Fred again.. takes listeners “ten days” through life in the form of 20 tracks.
Under the stage name Fred again.., British producer Frederick Gibson released his fourth studio album “ten days” on September 6 full of refreshing deep house tracks on love and loss in the DJ’s life.
Fred again.. released “ten days” after completing the album trilogy “After Life”, from the previous albums released from 2020 to 2022.
As electronic music has become more mainstream over the past ten years, the scene of house music has continued to flourish among many other electronic dance music (EDM) subgenres.
House music was born in the 1970s in warehouse venues of Chicago, Detroit and New York City, according to Carnegie Hall’s website.
It primarily stemmed from the Black gay club scene and always has had a diverse audience, according to the same website.
Fred again.. is considered one of the fastest-growing DJ’s in the house music industry, as he was nominated for the “Best New Artist” Grammy by The Recording Academy in November 2023.
I first discovered Fred again.. in 2022 after watching his captivating Boiler Room set and listening to his album “USB.” The fact that he was collaborating with some of my favorite rappers such as Future and Baby Keem attracted me to his discography.
As I’ve dove deeper into the live EDM scene more recently, Fred again.. has remained in rotation and is one of the most respected DJs in my top favorites. His undeniable musicianship combined with mind-spinning production is truly what makes him one of the best in the game, in my opinion.
Featured on the album are 20 songs with ten of them labeled by numbers and containing ambient sounds within seconds.
While the other ten tracks are longer with features from multiple different artists, such as “glow”.
In comparison to his 2022 album “USB” which contains hard basslines and features rappers, this album has psychedelic melodies and a lofi ambience.
USB is an EP released in June 2022 with hardcore electronic hits like “Turn On The Lights” and “Rumble” featuring a wide range of popular rappers and electronic producers.
The second track on the album, “adore u,” features Obongjayar invites me into the feelings of romance and literal adoration of this love in his life.
The 14th track, “i saw you”, discusses the overwhelming feelings of love and heartbreak.
With the melancholy sonics of the instrumental, the vocals croon, “You're further away now than you used to be / But, darling, I saw you and you saw me.”
The lyrics bring an evocative pain of the growing distance between his relationship.
Fred again.. isn’t afraid to break out of this tranquil sound and explore harder beats that appeal to rave audiences in tracks such as “ten” and “places to be.”
Towards the end of “ten days,” Fred again.. explores the meaning of the peace after tumultuous moments in “glow” featuring other DJs such as Duskus, Four Tet, Joy Anonymous and Skrillex.
The 18th track “peace u need” also features production assistance from Joy Anonymous.
The track “glow” reunites Fred with Four Tet and Skrillex who collaborated on his USB hit single “Baby again..” and is a complete 360 of sound from their usual style.
With a mixture of sounds in the likeness, Fred again.. listeners are invited into this atmospheric tranquil space that the DJ has created.
Typically, most fans only hear this style of music from Fred again.. in his live performances where he mixes beats in front of his audience, as seen on his famous Boiler Room set from London in 2022.
However, with “ten days”, Fred again.. brings this experience to your earbuds on demand.
Overall, I found “ten days” to be an invigorating and stimulating experience from my point of view and it doesn’t just provide the peaceful vibes of the sonics but also meaning through poetic lyrics.
Whether you’re going through the rush of falling in love or heartbreak or simply need a breath of fresh air sonically, “ten days” will be a treat for any fan of electronic music.
