Album Review: Silver Cloud [EP] by Actress

This is the first release from Actress (aka Darren Cunningham) for Werkdiscs since his debut album, Hazyville, back in 2008. Released in conjunction with Ninja Tune, Werkdiscs dropped this three-track EP on twelve-inch at the end of January in the UK and it is now available in North America. Impressive opening track "Voodoo Posse Chronic Illusion" is a gorgeous slow burner, taking over half of its almost 12 minutes to build to a steady, heady peak.

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I never met an Actress track I didn't immediately love until the first time I heard "Voodoo Posse Chronic Illusion". Londoner Darren Cunningham has been on an astounding run since his debut, 2008 LP Hazyville, but he's never been an easy artist. His abstracted techno tends to appear opaque, yet somehow retains its transparency by revealing layers upon layers of sound hidden in the crushed frequencies.

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ActressSilver Cloud[ Werkdiscs; 2013]By Josh Becker; February 14, 2013Purchase at: Insound (Vinyl) | Amazon (MP3 & CD) | iTunes | MOGDarren Cunningham has been putting out some of the most delightfully bizarre techno music in all of London for several years now. Last year's R. I.

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Silver Cloud arrives in advance of Darren Cunningham's promised fourth album, Ghettoville, whose existence has been mooted since the release of last year's crystalline R.I.P. It's in line with previous form—he has a well-established history of pre-empting each new album with a 12-inch of more impenetrable material, each of which tends to bear some resemblance to its full-length companion, but rarely enough to offer any concrete clues in advance. Mood-wise, the three tracks are more in line with his debut, Hazyville, than any of his more recent output via Honest Jon's, although the techno that pulsed and glimmered through his older material is largely absent here.

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