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Karma & Desire
Studio album by Actress
Released	23 October 2020 (2020-10-23)
Genre	Electronic
Length	68:28
Label	Ninja Tune
Producer	Actress Aura T-09 Young Paint
Actress chronology
88 (2020) Karma & Desire (2020) LXXXVIII (2023)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Beats per Minute	76%
Clash	9/10
Exclaim!	8/10
The Quietus
Under the Radar	7.5/10

Karma & Desire is the seventh solo studio album by British electronic music producer Actress, released on Ninja Tune on 23 October 2020. Its announcement was preceded by the surprise release of a single-file album by Actress named 88, which included a PDF hinting towards Karma & Desire's track listing. The album was officially announced on 1 September 2020 and described by Actress as being "a romantic tragedy set between the heavens and the underworld". The announcement of the album was accompanied by the release of the lead single from the album, "Walking Flames", featuring British singer Sampha. The album was included in 'Pitchfork's 41 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2020.

On 23 October 2020, Karma & Desire was released through Ninja Tune, along with an accompanying short film of the same name directed by Lee Bootee/ The film stars Actress, Sampha, Zsela, and Aura T-09, who all feature on the album. American musician Yves Tumor also appears. The album reached number 4 on the UK electronic album charts and was well received by critics, with Actress being acclaimed for further developing his sound.

Critical reception

Phil E. Bloomfield of Bandcamp described Karma & Desire as "warmer and more generous than anything released to date", In a 10/10 review, Ela Minus wrote in Future Music that the album is "a masterpiece of ethereal, smudged contemporary electronic music" and "perhaps Actress' most accomplished work to date". It was named the 41st best album of 2020 by The Guardian and the 31st best album of 2020 by Clash. At the 2021 Libera Awards, Karma & Desire was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Record, ultimately losing to Caribou's Suddenly.

Track listing

Personnel

• Darren Cunningham – production (tracks 1–11, 13–17), mixing (all tracks)
• Noel Summerville – engineering
• Aura T-09 – production (11, 15)
• Young Paint – production (12)
• Kara-Lis Coverdale – co-production (17)
• Unseen_Werk – creative direction, photography
• Inventory Studio – graphic design

References

1. "Critic Reviews for Karma & Desire". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
2. Kellman, Andy. "Actress – Karma & Desire". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
3. Willems, Jasper (23 October 2020). "Album Review: Actress – Karma & Desire". Beats per Minute. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
4. Roseblade, Nick (19 October 2020). "Actress – Karma & Desire". Clash. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
5. Sylvester, Daniel (20 October 2020). "Actress Nimbly Balances Many Ideas, Moods and Collaborators on Karma & Desire". Exclaim!. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
6. Sharma-Patel, Kashif (22 October 2020). "The World, The Flesh, And The Dancefloor: Karma And Desire By Actress". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
7. Arnone, Joey (3 December 2020). "Actress: Karma & Desire". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
8. McDermott, Matt (15 July 2020). "Actress releases new album, 88". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
9. Cetin, Marissa (1 September 2020). "Actress details long-awaited new album, Karma & Desire". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
10. Eede, Christian (1 September 2020). "Actress Details Second Album Of 2020, 'Karma & Desire'". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
11. Torres, Eric (1 September 2020). "Actress and Sampha Share New Song "Walking Flames": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
12. "The 41 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2020: Cardi B, Sufjan, Phoenix, 2 Chainz, and More". Pitchfork. 8 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
13. Pappis, Konstantinos (28 October 2020). "Watch Actress' New 'Karma & Desire' Short Film Featuring Yves Tumor, Sampha, and More". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
14. Bloomfield, Phil E. (21 October 2020). "Actress Walks Us Through His Moody, Atmospheric Albums". Bandcamp. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
15. "Actress Karma And Desire". December 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021 – via Magzter.
16. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (18 December 2020). "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
17. "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020". Clash. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
18. Grein, Paul (22 March 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers, Run the Jewels & Perfume Genius Among Top Nominees For 2021 Libera Awards". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
19. Grein, Paul (17 June 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers & Run the Jewels Are Top Winners at 2021 A2IM Libera Awards". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

• 2020 albums
• Actress (musician) albums
• Ninja Tune albums