This Is What We Do

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This Is What We Do
Leftfield - This Is What We Do.png
Studio album by
Leftfield
Released2 December 2022 (2022-12-02)
Length56.06
Label Virgin
Producer
  • Adam Wren
  • Neil Barnes
Leftfield chronology
Alternative Light Source
(2015)		This Is What We Do
(2022)		This Is What We Do. Version Excursion
(2023)
Singles from This Is What We Do
  1. "Pulse"
    Released: 27 July 2022 [1]
  2. "Accumulator"
    Released: 21 September 2022
  3. "Full Way Round"
    Released: 18 October 2022
  4. "Rapture 16"
    Released: 26 May 2023
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Evening Standard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Uncut 7/10 [10]

This Is What We Do is the fourth studio album by English electronic group Leftfield. It was released on 2 December 2022 by Virgin Records. [11] It is the band's first album in seven years, following the 2015 album Alternative Light Source . [1] The album features appearances by Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten and poet Lemn Sissay. [12]

Contents

Background

The album was written during Neil Barnes' recovery from cancer. [13] On 27 July 2022, Leftfield announced the release of their first album in seven years, along with the first single "Pulse". [11] The second single "Accumulator" was released on 21 September 2022. [14] [15]

Cover art

The album's cover art was photographed by American photographer Steve McCurry, and was "chosen to reflect the warmth and positivity of this musically eclectic and upbeat record as well as to celebrate the connections that we make with other throughout our lives." [16]

Critical reception

This Is What We Do was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 77, based on 6 reviews. [2]

The album reached number 7 in Scotland, [17] and number 18 in the UK. [18]

Track listing

This Is What We Do track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."This Is What We Do"
  • Neil Barnes
  • Adam Wren
4:51
2."Full Way Round" (featuring Grian Chatten)
  • Barnes
  • Wren
5:39
3."Making a Difference" (featuring Lemn Sissay)
  • Barnes
  • Wren
5:46
4."City of Synths"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
4:57
5."Pulse"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
5:58
6."Machines Like Me"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
4:35
7."Rapture 16" (featuring Earl Sixteen)
  • Barnes
  • Wren
4:11
8."Heart and Soul"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
5:39
9."Accumulator"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
6:18
10."Come On"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
2:55
11."Power of Listening"
  • Barnes
  • Wren
5:20
Total length:56:06

Charts

Chart performance for This Is What We Do
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [19] 124
Scottish Albums (OCC) [17] 7
UK Albums (OCC) [18] 18
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [20] 1
This Is What We Do. Version Excursion
Remix album by
Leftfield
Released22 April 2023 (2023-04-22)
Genre Electronica, dub music
Length48:42
Label Virgin Music
Leftfield chronology
This Is What We Do
(2022)		This Is What We Do. Version Excursion
(2023)

Remix version

In February 2023, Leftfield announced an album of dub remixes of the tracks from This Is What We Do entitled This Is What We Do. Version Excursion. [21] The album was released on pink vinyl only in conjunction with Record Store Day on 22 April 2023. [22] It was later released digitally on 9 June 2023.

Track listing

This Is What We Do. Version Excursion track listing
No.TitleLength
1."We Do Dub"4:23
2."Criss Cross Cabbie"4:25
3."Citing and Fighting"4:11
4."Synthetix"4:28
5."Pulsating Dub"4:49
6."Machines Like Dub"3:56
7."Enraptured" (featuring Earl Sixteen)4:26
8."Accumulator Dub"5:12
9."Body + Soul" (Acid Flange Mix)4:21
10."Coming On"3:35
11."P.O.L Dub"5:02

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References

  1. 1 2 Fielding, Amy (27 July 2022). "Leftfield announce new album, 'This Is What We Do', share single". DJ Mag . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Smith, Phil (30 November 2022). "Album: Leftfield - This Is What We Do". The Arts Desk . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Smyth, David (1 December 2022). "Leftfield - This is What We Do review: kinetic vibrancy that sounds thrilling". Evening Standard . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Sweeney, Eamon (16 December 2022). "Leftfield: This Is What We Do – A terrific late career landmark". The Irish Times . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  6. ↑ Devlin, Ben (2 December 2022). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Empire, Kitty (27 November 2022). "Leftfield: This is What We Do review - mighty, all-embracing workouts and more". The Observer . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Barnes's first outing in seven years offers a timely blast of healing positivity, all but impossible to resist. [Jan 2023, p.84]
  9. ↑ Hewett, Ivan (2 December 2022). "The Daily Telegraph Review". The Telegraph . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  10. ↑ A fourth album that feels fervently human for all the machine-tooled precision it otherwise demonstrates. [Jan 2023, p.21]
  11. 1 2 Neale, Matthew (27 July 2022). "Leftfield announce first album in seven years, share new single "Pulse"". NME . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Murray, Robin (27 July 2022). "Leftfield Announce New Album 'This Is What We Do'". Clash . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Shopmaker, Zoe (28 July 2022). "New album". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Murray, Robin (21 September 2022). "Leftfield's 'Accumulator' Is An Electronic Head-Ripper". Clash . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Neale, Matthew (21 September 2022). "Leftfield announce intimate UK tour dates, share new track 'Accumulator'". NME . Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Leftfield Announce New Album". Louder Than War . 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – {{{artist}}} – {{{album}}}" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  21. ↑ Millar, Mark (17 February 2023). "LEFTFIELD Announce Exclusive Record Store Day 'VERSION EXCURSION' Dub Remix Of Latest Album | XS Noize | Latest Music News". www.xsnoize.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  22. ↑ "Version Excursion". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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