Identity Festival takes over Mansfield in just TWO days – it’s hard to believe August 20th is almost here. Not only am I excited for a full day of dirty beats and fun times in Massachusetts (weird thought, right?), I am pumped that so many friends of MMIBTY will be in attendance, including a large UVM crew. I’ve never gone to a show or festival that so many people I know will be at – just another sign that EDM is blowing up in the U.S.

Most of you are probably familiar with the main headliners in Avicii, Kaskade, Rusko, and Steve Aoki, but I’m here today to school you on one of the veterans in the game: Josh Davis, aka DJ Shadow.

DJ Shadow is widely credited as a key figure in developing the experimental instrumental hip-hop style associated with the London-based Mo’ Wax record label. Inspired by hip-hop’s early years, he then grew to absorb the heyday of crews like Eric B. & Rakim, Ultramagnetic MCs, and Public Enemy; groups which prominently featured DJs in their ranks.

Shadow’s first full-length album, Endtroducing…, was released in late 1996 to immense critical acclaim and was constructed purely from samples (this means no original music was composed, but songs were instead created by using different bits and pieces of other songs). The album has been cited in Guinness World Records as being the first album constructed entirely from sampled sources. Perhaps DJ Shadow’s most recognizable song, “Organ Donor” (see below), can be found on this album.

Since that time, Shadow has released numerous albums and even contributed a character and several mixes for the video game DJ Hero. His live sets are of the most diverse out there and throughout them you can hear Drum and Bass, Hip Hop, Break Beats, and everything in between paired with DJ Shadow’s immortal scratching abilities. Most of you will be seeing the headliners mentioned above on Saturday, but do yourself a favor and make an effort to catch DJ Shadow’s set and if you like what you hear, pick up his forth-coming album release The Less You Know, The Better on September 27.

Make sure to check out our write up of his set and more from Identity Festival 2011, coming soon!

DJ Shadow – Organ Donor
DJ Shadow – I Gotta Rokk (first single off The Less You Know, The Better)
DJ Shadow – Essential Mix recorded live at Rockness Festival in Scotland, 6.10.2011