DJ Shadow (Josh Davis), who has been internationally credited as a key figure in developing experimental instrumental hip-hop, started his career as a disc jockey at a humble community radio station in California...

His early singles, including In / Flux and Lost and Found, were genre-bending works of art merging elements of funk, rock, hip-hop, ambient, jazz, and soul. His recipe for hip-hop produced a uniquely refreshing taste.

DJ Shadow's record Endtroducing..., released in 1996, rose to such high acclaim it made it into the Guinness World Records book for 'first completely sampled album'.

He has also produced tracks for Psyence Fiction the debut album by U.N.K.L.E., and collaborated with other artists, including Cut Chemist, Blackalicious, Zack de la Rocha, Keak Da Sneak, David Banner and Keane.

DJ Shadow returns with a new album, his eagerly anticipated third album The Outsider features collaborations with Q-Tip, Keak Da Sneak, Turf Talk, Kasabian, Chris James from Stateless, and David Banner amongst others. The album comes four years after Shadow's universally acclaimed previous album Private Press, the long-awaited follow-up to his seminal debut record Entroducing.

The first single to be taken from the album, '3 Freaks' featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk - two of the leading lights from the new Hyphy movement coming out of the Bay Area - will be available from 26 June as an e-single. The download is available in two parts: 3 freaks video and 3 freaks audio & 3 freaks remix audio.

Speaking about the forthcoming release on his website djshadow.com, Shadow had this to say: "There's been a lot of speculation as to the vibe of the new album. 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.

"There're songs with samples and songs with no samples. There's very dark stuff and very light stuff. Fast and slow. Simple and complicated. And there're songs on this album that I think blow away almost anything else I've ever done, so... we'll see.

I think song for song it's the best album I've ever made. One thing's for sure... it's going to make it very difficult for people to imitate my sound."