Child Actor (producer)

Child Actor
OriginNew Haven, Connecticut
Boston, Massachusetts[1]
Genres
Years active2012–present
Labels
Members
  • Max Heath
  • Natalie Plaza
Past members
  • Sedgie Ogilvy
Websitechildactor.net

Max Heath, better known by his stage name Child Actor (formerly Circadion), is an American underground hip hop producer and founding member of the dream pop duo also known as Child Actor.[2][3][4][5]

History

Child Actor was formed by cousins Max Heath and Sedgie Ogilvy.[6] They released the Partner EP in February 2012[7] and the Window EP in July 2012.[8]

Their first album, Victory, was released on Fake Four Inc. on October 16, 2012.[9] Don Yates of KEXP-FM described the album as "an impressive set of maximalist, R&B-tinged electro-pop with a huge, lush sound featuring walls of glittering synths, hip hop-influenced rhythms, chopped samples, wispy vocals and sugary pop melodies."[10] Alyce Currier of Earmilk said, "With more emotional staying power than a lot of music caught up in today's rapid release cycle, I think this one is a keeper."[11]

Ogilvy left Child Actor in December 2012 with Natalie Plaza taking her place.[5]

Child Actor released their sophomore album, Never Die, in September 2014, followed by A Perfect Cloud in 2016.[12]

More recently, Heath has been active in hip hop, contributing production to artists such as Open Mike Eagle, Serengeti, billy woods, Armand Hammer, and Moor Mother.[13][14][15][16]

In 2021, Child Actor released an album entitled Respawn with frequent collaborator Televangel via Fake Four Inc.[17]

In 2022, Heath played keyboard in a recording session along with jazz musician Shabaka Hutchings that would form the foundation for the 2023 Armand Hammer album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips.[18][19][20]

Heath gained wider recognition in 2024 after making contributions to critically acclaimed albums by artists such as Navy Blue, Elucid, and Previous Industries, as well as releasing his first full-length collaboration album with underground rapper Cavalier.[21][22][23][24] In a 2024 interview, producer The Alchemist, when asked his thoughts about upcoming producers, responded:

Child Actor is insane. Child Actor is out of his mind. That guy's really good, he’s impressed me a lot lately. ... [I]f I have my vote, then Child Actor is the one.[25]

Discography

Albums

  • Victory (2012)
  • Never Die (2014)
  • A Perfect Cloud (2016)
  • Respawn (2021) (with Televangel)
  • Ajai II Instrumentals (2023)

EPs

  • Partner (2012)
  • Window (2012)
  • Promise (2013)
  • Siempre Mia (2020) (with Televangel)
  • Sunscreen (2024) (with Shemar)

Guest appearances

Production

  • Busdriver – "Utilitarian Uses of Love (Child Actor remix)" from Beaus$Eros (Deluxe Version) (2012)
  • Ceschi – "Work Song" from Forgotten Forever (2014)
  • Serengeti – Energy EP (all songs, 2019)
  • Billy Woods – "Shepherd's Tone (feat. Fielded)" from Terror Management (2019)
  • Armand Hammer – "Charms (feat. Keiyaa)" from Shrines (2020)
  • Moor Mother and Billy Woods – "Rapunzal", "Blak Forrest" (featuring Fielded), "Tiberius" (featuring Elucid), and "Portrait" (featuring Navy Blue) from Brass (2020)
  • Fielded – "Justus (Child Actor remix)" (featuring Billy Woods) from The Sherita Sessions: Demisexual Lovelace Remixes (2021)
  • Elucid – "Spellling", "Old Magic", "Mangosteen feat. Billy Woods", and "Split Tongue" from I Told Bessie (2022)
  • ShrapKnel – "Running Rebel Swordplay", "Obol", and "A Tribe All Stressed" from Metal Lung (2022)
  • AKAI SOLO – "Sun 2 Moon" from Body Feeling (2022)
  • Amani & Robalu – "Starchild" from I'll Be Right Black! (2022)
  • Serengeti – Ajai II (all songs, 2022)
  • Open Mike Eagle – "The Song With the Secret Name", "I Retired Then I Changed My Mind", and "Peak Lockdown Raps" from Component System with the Auto Reverse (2022)
  • Open Mike Eagle – "A New Rap Festival Called Falling Loud", "The Grand Prize Game on the Bozo Show feat. Video Dave & Still Rift", "We Should Have Made Otherground a Thing", "The Wire S3 E1 feat. Blu", and "Dave Said These Are the Liner Notes" from another triumph of ghetto engineering (2023)
  • Fielded – "Take Me There feat. Teether", "You Chasing Me", "Dream Interlude", and "Goddess Woes feat. Wolf Weston" from Plus One (2023)
  • Armand Hammer – "The Flexible Unreliability of Time and Memory" from We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (2023)
  • Armand Hammer – "Drowning Machine" from BLK LBL (2024)
  • Previous Industries – "Showbiz" from Showbiz / Braids (2024)
  • Ceschi – "Fin" and "Santa Lucía" from Bring Us The Head Of Francisco False (Part 1) (2024)
  • shemar – sunscreen (all songs, 2024)
  • Cavalier – "50 Bags feat. Lord Chilla" from Different Type Time (2024)
  • Previous Industries – "Showbiz", "Pliers", "Roebuck", "Montgomery Ward", "Babbages", "Fotomat", "Zayre", and "Kay Bee" from Service Merchandise (2024)
  • Navy Blue – "Low Threshold" and "Basis" from Memoirs in Armour (2024)
  • money for water – "A Canvas For Us All" from Traveling Light (2024)
  • Elucid – "Yottabyte" and "Voice 2 Skull" from Revelator (2024)
  • Cavalier – CINE (all songs, 2024)

