good way! I can imagine if I stick with this one it will grow on me more.

All beats. Pretty good.

i didnt save my notes and they got deleted, so i'll just say a chill album

A slick and cohesive album. It doesn't demand your attention but it did captivate mine.

Well crafted hip hop beats.

infectious. uses jazz motifs in meaningful ways and knows how to create build up and pay it off well. loved it since the first time i heard it.

Love me some DJ Shadow. It does get a little long and repetitive in parts, but still good to come back to once in a while.

This took me a while to wrap my head around, but glad to say I warmed up with each listen. This album creates a world for sure. Or maybe rather knits worlds together? It's like a 4-dimensional collage. DJ Shadow is both a basement tinkerer and a cosmic composer.

As a link between album sound and art, you can’t get much more intertwined - this has a feeling like you’re a fly on the wall of a dozen record shops at once, sample after sample seeping through an eclectic selection of percussion backing tracks. Hip Hop’s lyricism is always make-or-break for me, so if you remove it almost entirely, it can only make the record more focused on its production. And DJ Shadow is a rare case where the Disc Jockey earns that title. If absolutely anything, this is just Shadow showing off. An hour of hip hop beats and samples. A.K.A., my usual favourite bits of your average rap record. And this is no average record. Some areas are so unique, they can’t be compared to anything else.

that was wicked cool! i really really enjoyed listening to this while working in a cold office. i shall be revisiting in the near future. fav tracks: mutual slump; what does your soul look like, pt. 4

Prettyyyyyy good. I like the jazzy parts mixed with the electronic sound. Relaxing but still energetic.

I own this on vinyl and have listened to it about 1000 times through, so safe to say I love it. Giving it a 4 because there’s a little something that’s holding me back on a 5. Favourite track: Midnight in a Perfect World Least Fav Track: Transmission 1

Loved- i luv experimental hip hop and it’s so interesting hearing how this has influenced future artists Iconic Although some tracks made me feel a bit on edge, I appreciate the art Favs: Best foot forward Changeling What does your soul look like Organ donor Napalm brain

I loved this so much, the amount of samples used here is like a treasure trove. The one sample that made my day however was Metallica’s Orion in “The Number Song” - finding my safe space song in this album was an unexpected joy. I didn’t keep an eye on the track names while I listened, but I loved it all.

Really enjoyed this. Reminded me of Pretty Lights, who I’m sure was inspired by this album.

Endtroducing..... is all about layers - gritty loops stacked just right. It’s got that lo-fi vibe, but more grounded. Everything feels intentional but loose at the same time. It’s easy to just let it play and get lost in it.

Trip hop, the 90s - this is my jam. There are some absolute classics on here. The only thing holding this back from 5 stars for me is that I think there are a few less interesting tracks on the album - but that doesn't detract from how impressive the standout tracks are, or how well it captures the mood around this incredible music scene

I had only heard this in pieces earlier, first time through the full document. Also read the liner notes for the first time and some things from Shadow. Ahead of its time, or the first one in the door, I don't know, but either way it is a really good record. I also forget he's not English - really should have been.

The concept of mixing samples into tunes is something that feels it would be hit-or-miss to me. I remember loving Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys (which has to be on this list), but that album actually has a lot of original contributions from the Boys themselves. In that regard, Endtroducing is different, pretty much consisting of mostly samples. I feel like I don’t enjoy albums that are mostly instrumental, unless the tracks really hook me in. Up to now, not much of those albums have really hit me. But this one was special. While not perfect, the melodies from the samples really stuck with me. It didn’t feel like a standard hip-hop album or a collection of vintage 60’s pop lyrics put with record-stretching and drum beats. The vibes Endtroducing gives are chill without totally receding into the background. I particularly liked Changeling and Midnight in a Perfect World in that regard. But then there’s Stem/Long Stem. Such a beautifully experimental song. The fast parts in the first half sound just as hard as any metal riff I heard, which was unexpected. I was overall surprised with Endtroducing. I was expecting a hour long meandering soundtrack. But thankfully I got a lot more. Favorite track: Stem/Long Stem Other hits: Changeling, Midnight in a Perfect World, What Does Your Soul Look Like (Both 1 & 4)

Ages since I've listened to this album. It's great!

