Preemptive Strike is the first compilation album by American hip hop producer DJ Shadow, released by Mo' Wax on January 27, 1998.[1] It contains DJ Shadow's singles released by Mo' Wax between 1993 and 1997. It peaked at number 118 on the Billboard 200 chart.[2]
According to Shadow, "The title was in reference to what I felt was a general lack of care for my music on the US label side, and my aim was to compile the earlier Mo' Wax output in a manner of my choosing rather than it happening surreptitiously."[3]
Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork wrote, "These 11 tracks document Shadow's evolution from just a kid with a turntable to a full-blown, steady-rockin' brother with soul."[9]Soren Baker of Chicago Tribune commented that "Sound bytes from old records and instructional tapes make brief appearances, but his spacey sound beds yield far more than just a group of cleverly arranged tape splices."[5]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it "a nice summation of DJ Shadow's most important singles through the end of 1997."[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Josh Davis, except where noted