References

  1. ^ Brown, Emma (2012). "Discovery: Child Actor". Interview Magazine.
  2. ^ Lewis, Dash (July 8, 2024). "Service Merchandise". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Timmhotep, Aku (October 11, 2024). "Revelator". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Paul Lester (September 25, 2012). "New band of the day – Child Actor (No 1,358)". The Guardian.
  5. ^ a b Niespodziany, Benjamin. "Full Moon Music: An Interview With Child Actor". Mishka Bloglin. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  6. ^ Lester, Paul (September 25, 2012). "Child Actor". The Guardian. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Uddenberg, Brett (March 12, 2012). "Child Actor Premieres "Getaway" From Debut EP Partner (Video)". URB. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
  8. ^ Uddenberg, Brett (July 10, 2012). "Premiere: Child Actor Drops 3D Video for "Get Up" and Free Window EP (Video)". URB. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012.
  9. ^ Milton, Jamie (September 11, 2012). "Listen: Child Actor Preview 'Victory' LP With 'If You Loved Me'". DIY.
  10. ^ Yates, Don (November 2, 2012). "Child Actor: Victory". KEXP-FM.
  11. ^ Currier, Alyce (November 16, 2012). "Child Actor – Victory (Album Review + Video Premiere)". Earmilk.
  12. ^ Montanez, Eric (July 23, 2014). "Child Actor: Last Time". Hypetrak.
  13. ^ "billy woods on Backwoodz Studioz". The Wire. June 1, 2020.
  14. ^ "Open Mike Eagle Announces Component System With the Auto Reverse, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. August 9, 2022.
  15. ^ "How Child Actor Became an Underground Hip-Hop Producer to Watch". Bandcamp. November 10, 2022.
  16. ^ "Open Mike Eagle makes himself a mixtape". NPR. October 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "New Albums". San Francisco Chronicle. September 29, 2021.
  18. ^ Lejarde, Arielle Lana (August 2, 2023). "Armand Hammer announce new album with lead single "Trauma Mic"". The Fader. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  19. ^ Moore, Marcus J. (September 26, 2023). "Armand Hammer Keeps a Foot in the Past, but Its Eyes on the Future". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  20. ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (October 3, 2023). "We Buy Diabetic Test Strips". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  21. ^ Ihaza, Jeff (August 9, 2024). "Navy Blue Got Dropped From Def Jam. His Response: A Great Independent Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Aku, Timmhotep (October 11, 2024). "Revelator". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  23. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 29, 2024). "Previous Industries – "Zayre"". Stereogum. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  24. ^ Corcoran, Nina (November 15, 2024). "9 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Flo, Pa Salieu, and More". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "Artist Feature: Alchemist". Carhartt. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.