loves to keep us guessing. A press release surrounding , his previous full-length as , purported to be his last under the guise. Then, this spring, announced a brand new album from the British producer with no explanation for the comeback. In the interim since , Cunningham collaborated with and stepped out on a few friendly labels for clandestine releases under a slew of secret aliases, but unfortunately for his humble efforts, the touch is unmistakeable. Cunningham writes in a musical language all his own; the smudged kicks and crunchy snares that pervade his work are what a might have sounded like if it were built by aliens and rinsed through decades of musical tradition in a parallel universe. uses this language to create highly functional techno steppers and deeply effective beatless pieces that sound unlike any of his peers. On , we are treated to the very best of ’ many hats. The record is an amalgam of every full-length to date: there are bits of Splazsh’s twisted purple techno (“Blue Window”, “Visa”), R.I.P.’s utopian ambient (“Falling Rizlas”, “There’s An Angel In The Shower”), ’s lo-fi sleaze (“Cyn”, “Dancing In The Smoke”) and Hazyville’s punchy machine funk (“Fantasynth”, “Runner”). As per usual, Cunningham digs deep into the canon of recorded music and literature for stimulation; this time citing NYC rapper & graffiti writer (sampled on "Cyn"), James Hampton, and more for inspiration. The results are characteristically dreamy, favoring the odd and disorienting nature of dreams over the ethereal (choice quote from a press release: "AZD in a Peckham Cafe realises his barber has over the years etched a faded scroll into his head using early 80s African synthpop as a vexing serum"). This deluxe clear double vinyl version comes in a gorgeous jacket with printed inner sleeves, all housed in a chrome silver outer bag, limited to 500 copies. Recommended.
- deluxe double vinyl pressing
- printed inner sleeves
- silver chrome outer bag
- 500 copies pressed
- digital download included
- music label: Ninja Tune 2017