Nice to see something that's got songs I already know and learn where they come from. Good stuff on there

Great background music, interesting samples used. Some of the songs were a little boring but overall enjoyed it

Interesting beats and compositions. Enjoyed it a lot as background music.

I did not use a private Spotify session for this one. I liked it, not the hip hop N word and sketch heavy album I have become used to this site having me listen to, but a nice, somewhat ambient, background music.

The longer I listened the better it got. Great blend

Loved this. Excellent driving music. I knew that two or three songs from this album were heavily used in NPR radio production and I was happy to hear them as part of this larger work.

I was pretty sure I rated this one before but I guess not? Really good beats here and great to have on in the background for working. easy 4 stars

Interesting stuff. Fun to listen to.

bob ba awa bob wood

I've always been fond of "nocturnal" music but have only found Self-titled by Gorillaz and Machine Says Yes by FC/Kahuna truly fit that bill. Glad to have another album to add to the pile, and for the new addition to potentially be better than the ones I already know. As someone who is generally antagonistic towards hip-hop, this album feels like it was made for me. Trip hop is the only hop-adjacent genre that I'm partial towards, I've always had a thing for plunderphonics and the muffled lo-fi sound is the cherry on top. I'm impressed by how cohesive and immersive the listening experience is with how off the wall it can be at times. I'll need to give this one another listen - preferably while cruising down a highway in the middle of the night.

Building steam with a grain of salt is one of my favorite songs

Cool and interesting.

Great album to listen to for concentration and great vibes.

Surprised at how cool this was. I loved the eclectic feel to the music, which has moments of true beauty. I can get annoyed with too much gimmicky sampling but somehow this works great. Had a great headphones experience while working on a writing project.

There was a period of time when this album was on a short list of my favorite albums, because it was so different from everything else. It is still a good and an important album, and I appreciate it very much for what it is.

unique-sounding good laid-back vibes, for 1996 it seems pretty special

I've never heard album like this before (only samples and nothig more). But it was really good. I won't be going back for more but still I think it is entertaining and creative.

Unevenly brilliant; some tracks are meandering, some others instill a deeply felt atmosphere. 3.85

Not exactly my thing...love the Run the Jewels song and the Zach Del Rocha but alas non of that was on this album. Okay this is the album...I like it enough that I'd play it through the loud speakers to piss the old ladies off but would thoroughly enjoy it myself.

Much better than I was thinking it was going to be. Downtempo, but I actually enjoyed the groove. There's a reason bjork loved him.

I like!!! Het is heel boos en emotioneel en diep maar ook instrumentaal

already heard, any not too long ago as well. I like quite a lot of the songs, as the boom-bap 90s hiphop style is cool, however as its purely instrumental, and quite a lot of the songs are really long, some of them drag on a bit. Overall around 8/10

Fun album. Heavily sampled and a joy to listen too.

I love this type of music. Best track was Building Steam with a Grain of Salt. Not much to say

Stunning album

I some ways, I don’t get it. When do people listen to this? Do you just in the middle of the day say “gotta listen to some DJ shadow!” ???? With that being said, it really grew on me. I had to listen to it again because I felt like I had missed something. it’s not something you can put on a mixed tape and make it work. I need to be able to find a way to work it into my listening mix though because the music is kind of mesmerizing. What I thought was a 2 or 3 rating to begin with has become a 4 or 5. Way better than I expected.

