Action Adventure (album)

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Action Adventure
Studio album by
DJ Shadow
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
Length57:37
LabelMass Appeal
ProducerDJ Shadow
DJ Shadow chronology
Our Pathetic Age
(2019) 		Action Adventure
(2023)
Singles from Action Adventure
  1. "Ozone Scraper"
    Released: August 18, 2023

Action Adventure is the seventh studio album by American music producer 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 80s 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]

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 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.

Action Adventure track 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 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]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Action 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[edit]

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