Since his brilliant first album Hazyville (2008), the work of British composer Darren J. Cunningham (Actress) is immersed in a mysterious fog, and this ninth album is no exception. The title refers to the 88 keys of the piano, whose sound is predominant here, as well as to this album discreetly published independently in 2020; each title contains a reference to a position on a chessboard which, along with game theory, serves as a guiding theme. The material of the album is much less cryptic, Actress revisiting her beloved atmospheres, between ambient (Green Blue Amnesia Magic Haze), glitch, techno (Push Power, Typewriter World) and experimental electro (but docile for the eardrums), with here and there a detour towards Pole-style dub (Game Over) and the languorous house that French composers loved three decades ago (It’s me, its sung chorus remaining in mind). From the benevolent avant-garde which gently transports us, from surprise to surprise.
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To watch on video