ten days by Fred again..
Fred Gibson (aka Fred again..) is the kind of artist who can turn his formidable talents to anything—glossy pop productions for acts like Little Mix and Rita Ora; crowd-pleasing radio hits fronted by George Ezra and Ed Sheeran; thumping UK rap cuts featuring Stormzy and Aitch; electrifying club collaborations with Skrillex and Swedish House Mafia. His intuitive ability to create moments for others notwithstanding, Gibson—as previously demonstrated on his <i>Actual Life</i> series of albums—truly excels as a musical diarist of sorts, documenting short flashes of the world around him through sound. <i>ten days</i> is the latest chapter in the Grammy-winning producer’s story: 10 slices of contemplative electronica, each preceded by a short interlude of candid or off-the-cuff audio that grounds the track in a palpable experience. Front-loaded with softer grooves and evocative vocal performances, <i>ten days</i> is never too far removed from the ambient roots of Gibson’s tutelage under mentor Brian Eno—starry-eyed love song “adore u” utilises the peerless tones of Obongjayar to great effect, while Sampha’s understated performance on “fear less” seems to ascend through sun-warmed air to end in the cool, echoing outer reaches of the atmosphere. Conversely, “just stand there” freefalls through SOAK’s poignant spoken-word delivery into a momentum-building drop that rattles on re-entry. The lively zeal that Anderson .Paak and CHIKA bring to “places to be” at the album’s midpoint signals a switch-up in energy, and the latter half is dominated by more euphoric, emotional beats. “glow”, featuring a who’s who of leading dance music figures—Four Tet, Skrillex, Duskus—caters to the ravers; Joy Anonymous lend their signature class of boundless rapture to the anthemic “peace u need”. Elsewhere, a remix of “where will i be” strips the bright optimism from the original Emmylou Harris recording, rebuilding it into something more warped and existential. Despite his meteoric rise, Gibson is a DIY producer at heart, driven to find the soul-stirring sample potential in even the most mundane, everyday noises, and it’s cheering to note this romanticised inclination hasn’t been lost along the way. <i>ten days</i> may find him at that rarefied level of success that often translates as isolating and detached, but his discerning artistic choices—hi-hats that sound like they’ve been struck with cushion-tipped drumsticks and resonant basslines—soften the edges, retaining the intimacy and connection at the core of the Fred again.. brand.
