Simon James is a well respected sound designer. Working solo, and in collaboration, for decades he’s been involved in countless art installations and community projects. He’s also released music on labels such as Castles In Space and Lo Recordings. 

I’ve known Simon since the early 2000s, when we were both part of a crowd that hung around Brighton’s bespoke clothing boutique, The One40Five Store. Back then Simon was a hip hop fanatic and budding producer. He’d just invested in his first bit of modular kit. Here he tells a tale of sampling Shadow and nearly signing to Mo Wax. 

This is my DJ Shadow story. It’s quite funny. Well it’s funny now as I can look back at it. Maybe some others might find it funny too.

We were actually introduced to Shadow by the third member of Strata 3. Me and my brother, Curtis, were deep in our techno phase but dabbling with what we called slow down techno. The kind of thing Speedy J was doing using breaks with electronics. Somehow we met Dan Jones who was really into the Mo Wax thing, which at the time we knew nothing about. It must have been the really early days when James Lavelle was doing his page in a magazine – can’t remember which one – and that whole breaks thing was starting to get some momentum.

We’d arranged a couple of days in the studio with Dan to see what we might make. He’d been talking about Lavelle in mythical tones and this new kind of music, so we thought we’d make something like that. Dan had a copy of one of Shadow’s first records – it wasn’t on Mo Wax – and we sampled a drum break off that which became the main beat on the (It’s Not) A Man’s World remix – which ended up being the better known version. At the time I didn’t give it a second thought that we were sampling a sample and that Shadow would go on to be legendary.

Anyway, fast forward 1 or 2 years. The record we made with Dan, Man’s World has come out. We get a bit of heat because Justin Robertson includes the track on a cassette mix stuck to the front of Select Magazine. Labels are interested in signing us. For a couple of kids from a council estate it’s a big deal and we are loving – some of – it. Meeting with Island, BMG’s Deconstruction – who ultimately we signed with, but that’s another story – and also Lavelle had been really generous with his praise for Man’s World in his review section. Specifically noting the drum edits. Somehow we must have been connected because we arranged to go and meet with him to talk about potentially signing to Mo Wax.

A friend called Julian drives us up to London and we find James’ flat on Brick Lane. I can’t remember all the details, but there was probably a bit of messing around. I think James was running late because I remember him arriving as we were waiting around outside. He’s with Shadow and someone else who I can’t remember. At the time I had no memory that we’d sampled Shadow’s record, and maybe he had no idea either, but as he sat and we ate battered sausage and chips, the mood in the small flat wasn’t particularly friendly. I have to point out, I felt like the most un-cool person stepping in to the lair of the cool monsters, and as James dropped the needle on our follow up to Man’s World I sort of knew we weren’t at their level and couldn’t wait to get out!

On reflection I’ve always wondered if Shadow had made a connection, was annoyed about us ‘biting’ his record, or if that’s all just paranoia on my part, but I sort of like remembering the scene, and I don’t cringe too painfully when I think about it now.