Music like Actress

Darren J. Cunningham (born 23 August 1979) is a British electronic musician, who uses the pseudonym Actress. His albums include Hazyville (2008), Splazsh (2010), R.I.P. (2012), Ghettoville (2014), AZD (2017), LAGEOS (with the London Contemporary Orchestra; 2018), 88 (2020), and Karma & Desire (2020); released on Ninja Tune, Honest Jon's Records, and Werkdiscs, a label he co-founded in 2004. Splazsh was named best album of the year by The Wire.

Growing up, Cunningham was a footballer, signing and playing for West Bromwich Albion until suffering an injury which derailed his career.

His first introduction to music came through a friend who had a basic music studio set up in his student accommodation. When he went travelling, Cunningham purchased his studio equipment for £200. When he first began making music, Cunningham did not use a metronome, a technique which he says has contributed to how his "style developed". To fund his place on one of the first degree courses in recording arts, Cunningham signed up for a grant programme run by the PFA (Professional Footballers Association).