2018 repress - Released posthumously, 'The Shining' saw J Dilla operating at full-force, with the likes of Common, Busta Rhymes, Pharaoahe Monch, Madlib, D'Angelo, J.Rocc, Dwele and Black Thought all adding larynx to his box-fresh beats. Clipped of the vocals, 'The Shining' finds real room to breathe; as Dilla's broad palate of influences and varied musical textures are knitted together to produce a record that is just as effective as the full-fat version. Opening on the kazoo-orchestration of 'Geek Down' (coming across like an apocalyptic bee-hive), Dilla immediately flips the script on the tough Krautrock-esque beats of 'E=MC2' and Motown syrup of 'So Far To Go' - with each juxtaposing the next without ever seeming contrived or lacking in cohesion. As 'The Shining' unfolds, Dilla's talent becomes ever more pronounced through galvanised street sounds one minute ('Jungle Love') and candle-lit soul the next ('The Baby') - pitching it somewhere between Shadow and Timbaland. As fine a musical legacy as you're likely to hear, 'The Shining - Instrumentals' sees Dilla firing on all cylinders and makes the loss of a true talent all the more difficult to swallow.
| A1 | Geek Down | 1:42 |
| A2 | E=MC2 | 3:15 |
| A3 | Love Jones | 1:00 |
| B4 | Love | 3:14 |
| B5 | Baby | 3:28 |
| B6 | So Far To Go | 5:35 |
| C7 | Jungle Love | 2:44 |
| C8 | Over The Breaks | 2:13 |
| C9 | Body Movin' | 2:16 |
| D10 | Dime Piece | 3:21 |
| D11 | Love Movin' | 3:35 |
| D12 | Won't Do | 3:45 |
