"Josh Davis, 1972, Hayward, California, USA. Self-proclaimed "vinyl-addict and beat-head" DJ Shadow was turned on to hip-hop by Grandmaster Flash's "The Message' and later began compiling his own mix tapes. His first release on Mo'Wax Records, "In/Flux"/"Hindsight' (1993), was seen by some as a benchmark in instrumental hip-hop and helped to define that label's approach. His second Mo" Wax single, "Lost & Found", was released together with DJ Krush's "Kemuri" in 1994, and was followed by "What Does Your Soul Look Like" the next year. Towards the end of 1996 he released his first album, Endtroducing ... , as well as the singles "Midnight In A Perfect World" and "Stem", which brought him to the mainstream consciousness through coverage in the national press. The album was widely acclaimed for the way in which Davis blended hip-hop grooves with elements of jazz, rock, ambient, techno and other styles to create a unique, coherent sound that never resorted to the formulae of these influences. As with some of the more melodic instrumental hip-hop, compared to the humorous abstract collages of artists such as DJ Food, much of the album seemed deeply introspective and rather earnest, with its mournful cello, piano and organ melodies and sequences. This feeling was further emphasized by the raw production and the tendency towards slow tempos.

In 1997 Shadow DJed at the Verve's appearance at Wembley Arena, as a result of working with Richard Ashcroft on James Lavelle's U.N.K.L.E. project. Later that year, he released a set of his tracks performed by DJ Q-Bert (renowned for his technical mastery) entitled Camel Bob Sled Race. Davis has collaborated with other Mo' Wax artists, including Blackalicious and DJ Krush. Recording with old friends Blackalicious and Latyrx as Quannum, he released 1999's diversely entertaining Spectrum."

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