David Shea

The Profile

American composer and turntablist from Springfield, Massachusetts, known for experimental, cross-genre works released on Tzadik and Sub Rosa, and collaborations with figures such as John Zorn and Marc Ribot.

Composer and turntablist; American; active since the 1990s; associated with Tzadik and Sub Rosa; noted for cinematic, sample-rich, cross-genre compositions and collaborations in the NYC downtown scene.

A single, fervent review champions David Shea’s Hsi-Yu Chi as a cinematic, genre-hopping ride through martial arts movie soundworlds. The reviewer frames it as an escape from awful holiday TV, praising orchestral swells, free piano, ethnic textures, and wah-wah guitars. John Zorn and Marc Ribot are credited as contributors. Shea is described as a Springfield, Massachusetts composer exploring image–sound relationships. Verdict: 5 full stars.