New to me and I loved it (mostly - Some of the tracks were a bit repetitive) This was a really fun album and didn't demand anything of you as the listener - sometimes you want something that pushes the boundaries, but sometimes you want something like this that you can just groove along with. Great for music to listen to while working - I'd listen to it again.

the tracks didn't immediately pop out to me on a first listen, but it was interesting music to have on in the background

Haunting and thoughtful.

listening while doing some work and WOW this is really fun, its deffo somthing ill listen to again, its similar to things in my library already but its a really intreguing little album, super fun. so chill so fun so groovy so good

Interesting

The production on this is sooo good. Top notch delivery, he did such a good job. It feels new and original almost thirty years later. While I do enjoy the songs, I can’t enjoy them for too long, though, because it gets to be four minutes of the same loop. This instrumental style is really good for background music for me, but as something to listen to at the front of my brain, giving it full attention, it gets a little boring. I understand that’s a me issue rather than the album. I’m just not the biggest phan of instrumentals. As instrumentals go, however, this shit slaps and it is certainly quality. 4/5

This was a fun listen, and I did enjoy most of it.

ma che bello.

recognized the first track, what a classic - pretty chill slow album w/ some nice 90s hiphop beats, cool adlibs, big fan

not the kind of music i usually enjoy, but i found myself enjoying it. the sound of it is very unique

Favorite Track: What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4

Really solid. Wasn’t sure what to think before I started but I quite liked this. Very mellow, low key. Loved the variety to the samples and the way later songs incorporate stuff from earlier songs. Nice vibes would put on again.

Better than expected

This was much more enjoyable and interesting than I thought it was going to be.

One of them’s got eyes as big as jolly ranchers. 3.5 rounded up.

As another commenter said, this definitely is something I'm glad I listened to before I die. Not my cup of tea, but definitely good background music.

A pleasant trip down hip hop memory lane

Was randomly handed this album by a former neighbor (who turned out to be a complete asshole over the years) -- it was one of my first exposures to this sort of sampletopia. Always enjoyed this one. Heard it so many times that there aren't really unexpected bangers, but: Stem/Long Stem, Organ Donor, What Does Your Soul Look Like

I really like DJ Shadow and I used to listen to the Private Press a lot when I was younger. I don't like this album as much but it is really cool. His albums are always very varied but I like that you can hear what he's doing with them really well, the samples and beats all flow really well.

Not bad beats

I liked it a lot more than my previous listen of this. The songs are really varied and the samples must be quite obscure since I didn't recognise many of them. Really liked the bass in lots of parts. Did fall off at the end though.

Stem / Long Stem - Medley, Organ Donor

I really didn't expect to like an instrumental album made by sampling as much as I did. There's a lot of layering going on. The end result is an interesting atmosphere. I'm not sure I would revisit this though.

Bizarrely apocalyptic

A classic album, but didn't age very well unfortunately. Smells of a very specific musical era.

Classic crazy for '96

Not bad. Downtempo chillstep with samples.

++: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt, Changeling / Transmission 1, What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4), Untitled, Mutual Slump, Why Hip Hop Sucks in '96, Midnight in a Perfect World, What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 – Blue Sky Revisit) / Transmission 3 +: Best Foot Forward, The Number Song, Stem/Long Stem / Transmission 2, Organ Donor, Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain 7,7/10

Found this to be surprisingly enjoyable

A classic. Excellent downtempo beats.

I got this one when I was in university first getting into hip hop, hearing about it from the note on Wikipedia that said it was the first to be made up exclusively of samples. Listened to it a ton, still have Mutual Slump on my mp3 player. I don't think I have much to say that I didn't in review #2 on the Beastie Boys (except that I like this one a lot and the Beastie Boys sucked). music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Never got into DJ albums. I'll check this out. Definitely respect what they bring. Prettty cool stuff. Two tracks in. Now I know why this is an essential item.

Top notch choice for background music. Moody and ambient without too much to say.

Utterly fascinating. What is this, like prog-hop? I'm not entirely sure, and I can't say I'd listen to any of the tracks isolated, but the actual album is just so well made and truly a feat of musicality and production. I feel like I'm not smart enough to get it, but I certainly wasn't suffering.

Better than expected

Wasn't sure at first but I really liked this album.