Actress - Lxxxviii

Released: 03/11/23

In the pantheon of chess-themed works of sonic art, the excellent new album by Actress “ AKA Darren Cunningham “ comes pretty high up the list. Each track onLXXXVIIIis named for a particular piece, with the album mirroring a game that grows and develops over time. While it may not pack quite the sheer conceptual oomph of John Cage and Marcel Duchamp's remarkable 1968 workReunion,there can be no doubt thatLXXXVIIIis some of the most sublime cutting-edge electronica of recent years. And for a chess nerd like myself, the beautiful artwork alone is enough to make me part with my hard-earned cash.

Reminding us once again why Cunningham has been called one of the great poets of club culture (The Guardian),LXXXVIIIdisplays both a lyricism and an intellectual kick that makes the Wolverhampton-born artist one of the most perennially exciting, and forward-thinking, electronic producers the UK has ever produced “ and sets up a game you'll want to play again and again.