Fred again.. has made an entire career out of being everywhere at once. Over the last decade Frederick John Philip Gibson has moved seamlessly between writing global pop hits, rubbing shoulders with UK rap royalty, collaborating on a quietly reflective record with Brian Eno, and soundtracking sunsets from Ibiza to Coachella. After another relentlessly visible year, he returns with the second official chapter of his ongoing “infinite” project, USB002, a release rolled out piece by piece across a ten week, ten city tour. It is a glossy sprint through modern club music, packed with low end pressure and a formidable guest list, even if its purpose beyond peak time impact remains hazy.
Like the first USB, this sequel feels less like a traditional album and more like a snapshot of an overflowing hard drive. The idea is deliberately loose, an ever expanding collection that resists the fixed endpoints of the usual album cycle. In theory it reflects Gibson’s prolific workflow and hints at a future where the DJ USB stick becomes the album itself. In practice, with more than thirty tracks now live on streaming services, it often resembles an aggressively curated playlist. As more artists drip feed releases over months, the concept feels canny rather than radical, smart marketing dressed up as innovation.
Musically, USB002 doubles down rather than breaks new ground. The wistful pop and tender house moments of earlier hits like adore u are largely absent. Instead, Gibson commits fully to the club. UK garage rhythms and straight four to the floor kicks dominate, hooks arrive quickly and stick fast, and the mixes are immaculate, a reminder of his pop pedigree. Even when tracks threaten to tip into excess, such as the wobbling bass and heavy drums of ..FEISTY, everything is held in check with meticulous control, allowing BIA’s vocal swagger to cut through cleanly.
Part of the project’s momentum comes from the sheer scale of its collaborators. Few producers could assemble a roll call that jumps from JPEGMAFIA to Floating Points, from Skin on Skin to Caribou, while also looping in figures like Sammy Virji, Skrillex, Romy and Overmono. It is an impressive flex of cultural reach and industry goodwill.
Yet the collaborations are where the album most often feels limited. While the beats provide sturdy, high energy frameworks, the meetings rarely feel transformative. Blanco’s wounded delivery plays effectively against the glowing chords of solo, and BIA thrives on the snarling garage and hip hop hybrid of ICEY.. and ..FEISTY. Elsewhere, individual identities blur. Floating Points barely leaves a fingerprint on Ambery, Caribou disappears beneath the smooth vocal sheen of Facilita, and Amyl and the Sniffers’ punk ferocity is smoothed out within the drum and bass churn of you’re a star.
There is no denying Gibson’s knack for crafting bangers. Tracks like I Luv U tap back into the darker, industrial edge that made Rumble hit so hard. But for a project framed as endless, USB002 can feel oddly boxed in, its vision narrowed by a focus on functional club utility over risk or revelation. It is a powerful soundtrack for mass raves and headline slots, even if it stops short of saying much beyond that.
Header: Shutterstock / GEORGIOS GKOUMAS
