DJ Shadow hides free vinyl in random record shops

DJ Shadow has been giving away two new tracks online, but also as physical copies snuck into record stores.

He told NME that he has been slipping vinyl copies of new songs 'Def Surrounds Us' and 'I've Been Trying' into stores in Europe, UK and the US.

He said, "The idea is 'shop-placing'; it's the opposite of shoplifting. You go into a store, and leave your record in the racks to be discovered later. It's not about being cute, it's about passing the music along in the most unobtrusive way possible."

You don't have to scour stores to hear the tunes though, as he's offering them as free downloads at his dot com.

But he's not happy about it.

He compared downloads to sending e-cards, saying that they have "no personality, no class. And from an artistic point of view, I think it sends a negative message about the worth of the music."

He'd rather give away free vinyl copies of his songs.

His currently-untitled forthcoming album is slated for release in May next year.