Action Adventure | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 27, 2023 | |||
Length | 57:37 | |||
Label | Mass Appeal | |||
Producer | DJ Shadow | |||
DJ Shadow chronology | ||||
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Singles from Action Adventure | ||||
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Action Adventure is the seventh studio album by American music producer Joshua Paul Davis, better known as DJ Shadow. It was released on October 27, 2023, through Mass Appeal.
Background
[edit]Davis offered a first insight into his upcoming musical output on August 9, 2023. In an effort to "get personal" and make music for himself again, he no longer saw a use to "give someone else a runway" or make music that was "formatted for vocalists".[1] With this record, the producer challenged himself to "write music that flexed different energies".[2] In preparation for the production, Davis bought 200 tapes recorded off an 1980s-era radio mix on eBay and listened to previously unheard records from his 60,000-strong vinyl record collection.[3]
One of the main questions Davis asked himself throughout the recording process was which chord progression would be "most natural" and "least predictable".[4] The album reflects his "relationship to music" as well as his "life as a collector and curator".[5]
The producer announced the album release on August 18.[6] Unlike its predecessor Our Pathetic Age, which contained a multitude of guest appearances, Action Adventure has no featured artists and is "mostly instrumental".[7] Davis shared the lead single "Ozone Scraper" on August 18, a "peppy, synth-powered" track accompanied by a video filmed in Uzbekistan. Directed by Stefano Ottaviano, the visuals capture a "zen-like feeling".[8] Promotion of the album was set to encompass three performance dates in October 2023.[9]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 67/100[10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
And It Don't Stop | A−[12] |
The Irish Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Louder Than War | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 6.9/10[16] |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ (![]() |
Uncut | 7/10[19] |
Under the Radar | 4.5/10[20] |
Action Adventure received a score of 67 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[10] Louder Than War named it album of the week and described it as "a great comeback from a great talent who's been in hibernation waiting to release a monstrous set of pure brilliance".[14] AllMusic's Paul Simpson wrote that Action Adventure "doesn't sound like DJ Shadow's other records, but it's exactly the type of album he would make—a risky, expectation-bucking set that only fully makes sense to the artist himself".[11]
The Irish Times' Lauren Murphy found the album to have "an undoubted sense of nostalgia" and called it "a reminder that DJ Shadow still has plenty to offer".[13] Mojo commented that "even when further adrift from the lost funk sampledelia that made his name, Shadow's production brilliance shines through",[15] and Uncut felt that "the album flags a bit in the middle but maintains enough propulsion to easily glide past those saggy moments".[19] Matthew Ismael Ruiz of Pitchfork remarked that "some of the beats [...] feel hollow without a charismatic rapper to float over them" and "much of the album's early runtime builds towards a climax that never comes", although felt that "the drums are captivating enough to save more than one song from sleeping at the wheel".[16]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are arranged by Joshua Davis.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ozone Scraper" |
| 3:31 |
2. | "All My" | 2:43 | |
3. | "Time and Space" | Davis | 8:21 |
4. | "Craig, Ingels, & Wrightson" | Davis | 3:09 |
5. | "Witches vs. Warlocks" |
| 4:10 |
6. | "A Narrow Escape" |
| 2:56 |
7. | "You Played Me" |
| 3:28 |
8. | "Free for All" |
| 2:30 |
9. | "The Prophecy" | Davis | 4:43 |
10. | "Friend or Foe" | Davis | 2:42 |
11. | "Fleeting Youth (An Audible Life)" |
| 3:32 |
12. | "Reflecting Pool" | Davis | 7:54 |
13. | "Forever Changed" | Davis | 3:43 |
14. | "She's Evolving" |
| 4:15 |
Total length: | 57:37 |
Sample credits
- "All My" contains a sample of "Expatriot", written and performed by Loudon Wainwright III.
- "Witches vs. Warlocks" contains a sample of "(Wir Sind Die) Schmetterband", written by Georg Herrnstadt, and performed by Schmetterlinge.
- "A Narrow Escape" contains a sample of "The Runner", written and performed by Sam Spence.
- "You Played Me" contains a sample of "Baby Got Me Goin", written by Ron Townsend, and performed by Jan Jerome.
- "Free for All" contains a sample of "Loose Goose", written by Kenny Aaronson, and performed by Dust.
- "Fleeting Youth (An Audible Life)" contains a sample of "Tourmaline", written and performed by Eugene Bowen.
- "She's Evolving" contains a sample of "Work", written by Carol Grimes and Maciek Hrybowicz, and performed by Carol Grimes.
Personnel
[edit]- DJ Shadow – production, mixing, programming
- Mikael "Count" Eldridge – mixing
- Mark Bijasa – artwork
- Ron Lesser – cover painting
Charts
[edit]Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] | 32 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[22] | 13 |
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[23] | 1 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24] | 14 |
References
[edit]- ^ Kress, Bryan (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow Announces New Album Action Adventure, Shares "Ozone Scraper": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Duran, Anagricel (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow announces new LP 'Action Adventure' and shares track 'Ozone Scraper'". NME. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow announces the brand new album, Action Adventure". Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Turner Williams, Jaelani (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow Brings the 'Action Adventure' to Hip-Hop On Forthcoming Album". Okayplayer. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Brodsky, Rachel (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow – "Ozone Scraper"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Lindert, Hattie (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow Announces Album, Shares Video for New Song "Ozone Scraper": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Hatfield, Amanda (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow announces new LP 'Action Adventure,' shares "Ozone Scraper"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Renshaw, David (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow announces new album Action Adventure". The Fader. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (August 18, 2023). "DJ Shadow Leans Instrumental On New LP 'Action Adventure'". Spin. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Action Adventure by DJ Shadow Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Simpson, Paul (October 26, 2023). "DJ Shadow – Action Adventure Album Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (November 8, 2023). "Consumer Guide: November, 2023". And It Don't Stop. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Murphy, Lauren (October 27, 2023). "DJ Shadow: Action Adventure – An undoubted sense of nostalgia". The Irish Times. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Carey, Wayne (October 22, 2023). "DJ Shadow: Action Adventure – Review – Album of the Week!". Louder Than War. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "DJ Shadow – Action Adventure". Mojo. December 2023. p. 90.
- ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (October 30, 2023). "DJ Shadow: Action Adventure Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Allen, Jeremy (November 8, 2023). "Action Adventure - DJ Shadow". Record Collector. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Tom Hull, Hull (November 8, 2023). "Streamnotes: November 27, 2023". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "DJ Shadow – Action Adventure". Uncut. December 2023. p. 34.
- ^ Trunick, Austin (November 27, 2023). "DJ Shadow - Action Adventure". Under the Radar. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 4, 2023.