Disco de DJ Shadow: “Live! In Tune and on Time [DVD & CD]”

Alright, Shadow may be a bit of an acquired taste, but this set is essential to anyone even remotely interested in hip-hop, breaks, basslines, or beats. In Tune and On Time is basically Dj Shadow's resume, because it includes the gist of most of his best material. 90% of the tracks are only 2-3 minutes in length, some of which are condensed from 10-14 minutes, originally. So, any repetition or slowness in the music is streamlined and eliminated. Not only that, but Shadow has mixed and matched to create a performance-in 5 acts-that maintains a flow so constant that it all feels like one, 2 hour track.

For those of you who own most of Shadow's material and are wondering if it is worth it, let me guarantee you that In Tune and On Time is like a whole 'nother album. Josh has taken the opportunity to add and subtract from ALL the material included in this set, injecting brand new samples and innovations so subtly and completely that they become new pieces altogether, the highlights of which are acts two, four, and five, which include versions of Blood on the Motorway and Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain that shatter all his previous productions. In Tune and On Time is a masterpiece because it rewards even more on repeated listens, where you can pick apart the layers and grow a whole new respect for the music. If you want to hear Dj Shadow at his best, this is all you need.

Lots and lots of live Shadow here, performing in front of very active video screens. It's all pretty great. Here's the set list:

Intro

** Act 1

Fixed Income

What does your soul look like [part 2]

In/Flux

Un Autre Introduction

Walkie Talkie

** Act 2

Gunz Blazing [Drums of death part 1]

Lonely Soul

Lost & Found

What does your soul look like [part 3]

Mutual Slum

Stem/Long Stem

**Act 3

Reconstruction Medley

Holy Calamity [Bear witness II]

The Third Decade, Our Move

Halfway Home

The Number Song

Organ Donor

** Intermission

** Act 4

Six Days

Mashin' on the Motorway

Blood On The Motorway

**Act 5

Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain & Outro

**Encore

You Can't Go Home Again

Midnight In A Perfect World

High Noon

** Special Features

Malcolm On Drums

Pushin' Buttons

Trailers

DJ Shadow demonstrates how good he is as at mixing, sampling and scratching in a live performance as he is a reknowned studio producer in this audiovisual feast.

Here, you will find some great renditions and messing around of his work from all his main releases, some new sampling and great mixing. He really is a great live performer. The visuals that backdrop his show are very well captured here on DVD as we see his performing interspersed with shots of the visuals and the crowd. Well edited.

The rest of the DVD includes a few other short snippets of other DJs including Cut Chemist doing what they do in live performances. Certainly interesting for fans of the hip hop turntablist genre.

The added audio cd (disc 2) comprises (almost) his whole routine. It's a great shame though that it does not include his encore at the end where he belts out 'Never come home again', 'High Noon' and 'Midnight in a perfect world' - some of his greatest tracks and the perfect climax to this great show. Ran out of space I suppose. Pity.

I was lucky enought to attend the San Francisco screening of this DVD last week with DJ Shadow himself. He was very proud of this concert film, and he should be! It captures the essence of his live show amazingly well. I caught two shows on this tour, and this DVD sent me back to those magical nights. All the songs, beats and samples were mixed "In Tune and On Time," meaning it sounded absolutely seamless. This is a must for any fan of good music!

Dj Shadow "In Tune and On Time" A masterpiece of a dvd in my opinion. Footage taken from his 2003 tour is 2 hours long of scratching, off the hook beatz, and an amazing show for all. If your into hip hop/electronica music with a trip hop twist then this is the DVD for you. I wish I could have been to the actual shows of the tour to experience the intense waxing for myself. I give this DVD a 10!!!