Actress (musician)

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Actress, born Darren J. Cunningham on 23 August 1979 in Wolverhampton, England, is a British electronic musician known for experimental techno and outsider house. He started as a footballer with West Bromwich Albion, but an injury ended his playing career. He got into music after a friend set up a basic studio; he bought gear for £200 while traveling.

In 2004 he founded the label Werk Discs, which began as a club night and released music by artists like Helena Hauff and Zomby, as well as Cunningham’s own work.

Discography highlights:
- Hazyville (2008)
- Splazsh (2010) — widely acclaimed; listed as best album of the year by The Wire; later released by Honest Jon’s
- R.I.P. (2012) — Best New Album by Pitchfork; third on The Wire’s 2012 poll
- Ghettoville (2014) — released by Werk Discs and Ninja Tune; reached #20 on Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums
- AZD (2017)
- LAGEOS (2018) — with the London Contemporary Orchestra
- 88 (2020) — a 49-minute single released on Bandcamp
- Karma & Desire (2020) — released on Ninja Tune; reached #4 on the UK electronic album chart; accompanied by a short film
- LXXXVIII (2023) — released on Ninja Tune
- Statik (2024) — released on Smalltown Supersound

Other notable projects:
- Collaborated with Damon Albarn on Kinshasa One Two (2011) to support Oxfam in Congo
- Performed multimedia pieces with Steve Reich’s Different Trains (2017) and with the London Contemporary Orchestra (2018 Barbican show) resulting in LAGEOS
- 2019 tribute to Stockhausen, Sin (x), at the Royal Festival Hall
- 2021–23 projects including Grey Interiors in Berlin and other art collaborations

Actress is known for blending club-ready rhythms with experimental textures, creating atmospheric, forward-thinking electronic music, and for shaping the UK’s experimental scene through Werk Discs.