Actress

With electronic music currently at the most fertile it's been for years, new sub-genres are emerging quicker than ever before with artists constantly redefining people's expectations. One artist who has made being indefinable his mission statement is Actress, aka Darren Cunningham, by carefully drawing on the best elements of styles of music, has created a sound that truly transcends all current genres.

Actress is part of a movement of producers and Dj's that look to fuse elements of techno, house and dubstep. His passion for music drove him to establishing his own Werk night event promoted with Gavin Wealev between 2002 and 2006, and also to set up his own label Werk Disc. In over 5 years Werk Disc has developed a roster of some of the most interesting electronic artists to date, including Zomby, Lone and Lukid.

His 2008 debut album "Hazyville" was a collection of songs put together over five years, combining the darker elements of house and techno with the sounds of urban London. Though independently released on Werk Disc, the album caused quite a stir and was hailed as an underground gem by radio and press.

Actress follow up album "Splazsh" was released early in 2010 on Honest Jon Records, and was well received by press and radio. Cunningham himself describes the album as 'concrete R&B' and skilfully draws on influences from techno, house and dubstep. Since its release he has toured constantly across Europe and the USA headlining numerous club nights and events.

The year has drawn to wonderful close for Cunningham, with "Splazsh" included in many influential 'Record Of The Year' charts, topping The Wire magazine list and coming in the top five for website magazines Resident Advisor, Fact Mag and Drowned In Sound. The future looks very positive for Actress and Werk Disc, the establishment of their Werk Haus Publishing, a highly critically acclaimed album, plus a third on the horizon for 2011.