British electronic producer Actress and modular synthesis pioneer Suzanne Ciani have released a live album capturing their improvised performances from last year. Titled Concrète Waves, the record documents sets at London's Barbican Theatre and Barcelona's Sónar Festival. It arrived via Werkdiscs with less than a day's notice.
Last year, Actress and Suzanne Ciani joined forces for an improvised piece called Concrète Waves. The performances took place at London's Barbican Theatre and Barcelona's Sónar Festival. On Friday, the pair surprise-released a live album of both sets through Werkdiscs, the label founded by Actress. Press materials describe it as the first in a new Werkdiscs series devoted to improvised musical conversations between avant-garde icons. The album features tracks from the London and Barcelona shows, including sections labeled A1 through B5 for each location. Actress's most recent solo effort, Statik, appeared in 2024. Looking ahead, Actress and Ciani plan to perform Concrète Waves at upcoming festivals. They are scheduled for Rewire Festival in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 9, and Variations Festival in Nantes, France, on April 11. The release coincides with growing interest in live captures of experimental electronic collaborations.
