AZD (album)

AZD
Studio album by
Actress
Released14 April 2017
Genre
Length55:15
LabelNinja Tune
ProducerDarren Cunningham
Actress chronology
Ghettoville
(2014) 		AZD
(2017) 		Karma & Desire
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.5/10[1]
Metacritic81/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. ClubA[4]
Financial Times[5]
The Guardian[6]
NME[7]
The Observer[8]
Pitchfork7.9/10[9]
Q[10]
Record Collector[11]
Resident Advisor4.2/5[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]

  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. ^ a b c d 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.