LXXXVIII
A profile silhouette of Cunningham wearing glasses with blue hair, with a small square containing a knight chess piece in it to the side
Studio album by
Actress
Released3 November 2023 (2023-11-03)
Genre
Length57:12
LabelNinja Tune
ProducerDarren J. Cunningham
Actress chronology
Karma & Desire
(2020)		 LXXXVIII
(2023)

LXXXVIII is the eighth solo studio album by British electronic music producer Actress, released on 3 November 2023 through Ninja Tune. It was inspired by chess and game theory, and received positive reviews from critics.

Background

The album was inspired by chess,[1] with each track title containing a coordinate on a chessboard used in algebraic notation, as well as game theory.[2] Its title is the Roman numeral for 88, which is also the name of a mixtape Actress released in 2020; 88 is included with the 3×LP edition of LXXXVIII.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Pitchfork7.4/10[1]
The Skinny[5]

LXXXVIII received a score of 82 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3] Daniel Bromfield of Pitchfork commented that "there are some remarkably idle stretches on this 57-minute album, which weaves between short dance tracks and long, intractable expanses of stasis; it's the inverse of the typical techno 'artist album,' where the dance tracks are sandwiched between half-baked ambient stocking-stuffers designed to show off the producer's compositional bona fides".[1] AllMusic's Andy Kellman described it as "yet another source of mystification" as "its deconstructions and creative alterations of underground club music forms, combined with crystalline ambient compositions [...] cause more sensations of wonderment, comfort, and unease".[4]

Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor stated that LXXXVIII "focuses on piano, electronics and voice" as Actress adds "a tinge of jazz to one of dance music's most recognisable sounds, the LP is eclectic and comforting, designed to make you squirm and relax at the same time".[6] Reviewing the album for The Skinny, Patrick Gamble called it "an incredibly unpredictable album, with Cunningham seemingly determined to push his imaginative limits, vivifying his unique brand of experimental techno by cataloguing the possibilities of the genre".[5]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Darren J. Cunningham, except where noted; all music is composed by Darren J. Cunningham, except where noted.

LXXXVIII track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Push Power (a1)" (lyrics by Jonnine Standish; music by Cunningham and Standish)4:09
2."Hit That Spdiff (b8)"7:46
3."Azd Rain (g1)"4:43
4."Memory Haze (c1)"3:57
5."Game Over (e1)" (lyrics and music by Cunningham and Adam Markiewicz)3:15
6."Typewriter World (c8)"4:32
7."It's Me (g8)"5:17
8."Chill (h2)"1:11
9."Green Blue Amnesia Magic Haze (d7)"6:25
10."Oway (f7)"5:03
11."M2 (f8)" (lyrics and music by Cunningham and Laura Groves)3:03
12."Azifiziks (d8)"5:08
13."Pluto (a2)"2:43
Total length:57:12

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for LXXXVIII
Chart (2023) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[7] 85
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[8] 8

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bromfield, Daniel (6 November 2023). "Actress: LXXXVIII Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Eede, Christian (12 September 2023). "Actress Details New Album, LXXXVIII". The Quietus. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 "LXXXVIII by Actress Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Actress – LXXXVIII Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 Gamble, Patrick (1 November 2023). "Actress album review: LXXXVIII". The Skinny. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Ryce, Andrew (3 November 2023). "Actress – LXXXVIII · Album Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
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