| LXXXVIII | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 November 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 57:12 | |||
| Label | Ninja Tune | |||
| Producer | Darren J. Cunningham | |||
| Actress chronology | ||||
| ||||
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.
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]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10 [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]
All lyrics are written by Darren J. Cunningham, except where noted; all music is composed by Darren J. Cunningham, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [7] | 85 |
| UK Dance Albums (OCC) [8] | 8 |
Selected Ambient Works Volume II is the second studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 7 March 1994 through Warp Records. Billed as a follow-up to James' debut Selected Ambient Works 85–92, the album differs in sound by being largely beatless ambient music. James said that it was inspired by lucid dreaming, and likened the music to "standing in a power station on acid."
This Week is the second studio album by American rapper Jean Grae. It was released on September 21, 2004, via Babygrande Records. Recording sessions took place at The Cutting Room Studios in New York, at The Bar Upstairs, at The Brooklyn Academy, at Dojo, at The BK Firehouse and at The Fyre Dept. Production was handled by 9th Wonder, Belief, J. Cardim, LT Moe, Midi Mafia, Shan Boogs, Sid Roams, Will Tell and Adam Deitch, with Chuck Wilson and Ruddy Rock serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Block McCloud, Destruction, Ruddy Rock, Sinclair, The Genies and Tracey Moore.
Richard David James, known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic styles such as techno, ambient, and jungle. Journalists from publications including Mixmag, The New York Times, NME, Fact,Clash and The Guardian have called James one of the most influential and important artists in contemporary electronic music.
Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut studio album by the electronic music producer and DJ Aphex Twin. It was released on 9 November 1992 through Apollo Records, a subsidiary of the Belgian label R&S Records. The album consists of ambient techno tracks recorded onto cassette reputedly dating as far back as 1985, when James was fourteen years old. On release it received widespread acclaim and entered the UK Dance Albums Chart at No. 6 on 26 December 1992.
Kindred is the fifth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was first released on 13 February 2012 digitally by Hyperdub, with a vinyl release following on 12 March 2012. The EP was met with praise, with Metacritic assigning an averaged score of 88 out of 100 based on 17 reviews from mainstream critics. In Japan and selected world markets, Hyperdub issued Kindred as a compilation with Burial's previous EP Street Halo on 11 February 2012. The release, Street Halo / Kindred, placed on the Ultratop 50 albums chart.
Darren J. Cunningham is a British electronic musician, who uses the pseudonym Actress. His albums include Hazyville (2008), Splazsh (2010), R.I.P. (2012), Ghettoville (2014), AZD (2017), LAGEOS, 88 (2020), Karma & Desire (2020); released on Ninja Tune, Honest Jon's Records, and Werkdiscs, a label he co-founded in 2004, and LXXXVIII (2023); released on Ninja Tune. Splazsh was named best album of the year by The Wire.
Ghost People is the second studio album by Martyn. It was released on Brainfeeder on October 10, 2011. It peaked at number 32 on the UK Dance Albums Chart.
Black Metal is an album by British musician Dean Blunt, released by Rough Trade Records on 3 November 2014. The album features vocals from Blunt and frequent collaborator Joanne Robertson. Musically, Black Metal features more traditional pop song structures than Blunt's previous work, but is diverse in instrumentation and genre. The album includes elements of indie pop, folk pop, Americana, dub, ambient, grime, drone, and dancehall. Critics have also noted the prose of Blunt's lyrics as being similar to contemporary hip hop lyrics, which often reflect that of dark subjects like infidelity and alcoholism.
Moonbuilding 2703 AD is the thirteenth studio album from ambient house duo the Orb. It is the first album they released through the Kompakt label since the 2005 release of Okie Dokie It's The Orb on Kompakt. It was released on 22 June 2015.
Lantern is the second studio album by Scottish producer and DJ Hudson Mohawke. It was released on Warp on 16 June 2015. It features guest appearances from vocalists including Anohni, Miguel, and Jhené Aiko.
Callus is the third studio album by Gonjasufi. The album was released by Warp on August 19, 2016. Former Cure guitarist Pearl Thompson is also heavily featured on the album.
AZD is the fifth studio album by British electronic musician Actress. It was released on 14 April 2017 on Ninja Tune Records. Upon its announcement, the video for the lead single "X22RME" was released on Ninja Tune's YouTube channel. AZD is Actress's fifth album. The preceding album, Ghettoville, had been suspected to have been his last.
Narkopop is the fifth studio album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project, the first album under the moniker in 17 years and his first on Kompakt. The album was released on 21 April 2017.
New Energy is the ninth studio album by British electronic musician Kieran Hebden, released under his alias Four Tet on 29 September 2017 by Text Records. The album follows a more uptempo, listener-friendly style than previous Four Tet records while containing elements of those albums and a variety of musical styles as well as virtual instrument replications of culturally-tinged instruments. The album garnered critical acclaim, landing on several year-end lists by publications such as PopMatters, Q, Uncut, The Guardian, and Pitchfork, and reached number 48 on the UK Albums Chart.
Bicep is the self-titled debut album by electronic music duo Bicep, released on Ninja Tune on 1 September 2017.
Cocoa Sugar is the third studio album by Scottish indie group Young Fathers. It was released on Ninja Tune on 9 March 2018. It won the Scottish Album of the Year Award for 2018. It peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart.
Working Class Woman is the fourth solo studio album by French-Canadian musician Marie Davidson. It was released on Ninja Tune on 5 October 2018.
Karma & Desire is the seventh solo studio album by British electronic music producer Actress, released on Ninja Tune on 23 October 2020. Its announcement was preceded by the surprise release of a single-file album by Actress named 88, which included a PDF hinting towards Karma & Desire's track listing. The album was officially announced on 1 September 2020 and described by Actress as being "a romantic tragedy set between the heavens and the underworld". The announcement of the album was accompanied by the release of the lead single from the album, "Walking Flames", featuring British singer Sampha. The album was included in 'Pitchfork's 41 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2020.
No Highs is the eleventh studio album by Canadian ambient musician Tim Hecker, released on April 7, 2023 via Kranky.
Statik is the tenth studio album by British electronic musician Actress, released 7 June 2024 via Smalltown Supersound.