Actress and London Contemporary Orchestra, Barbican Centre

Actress is the recording name of Darren Cunningham, one of the most interesting electronic musicians currently working. Broadly speaking, his music takes its cues from techno, but is about as far from a genre exercise as it’s possible to get. Cunningham eschews the medium’s conventions; his beats crackle and thud as if under some muffling cloak, and a groove is never quite allowed to settle. His influences, meanwhile, are decidedly wide-ranging, with reference points spanning Miltonic verse and Greek mythology. From these sources, Cunningham draws atmosphere and existential drama, without ever descending into histrionics.

There’s an undoubted grandeur to his music, both in sound and ambition, which makes his forthcoming collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra both a logical, and very exciting, prospect. The ensemble are notable for their forward-thinking approach to music-making; on previous occasions, for instance, they’ve worked with the likes of Jonny Greenwood, Beck and Foals.

Taking place on February 10 at the Barbican, this is set to be one of the month’s musical highlights.