Hidden Hospitals, The TVD First Date

“Like most things taken for granted, we tend to notice only after they’re gone.”

“Records were these old, musty smelling things that lined our shelves the same as books. Occasionally my mom (who grew up collecting records) would put one on, and we’d all listen. We’d sing, dance, shake the floor and cause the music to skip. I’d try to scratch like the DJs and get yelled at. Then, at some point, vinyl was gone. We no longer had a turntable. My mom had packed her records into milk crates and put them in the attic. I was born into an era that had already ended, and the future took over.

Somewhere in my teens I discovered DJ Shadow. I loved hip hop, so his music resonated quickly. Often brooding, gritty, imperfect beats laden with vocal and instrumental samples transformed, chopped, and screwed. This was Endtroducing…., a 100% sample-based album, all pulled from vinyl records. I memorized it, studied it, analyzed it—curious to learn how he’d made this landmark and widely influential masterpiece.

I knew nothing about sampling, but quickly discovered it’s at the root of most of the music that I grew up loving. One of the most special things about Endtroducing…. is how vast the ingredients are. DJ Shadow spanned samples from Björk to Metallica, and avoided using popular (obvious) material, opting for obscure ingredients with which to build from. The cover of the record is from Rare Records, one of many shops he’d scour meticulously searching for records to cut from and with. He’d hit estate sales, garage sales, online ads—anywhere that could have a stash of strange and obscure records that no one else could get.

Anyone who listens to vinyl will talk to you about how it has particular sound. Something very inviting and real—like having your ears rubbed while listening. This entire record is that feeling encompassed and amplified. He’d somehow pulled sounds spanning decades, from all different places, spaces, creative visions, and collaged them together in a cohesive and meaningful way. Intentionally minimal, only three pieces of gear were used to do it: an Akai MPC60 sampler, a Technics SL-1200 turntable, and an Alesis ADAT tape recorder.

This all influenced my creative approach to music heavily. I’ve got this character in my head, based on DJ Shadow, who spends their life and time scouring the planet for the most obscure records from which to pull sounds from in order to orchestrate new songs. Each piece of vinyl unique—and unlike any of its copies.

Maybe it was stored in a box in a damp basement, collecting decades of micro-molds and dust, influencing the sound. Maybe it was exposed to heat and the vinyl has warped, causing a push / pull in the pitch and speed. Layering all of these tiny nuances into one composition creates something truly special and rare—the result of stacking grains of sand until a castle is built. That work ethic is immense and has my deepest respect. No shortcuts, no tricks. Exploring tirelessly until discovering what feels exciting, new, and exactly right.

Whenever I hold vinyl now, I’m reminded of the infinity that DJ Shadow saw lying in wait. He’s influenced decades of producers, songwriters, and me. Forever a fan, and forever changed.”
—Dave Raymond