Actress’ sixth LP reaches deep into both Darren Cunningham’s club­biest and most avant-garde impulses, exploring language and Afrofuturism while maintaining a musicality that holds the listener close.

Actress, real name Darren Jordan Cunningham, known to friends as DAZ, returns with a new album, now on Ninja Tune and a new music system called AZD (Azid), a chrome aspect journey into a parallel world. An artist who has always preferred to make music than to talk about it, in AZD he has achieved another remarkable landmark, one which is as resistant to interpretation as it is demanding of it.

There will be few more distinctive, brilliant or visionary suites of music released in 2017. Call him what you will, this is the year that Darren “DAZ” Cunningham – aka Actress, aka AZD – asserts more clearly than ever before his complete independence.

“A brilliantly twisted, introverted take on dance music”. – The Guardian 4/5 album of the week

""While AZD moves between modes and styles, reaching deep into both Cunningham’s club­biest and most avant-garde impulses, it maintains a clarity of vision”. – Pitchfork 7.9/10

""Cunningham can once again produce mirage-like moment of beauty like nobody else” – Resident Advisor 4.2/5

“Actress’ AZD Is a Gleaming Capstone on His Last Decade of Music.” – SPIN"