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DJ Shadow Performed Endtroducing at Portola Festival

The producer reunited with his lost sampler to play his 1996 landmark album live on Saturday.

Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Dance and Electronic

Graphic poster-style illustration of a vintage electronic sampler, rendered in bold purple and indigo geometric shapes.
DJ Shadow performed his landmark 1996 album, Endtroducing, live at the Portola Music Festival on Saturday, utilizing his recently recovered Akai MPC60 sampler. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Fans at the Portola Music Festival witnessed a rare performance of DJ Shadow's 1996 album, Endtroducing. The Mill Valley-based producer played the landmark record live for the first time in three decades.

Why it matters

The performance was made possible only after the artist recovered his long-lost Akai MPC60 sampler earlier this year. Its return allowed him to finally stage the album with the specific hardware used to create its iconic sound.

The performance follows a 30-year hiatus for these tracks, made possible by the recovery of a lost Akai MPC60 sampler six months ago. The 1996 release previously earned a perfect 10 rating from Pitchfork.

The players

DJ Shadow

A pioneering producer and Mill Valley resident who is internationally recognized for his influence on trip-hop and experimental hip-hop.

Tycho

An electronic music artist and producer who assisted in the technical restoration of the recovered sampler.

The details

DJ Shadow, who was born in San Jose, utilized the repaired Akai MPC60 sampler to debut new arrangements intended for massive festival speaker stacks. The sampler was restored with technical assistance from Tycho following its recovery in March 2026. This setup allowed for a fidelity that was previously impossible to achieve on a live stage.

Timeline

  1. 1972: DJ Shadow was born in San Jose.

  2. 1996: The album Endtroducing was released.

  3. 2005: Pitchfork awarded the deluxe reissue a perfect rating.

  4. March 2026: The lost sampler was recovered.

  5. September 26, 2026: The Portola Music Festival performance took place.

Across the Bay

The live staging of Endtroducing cements the record's legacy, which was formally recognized when Pitchfork awarded the 2005 deluxe reissue a perfect score. Saturday's performance follows this historical valuation and serves as the definitive live iteration of the work.

Attendees at the Portola Music Festival experienced a one-hour set that utilized specialized hardware. This marks the first time these classic tracks have been heard in a live, high-fidelity format in thirty years.

The takeaway

The return of the sampler highlights how specific legacy hardware remains central to an artist's ability to recreate seminal work. Keep an eye on local venue schedules to see if additional performances of this specialized set are announced.

Further reading

Explore more local scene updates in the Dance and Electronic section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by San Francisco Gate.

Live Poll

Do you prefer hearing classic albums played live in their original form or with new arrangements?