Released: 03/11/23
Actress (Darren Cunningham) — one of the preeminent and most singular voices in UK electronic music — returns with new album LXXXVIII, released on 3rd November on Ninja Tune. The conceptual groundwork for the coming album is built on a game of chess, each track named for a particular piece. With each thoughtful move the game grows and develops over time - something we can hear reflected throughout the album’ textured and delicate layers.
Actress has been announced as the official support for James Blake’s upcoming UK/EU tour, which includes Alexandra Palace in London (on 28th Sept), and stops in Paris, Milan, Berlin, and Brussels. Further live dates include Studio 9294 in London in December.
The release follows 2022’s mesmerizing Dummy Corporation EP, which placed Actress firmly back in the center of underground club culture. Prior to that his 2020 album Karma & Desire — which saw guest collaborations from Mercury Prize winner Sampha, Zsela and Aura T-09 — received widespread acclaim, with The Guardian commenting the album “cements his place as one of the great poets of club culture”.
First single “Push Power ( a 1 )” premiered this year on the iconic IICON stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival, with Actress playing straight after Four Tet. LXXXVIII arrives off the back of a recent live performance at Field Day in London, one of his largest live shows this year, where he showcased visuals from ‘Grey Interiors’ - an A/V project in collaboration with experimental creative studio Actual Objects, who’ve worked with the likes of ShyGirl, Kali Uchis, LSDXOXO and have presented work at Coachella and 180 The Strand’s Futureshock exhibition.
John Cale recently invited Actress to collaborate on a track from his first album in 7 years, resulting in “MARILYN MONROE’S LEGS (beauty elsewhere)”.
Previously featured in the Patta x Nike 4 part film by Mahaneela and Steve McQueen. Remixed tracks for Joji, Perfume Genius, Tirzah, The Cinematic Orchestra, Soccer Mommy and Carmen Villain.