Actress and the London Contemporary Orchestra

A unique collaboration commissioned and curated by Boiler Room and the London Contemporary Orchestra pairs producer Darren Cunningham, aka Actress, with the LCO. This world-first performance of the live show will be debuting brand new material as well as expanded arrangements of his dark and brooding electronica.

Over a decade of releases Cunningham has built a reputation as a fine creator of cerebral abstract techno, or R&B concrète, crafting pulsing kickdrums, jittering percussion and chopped sample loops into churning, rumbling tracks soaked in static. But he has also been on record saying he wants to make ‘classical stuff for a modern generation’, an ambition finally realised with this project.

Emphasising the rich textures of his music, the LCO bring a new dimension to Cunningham’s choice of sounds which celebrate the ambiguity of sound colour that sits between electronic and acoustic spaces. With the producer in effect using them as a new instrument, matching his electronic loops with precise manipulation of their acoustic instruments, together they form a heightened kind of chamber music.

This project has been curated by Boiler Room and the LCO with the support of Arts Council England and the backing of leading British independent record label Ninja Tune. The premiere performance of this collaboration will be broadcast live from the Barbican Center on February 10th 2016.

Joyce Wilson, London Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “This project combines two very different forms of practice and communities of music lovers… This live and experimental collaboration will help cement Boiler Room’s place as a leading forum for new music and enhance the range of content on offer to its online audience across England.”

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England