Single of the Week: DJ Shadow “The Number Song (Cut Chemist Remix)”
This November marks the 25th anniversary of the Endtroducing… album, DJ Shadow’s full-length debut. The groundbreaking instrumental hip-hop construction is getting the deluxe reissue treatment with an “Abbey Road Half-Speed Master,” released as a two-LP set in a gatefold sleeve with digitally refreshed artwork. The reissue is augmented by a seven-inch release of “The Number Song (Cut Chemist Remix).”
Album standout “The Number Song” received the remix treatment by Cut Chemist back in 1997. More affectionately and widely known as his ‘party mix,’ Cut Chemist excavates the drum loop (sampled from The Third Guitar’s 1968 funk single “Baby Don’t Cry”) from Shadow’s dense layers of samples and places it front and center. The resulting snap and crack was clearly made for the b-boys at the party. Appearing on numerous b-sides, collections, and bootlegs, the song is finally in the spotlight with this official format du jour release. Shadow ups the ante with isolated elements for scratching on the B-side, calling it “Endtroducing…..Drums, Drops & Scratches.” The single is available as part of a deluxe Endtroducing… vinyl package or separately for pre-order direct from DJ Shadow’s online shop.
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