ACTRESS レコード& CD

Review: Darren Cunningham continues his inimitable exploration as Actress with a new album reportedly informed by game theory. Drawing on the tactics of chess as a framework for creating and releasing his ninth studio album, the artist himself describes this as a 'voyage into luxury sonics', and indeed 'Push Power (a 1)' has a certain languid piano jazz sophistication to it. But there's still plenty of that rugged, off-centre groove beating away underneath, and in its subdued and singular style, it feels like an Actress record through and through. Profound, moving and bold in its originality, this is yet another triumph for an artist who constantly shakes up the conventions of club music.

Review: Actress (Darren Cunningham) releases his ninth album to date, 'LXXXVIII', coming as the very first presentation of the artist's voyage into "luxury sonics". ?A lifetime in the making, 'LXXXVIII' is the culmination of 25 years' honing mind-shorting, soul-igniting audio infusions for dancefloors, rave dens, festivals and concert halls. Less grainy than earlier works like Ghettoville or more recent albums like XX2RME, this one recalls a more immediate approach, the same onee heard on his forum-bound free downloadable albums, working in a wider stylistic gamut from minimal to glitch.

Review: Actress is back with another masterful diversion away from the tired old narratives of what dance music used to be. Darren Cunningham himself suggests this record is a 'voyage into luxury sonics', and you can find yourself carried away on some truly exquisite musicality whether it's the meandering jazz piano of 'Push Power (a 1)' or the haunting voices flickering through 'Game Over (e 1)'. Throughout, though, there's still that strong sense of Actress as he's always been, anchored by grubby rhythms, passing through a filter unique to his sound alone. This special edition of the album comes with a bonus disc containing the '88' LP, which originally only came out on tape and digital in 2020.