All About Fred again..’s Actual Life: Production Powerhouse Drops Debut Project

Britain’s production powerhouse Fred Gibson looks internally on his debut record Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020). Gibson is no stranger to electro-pop beats and production, as his influence dates back to 2014. In the past seven years, he has written and produced songs for incredibly notable artists including Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Eminem. Adding to Gibson’s credibility, he even secured the honor of Producer of the Year during the 2020 BRIT awards.

That wasn’t enough to grab your attention? Well, several Gibson-produced tracks rooted the young producer at the No. 1 slot on UK charts for 14 continuous weeks in 2019. That’s equivalent to thirty-percent of the entire year! You’ve definitely heard some of Gibson’s impact in the previous few years, as he produced twelve of fifteen songs on Ed Sheeran’s No. 6: Collaborations Project.

There’s no foreseeable end to Gibson’s momentum. He channels his incredible energy into his debut record Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020). Adopting the pseudonym fred again.., Gibson warps his collection of samples into a dairy-esque dreamscape — packed to the brim with deep bass, raging synths, and everything electro-pop. 

Themes on Actual Life emerge from personal samples and overwhelming positivity from those connected to Gibson. According to this NME article, a number of songs were built around “a host of vocal and audio samples collected by Fred in recent years in a bid to seek out musical moments in the everyday ephemera of life.”

The final track “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)”—featuring The Blessed Madonna—lofts: “If I can live through the next six months / Day by day / If I can live through this / What comes next / Will be / Marvelous.” Gibson reflects on the challenges of yesteryear while setting the stage for a bright and prosperous future.

Other worthy mentions include the fast-paced “Dermot (See Yourself in My Eyes)” and the rhythmic and mesmerizing “Julia (Deep Diving)”—featuring none other than Julia Michaels. His dip into mildly somber production on “Marie (Wish I Had U)” is also noteworthy.

This endeavor celebrates Gibson’s creativity, positivity, and production — resulting in a beautiful, 50-minute masterpiece. Keep your eye on the 26-year-old producer as he plans to release his second dairy-inspired record later this year. You can follow Gibson’s endeavors via Instagram. As Gibson’s handle hints, you’ll be hearing from Fred again and again and again..

Actual Life is available on all streaming platforms.