released: september 18th, 2026

genre: electronic

from: wolverhampton / london, uk

label: ninja tune

a few thoughts: since the release of his 2008 debut hazyville, darren j. cunningham aka actress has spent his musical journey nurturing an eclectic, nocturnal and insular sound, often (at least to me), evoking feelings of melancholy, introspection, and cathartic release. whether it’s the warped out techno prominent on albums such as 2010’s splazsh or his 2014 classic ghettoville, or moody and melodic moments on albums such as karma & desire (2020) or lxxxviii (2023), his music moves in ways that few artists can capture. his 11th studio album radical frame embodies the reflective, explorative energy of previous releases, with a tone and ambience that is utterly stunning from start to finish. over its 8 tracks and 38-minute runtime, the talented artist crafts collages of minimal techno and ambience, culminating in the 16-minute masterpiece “sheets” with rainy miller. it’s the perfect embodiment of actress’ disorienting yet cinematic world. the gentle, atmospheric synth leads are complemented by jittery and restless beats that, combined with rainy miller’s evocative and moody vocal contributions and reflective lyrics, make for a stunning and striking closer, exemplary of actress’ moody and introspective sound. “live by you” opens the album properly after the fleeting “the experiment” and “gimme tha’ f****n’ money man”, with a restless and angsty feature from casisdead, whose heady verse meanders between eclectic and disorienting synths. the vocals on “overchord” are gorgeous, with a gentle, piano-led piece that shifts between electronic percussion and infectious beats, while the thick synth and emphatic synth leads on “cosmo” are utterly mesmerising. “withending” is probably the highlight on the album for me, with gentle, ethereal and delicate piano melodies that meander between a dynamic groove and subtle bassline. it builds and grows and takes on a new life of its own, and is one of the more emotive moments on the album. similarly, “paris” features some subtle but angelic piano melodies that contrast the dynamic tone of the beat and groove throughout the track. the two sonic collages merge into a truly breathtaking piece of music. it flows effortlessly into the closer, which as mentioned, captures the totality of actress’ sonic musings and emotions. actress’ radical frame embodies an excellence within the black avant-garde, keeping one foot on the pedal of ambience and melancholic introspection, while the other moves to its dance-infused grooves that feel cathartic and liberating.