A week on from releasing the mesmerizing title track from his new album The Mountain Will Fall, the legendary DJ Shadow has dropped another new track. “Nobody Speak,” the second single from his first album since 2011’s The Less You Know, the Better, has Shadow teaming up with Run The Jewels, returning to sample-heavy grooves. It’s livelier than “The Mountain Will Fall” easing towards the tempo and atmosphere of Run The Jewels 2. The trio meet in the middle perfectly.
“Occasionally, I make a beat that demands a specific vocal treatment and attitude. In the case of ‘Nobody Speak,’ I wasn’t going to settle for anyone other than Run The Jewels; in my mind, it was them or no one. Fortunately, they agreed, and they took the track to a place I could never get to on my own. That’s the definition of a rewarding collaboration.”
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He’s got a point. From the surf guitar that kicks it off to the sluggish bass through each of their verses, the track is set up perfectly for Killer Mike and El-P. Mostly because, like so much of their work, it’s fun. You can stream it below.
To cap it off, Shadow has announced a clutch of European festival dates for the summer.
June 24 – Artefact Festival – Strasbourg, France
July 2 – Pitch Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 8 – Les Ardentes – Liege, Belgium
July 14 – Super Bock, Super Rock – Sesimbra, Portugal
July 16 – The Peacock Society Festival – Paris, France
July 17 – Benicassim – Benicassim, Spain
