Fred again.. in a One-of-a-Kind Tiny Desk Performance
British musician Fred again.. delivered a deep, rich performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series this past month. His set featured sampled artists including Guante, I Am Roze, Berwyn, Faisal, Amine, and Delilah Montagu. The session was live and intimate, featuring highlights from all three of his albums, Actual Life 1, 2, and 3. Fred again.. Played “Kyle (i found you),” “Roze (forgive),” “Adam (interlude),” “Me (heavy),” “Berwyn (interlude),” “Delilah (pull me out of this)” and “Faisal (envelops me),” showing off his ability to reach hearts and touch souls through lyrics and perfected musicality.
The live session featured special renditions of these tracks. The spotlight shined on vocals, marimba, maschine, piano, and the vibraphone. It is no surprise that he came equipped, as Fred again..’s live show was highly revered last year as one of the most talked about live acts, transforming his three records into a communal and immersive experience. The Actual Life albums sold out on vinyl after their release, but are available here as a repress.
“I spent weeks practising this and learning instruments I hadn’t played for years to try n make this as special as I possibly could. EVVERRRYYYY thing you hear in this I play totally live. And there are some sounds I really couldn’t believe we were able to make like this. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever been a part of”
Fred Again.. on the Tiny Desk Youtube channel
The performance is extremely special, one can tell by the focus on his face as he swaps between various instruments. After setting a sampled track, he takes four mallets to the marimba in “Kyle (I found you)” with diligence, then doubles up on the keyboard and maschine. He lets his multi-medium mastery take over throughout the entire performance, mesmerizing audiences and reigning serenity upon that busy, homey little corner of NPR.
Fred again.. sold out across the UK and USA, and gained viral success with his blockbuster Boiler Room session, surpassing 16 million streams so far, continuing further with his appearance on Tiny Desk. He performed at NPR following his release of “Baby again..,” collaborating with Skrillex and Four Tet, which was celebrated by the trio via pop-up events across New York City. They ended these with a historic show at Madison Square Garden, a five hour event that sold out within minutes.
Fred again.. is currently on tour, and you can check out his agenda here. Listen to Fred again..’s Actual Life albums below and be sure to check out his fabulous performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
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