Fred again.. – Actual Life 2 (February 2 - October 15 2021) (Clear Vinyl)

Fred again..’s Actual Life 2 (February 2 - October 15 2021) is the second album in his diary-like Actual Life series, built from a specific eight-month stretch in 2021. Rather than treating samples as decoration, Fred Gibson pieces together voice notes, vocal fragments, found sounds and personal memories into songs that document what one source describes as an extremely difficult period in his life. That method helped define the appeal of these records: intimate, autobiographical electronic music that still moves like club music.

Across the album, he expands that approach into a warm mix of house, UK garage, ambient textures and downbeat electronica. The cast around him is telling: collaborators and voices include Joy Crookes, Headie One, Tate McCrae, Tanya Stephens, Billie Ray Martin and others, while tracks such as Faisal (Envelops Me), Tanya (Maybe Life) and Mollie (Hear Your Name) show how naturally he turns everyday speech into emotionally direct songwriting. The result balances euphoria and vulnerability without losing the human grain of the recordings.

Released after his acclaimed debut Actual Life, this follow-up played a major part in establishing Fred again.. beyond his already strong profile as a British producer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. The first two Actual Life albums were embraced by both fans and critics, appeared in year-end lists from outlets including DJ Magazine, the Evening Standard and NPR, and helped lead to his 2022 BRIT Award nomination for Best Dance Act.

Genre: Electronic