| 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 DJ Shadow. It was released on October 27, 2023, through Mass Appeal.
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]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 67/100 [10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| And It Don't Stop | A− [12] |
| The Irish Times |  [13] |
| Louder Than War | [14] |
| Mojo | [15] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10 [16] |
| Record Collector | [17] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ (  ) [18] |
| 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]
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
| 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 |
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