Often overlooked in the history of electronic music, John Foxx was a genuine pioneer in his field as the UK's first all-electronic solo artist. Foxx decided to leave Ultravox after three largely well-thought of albums in the late 1970s and went on to enjoy a two-part solo career with a 10-year break in between. In retrospect, his early singles remain the most attractive; 'Underpass', 'No One Driving' and 'Burning Away' are blessed with a chilly, European feel but contain original hooks. How he must have cursed though, as his erstwhile group - now led by Midge Ure - became a hugely successful act and the similarly-styled, yet more vocally-challenged, Gary Numan hit radio paydirt. Undeterred, Foxx continued his purple patch highlighted by the altogether more considered 'Europe After The Rain'; add this to pop tunes of the calibre of 'Endlessly' and one could almost be forgiven for thinking that Foxx was, in fact, Ultravox in disguise but without the top ten hits. Foxx left the music scene for a while in 1985; this seemed like a fine idea after releasing a horribly over-the-top 'Enter The Angel', all cheap synth melodies and "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" backing girl vocals, it remains a sad sign of the times. His comeback was very credible on the evidence of the few tracks included on this compilation. First up, there's the Bowie ambient-period pastiche of 'Sunset Rising' and 'The Noise' reveals that he had paid attention to the new musical trends of the time. Enigmatic he may be but 'Modern Act' is a valuable insight into a cult artist who perhaps hasn't got the credit he deserves.