Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick is a return to form from DJ Shadow, proving that the sampling genius still has plenty left in the tank.
Genre: Electronic, Hip-Hop
Label: Mass Appeal
Release Date: October 27, 2023
Vibe: 😮
In a recent Apple Music interview, DJ Shadow underscored the importance of musical evolution through meticulous craftsmanship. “If I’m asking people to spend their time to invest themselves in this music I have to know that I’ve done everything I can. That’s just the only way I feel comfortable doing it,” he explains. You hear this investment in every second of Action Adventure, a continued departure from his endlessly innovative debut, Endtroducing, and I mean that as a high compliment. Shadow’s refusal to deliver rehashes and sequels has divided fans and critics alike, but if you don’t push yourself past those expectations, do you not tempt the law of diminishing returns? If nothing else, this record sounds much fresher than his previous outing, a 90-minute double album lost in the pre-COVID shutdown rumblings. It’s synth-heavy and, at times, not sonically identifiable as anything related to hip-hop. However, it creates dense, textured instrumentals that showcase his skills as a producer and curator of powerfully eclectic sonic vibes.
Individual highlights include “Time and Space,” a winding, cosmic house track complete with laser sound effects and programmed synths that sound like Frankie Knuckles trying to soundtrack a late-night gaming session. There’s also “Witches vs. Warlocks,” a terrifically glitchy drum ‘n’ bass cut; “You Played Me,” which feels equally inspired by Run-DMC and Wang Chung; and “Reflecting Pool,” a track that ping-pongs between stereo channels like an animal trying to break out of its cage. For Entroducing fans who may only be returning to Shadow’s work now, there’s no doubt he still has chops other DJs/producers can only dream of. The chopping, programming, and layering are uniformly sublime, pulling from obscure material that’s sure to please listeners who deeply respect the crate digging needed to pull this off so well. It’s a testament to the meticulous nature of how this LP was assembled, ensuring that each detail was just right before bringing it to the masses.
The sum of those parts combines for an elevated listening experience.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