AZD (album)

Last updated

AZD
Actressazd.jpg
Studio album by
Released14 April 2017
Genre
Length55:15
Label Ninja Tune
Producer Darren Cunningham
Actress chronology
Ghettoville
(2014)
AZD
(2017)
Karma & Desire
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.5/10 [1]
Metacritic 81/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The A.V. Club A [4]
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Pitchfork 7.9/10 [9]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Resident Advisor 4.2/5 [12]

AZD (pronounced "Azid") is the fifth studio album by British electronic musician Actress (real name Darren Cunningham). It was released on 14 April 2017 on Ninja Tune Records. [13] [14] Upon its announcement, the video for the lead single "X22RME" was released on Ninja Tune's YouTube channel. [15] [16] AZD is Actress's fifth album. The preceding album, Ghettoville , had been suspected to have been his last. [17]

As an artist, Actress has always been considered vague in regards to the intentions behind his actions and albums. Christian Eede of The Quietus writes that while a common theme of Cunningham's albums reportedly experienced by listeners is death and a downbeat vibe, AZD shows Actress in a more humorous and open light. [17]

Cunningham tends to give vague titles to his music works to give his audience a glimpse of what the concept of the pieces are instead of fully revealing his thoughts on his songs. [17]

The album has a central concept of the sound associated with 'chrome'. [18] Chrome can represent futuristic ideals while also conveying coldness which in turn could represent human dissociation. Even with this, AZD is a big change in terms of energy from past albums. Its energy is described and felt as higher, as it is not as gloomy or dark as his others. [17]

Track listing

Track listing adapted from Ninja Tune's website. [19]

All tracks are written by Darren Cunningham

No.TitleLength
1."NIMBUS"0:54
2."UNTITLED 7"5:13
3."FANTASYNTH"5:02
4."BLUE WINDOW"3:42
5."CYN"3:18
6."X22RME"5:04
7."RUNNER"5:12
8."FALLING RIZLAS"2:25
9."DANCING IN THE SMOKE"6:21
10."FAURE IN CHROME"6:02
11."THERE'S AN ANGEL IN THE SHOWER"7:33
12."VISA"4:29
Total length:55:15

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References

  1. "AZD by Actress reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. "Reviews and Tracks for AZD by Actress". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  3. Kellman, Andy. "AZD – Actress". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  4. O'Neal, Sean (14 April 2017). "Actress reemerges and reclaims himself on the enjoyably idiosyncratic AZD". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  5. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (14 April 2017). "Actress: AZD — 'tenuous application to melody'" . Financial Times . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  6. Petridis, Alexis (13 April 2017). "Actress: AZD review – a brilliantly twisted, introverted take on dance music". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  7. Cooper, Leonie (12 April 2017). "Actress – 'AZD' Review". NME . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  8. Mackay, Emily (16 April 2017). "Actress: AZD review – electronic maverick gets playfully deep". The Observer . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  9. Ballard, Thea (12 April 2017). "Actress: AZD". Pitchfork . Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  10. Yates, Steve (July 2017). "Actress: AZD". Q (373): 104.
  11. Bowler, Paul (June 2017). "Actress – AZD". Record Collector (467). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  12. Finlayson, Angus (12 April 2017). "Actress – AZD". Resident Advisor . Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  13. "Actress returns with fifth album, AZD". Fact Magazine . 14 March 2017.
  14. "Actress announces new album AZD, shares video for new track "X22RME"". Tiny Mix Tapes . 14 March 2017.
  15. "Actress - 'X22RME'". Ninja Tune. 14 March 2017.
  16. "New Actress album, AZD, coming out on Ninja Tune". Resident Advisor . 14 March 2017.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Eede, Christian (13 April 2017). "Christian Eede On Actress' AZD". The Quietus . Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  18. Petridis, Alexis (13 April 2017). "Actress: AZD review – a brilliantly twisted, introverted take on dance music". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  19. "Actress AZD". Ninja Tune . 14 March 2017.