DJ Shadow Leaves 'Shadowsphere' Tour Bubble Behind to Work on New Album

DJ Shadow wowed the dance world this year with his spectacular 'Shadowsphere' tour, putting on an elaborate stage show for his loyal supporters. With the tour over (for now), the veteran DJ/producer is ready to get back to work on his next record.

"I finished about 35 minutes of music in the first part of the year," DJ Shadow tells Spinner. "I'm hoping for a release around June, next year. That's another component of doing this ['Shadowsphere'] tour. I wanted to get out and get some fresh air. Leave the studio and live a little bit, and be informed by that when I finish the record."

The intricate 'Shadowsphere' tour saw Shadow, born Josh Davis, performing inside a giant bubble. The orb also served as a screen for projections. Not surprisingly, the intricate set-up took considerable design and preparation.

"Back in March when the tour was booked and became real, it became a motivating stake in the ground. But when I'm planning a tour I can't really sleep properly; I become very nervous until I know what I'm going to do," says Shadow. "The first time I did the show in its entirety was in France. All the way up to that, we were thinking, 'Is it going to work?' and adding things and tweaking the music. Then once you're on the road, you're on autopilot. But I make surgical changes on the tour, I always do that. I'll be doing this next year as well."

Davis likes the anonymity that the bubble gives him. "I'm not the type of DJ that likes to jump around and be a superstar in my own right," adds the 38-year-old Northern California native. "I don't desire that and I don't manifest that. I want to let my music shine and it be an entertaining show. I do care about audiences and I do care about them getting good value. One thing I'm not comfortable with is doing anything other than what I am, which is a person who likes music and likes to share it."

Watch DJ Shadow's 'Shadowsphere' Tour