Fred Again.. – USB002 review: a free-flowing rush of instinctive, floor-ready energy
Four years after the Actual Life series pushed him into the upper echelons of mainstream recognition, Fred Again.. remains firmly in his moment. London-based producer and DJ Fred Gibson has spent that time operating on a scale that feels almost unreal, bouncing between sold-out stadium shows in New York and surprise appearances in intimate, 1,000-capacity rooms in Sheffield, while also making history as the first dance act to headline Reading & Leeds in 2024.
While Actual Life and his fourth album, 2024’s Ten Days, channelled warmth and euphoria through the beauty of everyday moments, Gibson has also sharpened his ability to deliver full-throttle club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on USB, an “infinite album” concept he launched in 2022 as a home for tracks that didn’t belong to any single world. It’s where some of his biggest, most visceral moments — including tracks like “Rumble” and “Jungle” — first found space to breathe.
USB002, the second vinyl-only chapter in that project, gathers 16 recent tracks, many of which were gradually released to streaming platforms over a 10-week stretch. These songs were created in real time alongside a run of 10 surprise DJ pop-ups across cities ranging from Dublin to Mexico City. Demand was overwhelming from the outset: despite a verification system designed to control access, reports suggested that around 100,000 people attempted to secure tickets for the opening show in Glasgow.
Appropriately, USB002 feels alive and in motion, more like a snapshot of an evolving moment than a static album. Gibson is joined by close collaborators and friends, including Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The relentless, techno-driven pressure of “Ambery” echoes the tension-heavy aesthetic of Floating Points’ Crush, while Gibson’s take on “The Floor” mirrors the slow climb of a rollercoaster before plunging straight back down into chaos.
The record’s scope extends well beyond a predictable dance-music lineup. Two Australian guitar bands make unexpected appearances, with striking results. “You’re A Star” stretches Amyl & The Sniffers’ “Big Dreams” into breakbeat territory, while “Hardstyle 2” reimagines the jagged post-punk of Shady Nasty into something that feels adjacent to classic progressive rave, aided by Kettama. Gibson’s greatest trick here is his ability to locate shared energy across wildly different musical languages. These aren’t simple remixes — they’re full-scale takeovers.
The visual world built around USB002 reinforces the urgency behind the music. Filming was prohibited at the shows, which took place in cavernous warehouses flooded with light. Instead, Gibson’s team released stark, hypnotic monochrome footage and created artwork for each track directly from the events themselves. The result captures the same adrenaline rush that fuels the music: a project anchored entirely in the present moment, driven by the idea that something special can happen simply because Gibson has shown up.
