DJ Shadow – You Played Me

DJ Shadow’s “You Played Me” Download MP3

DJ Shadow is set to release his new album, ‘Action Adventure’, in October.

He has already shared the lead single, “Ozone Scraper.” Today, he has released “You Played Me,” a song that challenges his previous statement about the album being a strictly instrumental project. Accompanied by a video directed by the Reggies, “You Played Me” is an ’80s-inspired synth-funk track that features a transcendent vocal sample.

The sample is taken from an obscure mid-’80s R&B 12″, while the backing track is inspired by a collection of 200 tapes that he bought on eBay. The tapes were culled from a Baltimore/DC-area radio station in the ’80s that played a mix of dance music, R&B, and early hip-hop.

According to DJ Shadow, “It’s an example of one of my favorite aspects of the music I make, which is just 100% serendipity. There are a thousand records sitting next to me that aren’t going to work; the right record got put on at the right moment to change the course of my album. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made.” The song centers on a transcendent vocal sample that says, “You played me for the last, last time.” DJ Shadow expressed his love for the song and said that it is one of his favorites.