Where can Fred Again.. go?
Fred Again.. is back, without ever having left. As soon as the Italian tour last September ended, he embarked on another 10 concert tour which led him to “USB002”, the second episode of his “infinite album”, released in recent days. He continues to insist on a format that he himself invented: a continuous production of songs and performances, pop and collective electronica, which combines sampled voices and collaborations with producers and rappers.
The new album takes up the approach of the first volume of “USB” – clubbing, rap, grime, much less emotion than “Actual Life” and “Ten days” – and carries it forward at a time when the artist is multiplying projects, live experiments, partnerships and releases. To the point of testing the sustainability of a creative machine that always seems on the edge of hyperextension. Or maybe not, so much so that he has already announced 10 more shows, 6 in New York and 4 in London – and probably a few more songs coming out.
“USB002”: less emotion, more rhythm
Compared to the first “USB001”, “USB002” remains centered on the dancefloor-oriented side. The electronics are rougher, close to rap/grime: more rhythm, less classical melody. The effectiveness is intermittent: Fred Again still manages to find its wings – also thanks to a now structural system of collaborations, ranging from rappers to producers Floating Points to Caribou – but the impression is that its format is starting to show a bit of fatigue. Even compared to volume 1, the “places to be” pieces are missing, with the sole exception perhaps of “You’re a star”, with Amy & The Sniffers.
The album was released at one song per week, accompanied by 10 performances around the world. Two of these – those with Caribou and Floating Points, and the one with Four Tet – became four-hour “live” albums released only on Apple Music, a platform with which the artist has a dedicated partnership.
Fred Again’s formats: invention or overproduction?
Its strength – and, perhaps, its limit – is having transformed music into a system of formats that can be replicated over the long term, which break away from the rigid patterns of classic record publishing. Fred Again is someone who doesn’t do “normal” things. Each publication is a micro-event, accompanied by other events: social announcements, live broadcasts on Twitch, involvement of a loyal base on Discord.
It is an approach consistent with the way in which digital content is designed today: a matrix is identified, it is replicated, it is updated, it is declined. His tours – including Italy – should also be read in this light, constructed as performative extensions of the studio method, a hybrid between controlled rave, improvised set and emotional storytelling.
But how replicable is this model? In “USB2” Fred Again continues to demonstrate great skill as an arranger and a unique melodic sense, as well as an uncommon drive and ability to involve his audience. But the surprise has inevitably faded: each new project – especially when it is so close together – is like the update of a now consolidated software. Even literally: there are many versions of some songs, in a constantly evolving process in which fans are involved.
The best moments of “USB2” are “Easy” with Caribou and “Ambery” with Floating Points, just as in “Ten days” the pearl was “Glow” with Skrillex, Four Tet and Duskus. There he lets himself go, abandons the format and shows where his music could go if he experimented a little more with electronics and a little less with song-software.
Fanbase, market, sustainability
Fred Again.. has built an extremely loyal and active fan community – here too establishing a model: a story in real time, in which fans are asked to choose the best version of a song, to participate in the process. But the question remains: is it sustainable in the long term?
Creatively, up to a certain point: “USB2” shows the first signs of tiredness. But also industrially and economically – as long as the artist remains hyperactive and global demand is high, shows sell out in an instant. Producing and creating formats outside the classic mold has a real cost. The future of Fred Again… is also at stake here: whether it will be able to maintain the same amount of output and innovation, without burning out creatively.
Fred Again.. has reached a point where he can choose whether to consolidate himself in pop and “normalise”, opening up to an even wider audience, or continue to frequent his formats, living off his fan base. The risk is to saturate the public – unless you find a third way.
Today his greatest limitation is precisely what made him famous: a very strong idea of a musical format that is perhaps starting to show its limits. Talent is not in question; the creative estate, perhaps yes. “USB2” is the first work that gives a glimpse of these risks.
