Having recently collaborated with Headie One on the experimental GANG project, artist and multi-instrumentalist Fred again.. returns on a solo tip with the visuals for "Adam (Act Like)", taken from his Actual Life EP.
A mixture of muted, subtle electronics carry the faintest hint of a rave influence, yet there's a noticeable edge of melancholy about it. The vocal samples that swirl around Fred's own vocals come from a few different sources; the most noticeable would be the rapper Aminé's 2017 XXL Freshman freestyle, but in with that there's obscure YouTube clips, FaceTime conversations, random Instagram accounts, and "iPhone video footage of half-remembered nights out".
The result is a melancholic look back at what our social lives used to look like — and the video that comes with it reflects that perfectly. A simple yet well-executed concept, we see single one-shot scene of a sole dancer, raving away from the balcony of his flat in bittersweet isolation.
Speaking with Complex over email, Fred explained: "I made this tune from sampling an Aminé freestyle I saw on Insta. At one point he goes, 'and we act like it's alright, when it's not' and it was so direct, it cut through the whole verse to me. So I made a song around it and sang some verses. Another line he says is 'I bench press my problems like 'add another weight.'' And that's a really beautiful, modern, macho line to me. Also, love to Aminé for being so safe about this, as always."
Peep the "Adam (Act Like)" visuals exclusively above and stream the Actual Life EP below.
