Iconic hip-hop disc-spinner Josh Davis might as well rename himself DJ Shadowy, given his low profile since the groundbreaking Endtroducing album made him a star back in 1996. Now that his original technique of cutting up and repackaging obscuring records has been copied a million times over, however, do we need the original back at all? The Private Press is a powerfully convincing case for saying yes. It may not break any new ground stylistically but the skill with which these disparate snatches of pop, jazz and disorientating snippets of dialogue is nothing less than awesome. Sampling everyone from cheesy French DJs to heartbroken women, Davis creates a ghostlke world of densely-layered collages, displaying a sense of style and imagination that most of his contemporaries can only envy. Should come with a warning sticker: Danger - genius at work.
