Two decades after his pivotal debut, DJ Shadow hits another peak with ‘Mountain’

MASS APPEAL RECORDS

“The Mountain Will Fall,” DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow’s 1996 debut album, “Endtroducing,” is among the most pivotal recordings in recent history; armed with just a sampler, a pile of old, obscure records, and an early ProTools rig, Shadow exploded the possibilities of what hip-hop and electronic music could be. The album predicted methodologies that would become commonplace, and illuminated paths of musical creation that previously had only been hinted at. Two decades and four albums later, Shadow finds himself atop a similar creative pinnacle with “The Mountain Will Fall,” an album that bridges eras to envision what the future may hold. From moments of classically inspired synthesis and boom-bap beats, wobbly vaporwave vibes and Tumblr-ready trap tropes, Shadow bridges electronic music’s generation gap. With guests including rap sensations Run the Jewels, avant-electronic keyboardist Nils Frahm, and EDM upstart G Jones, “The Mountain Will Fall” utilizes a wealth of live performances and ingenious programming to create an album that’s funky, futuristic, and thrilling for new fans and old heads alike.

ESSENTIAL “Ashes to Oceans”