DJ Shadow takes old vinyl and recycles it into something new and original. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it? The idea of creating an entire recording from nothing but samples from old records seems unlikely. Many artists are doing it, but very few have mastered it the way DJ Shadow has. This, his debut full length work, is a masterpiece. But don't listen to it expecting to hear lots of familiar riffs and snippets, because there are only a few recognizable samples here. Listen to hear what a dedicated (creating this kind of art is work) and talented person can do with a sampler and a broad familiarity with the recorded history of popular music.

When I first heard this record, I liked it but was slightly dissapointed with the "production". There was a lack of dynamic range, a bit of noise, and a diminished high end (high frequency content). At the time, I didn't know the record was created entirely from vinyl samples. Once you know that, you wonder how the sound could be so good.

This record has reached instant classic status with me and many others. Listen a few times, most things worth listening to require some effort on the part of the listener. There's a bit more DJ Shadow info on the Preemptive Strike page.