March 31, 2023
Atlantic
1xLP (Clear Vinyl)
When he was 16 years old, Frederick Gibson (AKA Fred Again, AKA the great-grandson-in-law of Ian Fleming), joined his neighbour Brian Eno’s a cappella group, and ended up collaborating with him on two albums. Since then, he produced a majority of Ed Sheeran’s No 6. Collaborations Project, picked up a few awards, and began his ongoing Actual Life project, not bad for a fellow still waiting for his 30th birthday. Collecting sounds and samples from his daily life –voice messages, social media snippets, personal voice memos– Fred Again has created a trilogy of confessional, personal, and naturalistic dance music. Less somber and reflective than the previous instalments, Actual Life 3 is closer to what you’d expect to hear on a dancefloor, with heavier samples, faster drums, and generally a more euphoric sensibility. The voice samples are less moody, and it’s no coincidence that this album was produced and released alongside the awaited return of festival circuits and libertine nights on the town. If you hear this in your actual life, expect it to be at one in the morning.