I became distressed this morning when I looked up the details for Endtroducing and realized the seminal album from DJ Shadow was released in 1996. Ten years ago.

I didn’t discover it then. It wasn’t until filmmaker Marc Singer made the documentary Dark Days and used music from Endtroducing as a soundtrack that I learned about it. That was in 2000.

But listening to Endtroducing for the first time was one of those unique experiences that defines a place in time. For me it was the early days of my explorations into hip-hop, a musical form I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy. Some of it, anyway.

I woke up this morning hearing the ethereal prologue to Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, the second track from Endtroducing.
The sounds, which always make me think of a peal of bells in Victorian London (don’t ask me why, because I do not know) are an echo that Shadow uses throughout the album.

Endtroducing was an album experience in the way that Shadow’s new release, Outsider, tries to be but isn’t. Outsider sounds variously crunk, Thorogood, Radiohead, Buddy Guy, and new-punk. I’m not sold on it, despite how eagerly I anticipated it. Give me some more time to form an opinion.