A few days ago, DJ Shadow surprised us with his follow up EP to The Mountain Will Fall with the 4 track The Mountain Has Fallen. We honestly expected a simple album of oddities and B-sides, but what we got was a smart, although super quickie (15 minute) album of simply solid tracks. This shouldn’t have surprised us, as The Mountain Will Fall itself was such a solid album with a variety of lush productions and soundscapes with well thought out and placed cameos and collaborations.
The album starts out with the catchy Systematic featuring Nas, that has a soothing smooth lyrical flow that hits you from the first few bars. This track bounces through this quirky solid rhythm overlaid with Nas’ call to action. This is also Nas in prime form, like we haven’t heard him in years.
The next track, Horror Show, is probably the most daring track on the EP. Featuring Danny Brown, who is gleefully dark and amped, but reminds us of the Gilbert Gottfried of rap – inventive, quirky, unique, but simply not for everyone. Despite this, it still manages to be a solid standalone track, and is a stark contrast to Nas’ smooth flow.
Next comes the quickie, glitchy track Good News, which is a delightful aural experiment. Shadow just seems like he’s having fun creating this chaotic soundscape of oscillating syncopation. This track seems like the sushi pickled ginger of the album, designed to keep you interested and clean your palette from Horror Show before the last track begins.
DJ Shadow closes out his EP with the at-first etherial Corridors, featuring composer Steven Price (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Batman Begins, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Eventually the track crescendos with an influx of drama, and scratching overlay, before retreating back to the crystalline ethereal and symphonic melodies. The song rounds out with what could easily be placed at the end of an international thriller movie.
Overall, this EP, as well as The Mountain Will Fall, have reminded us what a solid, effortless sounding album is like. Shadow drops another solid, inventive, and unique set of tracks, without some of the more serious themes of its predecessor. Drop this EP into your day for a quick brain pick me up, you can’t help but get absorbed and creativity refreshed.
Catch DJ Shadow this Sunday at the House of Blues in Houston. Buy tickets and see more tour dates here: http://djshadow.com/tour/
Get the album here: https://djshadow.lnk.to/TMHF
Journalist/blogger since 2009 and music lover since 1980. Bex now travels the world and writes and takes photos of dance events, creates art in various media, sings quietly to her cat in the shower, and occasionally builds something that tends to involve a blowtorch. She can usually be seen hiding behind some sort of camera rig.
