Karma & Desire | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 23 October 2020 | |||
Genre | Electronic | |||
Length | 68:28 | |||
Label | Ninja Tune | |||
Producer |
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Actress chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 84/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Beats per Minute | 76% [3] |
Clash | 9/10 [4] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [5] |
The Quietus | [6] |
Under the Radar | 7.5/10 [7] |
Karma & Desire is the seventh solo studio album by British electronic music producer Actress, released on Ninja Tune on 23 October 2020. Its announcement was preceded by the surprise release of a single-file album by Actress named 88, which included a PDF hinting towards Karma & Desire's track listing. [8] [9] The album was officially announced on 1 September 2020 and described by Actress as being "a romantic tragedy set between the heavens and the underworld". [10] The announcement of the album was accompanied by the release of the lead single from the album, "Walking Flames", featuring British singer Sampha. [11] The album was included in 'Pitchfork 's 41 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2020. [12]
On 23 October 2020, Karma & Desire was released through Ninja Tune, along with an accompanying short film of the same name directed by Lee Bootee/ The film stars Actress, Sampha, Zsela, and Aura T-09, who all feature on the album. American musician Yves Tumor also appears. [13] The album reached number 4 on the UK electronic album charts and was well received by critics, with Actress being acclaimed for further developing his sound.
Phil E. Bloomfield of Bandcamp described Karma & Desire as "warmer and more generous than anything [Actress has] released to date", [14] In a 10/10 review, Ela Minus wrote in Future Music that the album is "a masterpiece of ethereal, smudged contemporary electronic music" and "perhaps Actress' most accomplished work to date". [15] It was named the 41st best album of 2020 by The Guardian [16] and the 31st best album of 2020 by Clash . [17] At the 2021 Libera Awards, Karma & Desire was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Record, [18] ultimately losing to Caribou's Suddenly . [19]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fire and Light" | Darren Cunningham | 1:16 |
2. | "Angels Pharmacy" (featuring Zsela) |
| 4:41 |
3. | "Remembrance" (featuring Zsela) |
| 2:41 |
4. | "Reverend" | Cunningham | 2:59 |
5. | "Leaves Against the Sky" | Cunningham | 4:38 |
6. | "Save" |
| 5:06 |
7. | "VVY" (featuring Sampha) |
| 2:37 |
8. | "XRAY" | Cunningham | 3:31 |
9. | "Gliding Squares" | Cunningham | 3:07 |
10. | "Many Seas, Many Rivers" (featuring Sampha) |
| 8:11 |
11. | "Loveless" (featuring Aura T-09) |
| 4:40 |
12. | "Public Life" (featuring Vanessa Benelli Mosell) |
| 4:00 |
13. | "Fret" | Cunningham | 1:28 |
14. | "Loose" (featuring Christel Well) |
| 4:19 |
15. | "Turin" (featuring Aura T-09) |
| 7:13 |
16. | "Diamond X" | Cunningham | 3:51 |
17. | "Walking Flames" (featuring Sampha) |
| 4:10 |
Total length: | 68:28 |
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