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Action Adventure(album)

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Action Adventure
Studio albumby
DJ Shadow
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023(2023-10-27)
Length57:37
LabelMass Appeal
ProducerDJ Shadow
DJ Shadowchronology
Our Pathetic Age
(2019) 		Action Adventure
(2023)
SinglesfromAction Adventure
  1. "Ozone Scraper"
    Released: August 18, 2023

Action Adventureis the seventh studio album by American music producer Joshua Paul Davis, better known asDJ Shadow.It was released on October 27, 2023, throughMass Appeal.

Background

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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 oneBayand listened to previously unheard records from his 60,000-strongvinyl recordcollection.[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 predecessorOur Pathetic Age,which contained a multitude of guest appearances,Action Adventurehas 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 inUzbekistan.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

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic67/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
And It Don't StopA−[12]
The Irish Times[13]
Louder Than War[14]
Mojo[15]
Pitchfork6.9/10[16]
Record Collector[17]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((1-star Honorable Mention))[18]
Uncut7/10[19]
Under the Radar4.5/10[20]

Action Adventurereceived a score of 67 out of 100 on review aggregatorMetacriticbased on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[10]Louder Than Warnamed 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 thatAction 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]Mojocommented that "even when further adrift from the lost funksampledeliathat made his name, Shadow's production brilliance shines through ",[15]andUncutfelt that "the album flags a bit in the middle but maintains enough propulsion to easily glide past those saggy moments".[19]Matthew Ismael Ruiz ofPitchforkremarked 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

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All tracks are arranged byJoshua Davis.

Action Adventuretrack listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ozone Scraper"
  • Joshua Davis
  • Jouko Sumen
3:31
2."All My"
2:43
3."Time and Space"Davis8:21
4."Craig, Ingels, & Wrightson"Davis3:09
5."Witches vs. Warlocks"
4:10
6."A Narrow Escape"
2:56
7."You Played Me"
  • Davis
  • Ron Townsend
3:28
8."Free for All"
2:30
9."The Prophecy"Davis4:43
10."Friend or Foe"Davis2:42
11."Fleeting Youth (An Audible Life)"
3:32
12."Reflecting Pool"Davis7:54
13."Forever Changed"Davis3:43
14."She's Evolving"
4:15
Total length:57:37

Sample credits

  • "All My" contains a sample of "Expatriot", written and performed byLoudon 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 bySam 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 byKenny Aaronson,and performed byDust.
  • "Fleeting Youth (An Audible Life)" contains a sample of "Tourmaline", written and performed byEugene Bowen.
  • "She's Evolving" contains a sample of "Work", written byCarol Grimesand Maciek Hrybowicz, and performed by Carol Grimes.

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance forAction Adventure
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

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  1. ^Kress, Bryan (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow Announces New Album Action Adventure, Shares" Ozone Scraper ": Stream".Consequence.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  2. ^Duran, Anagricel (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow announces new LP 'Action Adventure' and shares track 'Ozone Scraper'".NME.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  3. ^Kelly, Tyler Damara (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow announces the brand new album, Action Adventure".Line of Best Fit.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  4. ^Turner Williams, Jaelani (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow Brings the 'Action Adventure' to Hip-Hop On Forthcoming Album".Okayplayer.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  5. ^Brodsky, Rachel (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow –" Ozone Scraper "".Stereogum.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  6. ^Lindert, Hattie (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow Announces Album, Shares Video for New Song" Ozone Scraper ": Watch".Pitchfork.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  7. ^Hatfield, Amanda (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow announces new LP 'Action Adventure,' shares" Ozone Scraper "".BrooklynVegan.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  8. ^Renshaw, David (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow announces new album Action Adventure".The Fader.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  9. ^Cohen, Jonathan (August 18, 2023)."DJ Shadow Leans Instrumental On New LP 'Action Adventure'".Spin.RetrievedAugust 19,2023.
  10. ^ab"Action Adventureby DJ Shadow Reviews and Tracks ".Metacritic.RetrievedOctober 28,2023.
  11. ^abSimpson, Paul (October 26, 2023)."DJ Shadow –Action AdventureAlbum Reviews ".AllMusic.RetrievedOctober 26,2023.
  12. ^Christgau, Robert (November 8, 2023)."Consumer Guide: November, 2023".And It Don't Stop.RetrievedNovember 11,2023.
  13. ^abMurphy, Lauren (October 27, 2023)."DJ Shadow: Action Adventure – An undoubted sense of nostalgia".The Irish Times.RetrievedOctober 28,2023.
  14. ^abCarey, Wayne (October 22, 2023)."DJ Shadow:Action Adventure– Review – Album of the Week! ".Louder Than War.RetrievedOctober 28,2023.
  15. ^ab"DJ Shadow –Action Adventure".Mojo.December 2023. p. 90.
  16. ^abRuiz, Matthew Ismael (October 30, 2023)."DJ Shadow:Action AdventureAlbum Review ".Pitchfork.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
  17. ^Allen, Jeremy (November 8, 2023)."Action Adventure - DJ Shadow".Record Collector.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  18. ^Tom Hull, Hull (November 8, 2023)."Streamnotes: November 27, 2023".Tom Hull – on the Web.RetrievedNovember 11,2023.
  19. ^ab"DJ Shadow –Action Adventure".Uncut.December 2023. p. 34.
  20. ^Trunick, Austin (November 27, 2023)."DJ Shadow - Action Adventure".Under the Radar.RetrievedNovember 11,2023.
  21. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  22. ^"Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  23. ^"Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40".Official Charts Company.Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  24. ^"Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50".Official Charts Company.Retrieved November 4, 2023.
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