Fred again..: Tiny Desk Concert

Teresa Xie | April 10, 2023
When Fred again.. first proposed a Tiny Desk concert, it wasn't immediately clear how he was going to make it work — not because he lacked creativity, but because translating purely electronic music at the Desk is a daunting task for anyone. How would an artist, whose performances take the form of DJ sets in front of massive audiences, curate an intimate and unique experience? But what the British songwriter and producer came up with is a reminder of what a Tiny Desk is at its best: an opportunity for artists to challenge themselves in such a way that it almost feels like they're making new music, all while sticking to what feels true to them. For Fred again.. that meant re-learning the marimba, playing the vibraphone, singing at the piano and looping sounds and beats — all at the same time. He began his set with "Kyle (i found you)," recreating the song's melody on the marimba while clips of featured poet Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre reciting the work "Love In The Time of Undeath" appeared on-screen. Sitting at the piano, he faded the remnants of "Kyle (i found you)" into "Roze (forgive)," which features Fred again.. triggering vocals sampled from the artist I am Roze, whose powerful facial expressions were magnified on a screen.In a surprising pivot, the primary vocals on the following track, "Me (heavy)," came from Fred again.. himself, with no manipulation, creating a vulnerable sense of intimacy in the space. A flurry of looped piano keys marked the transition to "Delilah (pull me out of this)," with guest vocals pulled from pop singer Delilah Montagu's 2021 track "Lost Keys." By his set's end, concluding with "Faisal (envelops me)," Fred again.. was back at the piano finally resting after moving seamlessly through a jam-packed Tiny Desk.

SET LIST
"Kyle (i found you)"
"Roze (forgive)"
"Adam (interlude)"
"Me (heavy)"
"Berwyn (interlude)"
"Delilah (pull me out of this)"
"Faisal (envelops me)"

MUSICIANS
Fred again..: vocals, piano, vibraphone, marimba, electronics
Special thanks to: Guante, I Am Roze (they/them), Aminé, Delilah Montagu, Berwyn, Faisal, Lucy Hickling, Gareth Nunns, Jamie Tinsley, Tony Friend, Tobias Miorin 

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Sofia Seidel 
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Sofia Seidel, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant 
Audio Assistant: Kwesi Lee
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván, Teresa Xie
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #fredagain

[nprmusic]

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[Fredagainagain]

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. Its one of my favourite things ive ever been a part of ❤

[GUANTESOLO]

hey this is Kyle from "kyle (i found you)" and just wanted to say it was an honor to be part of the set, if only as a video ghost; such beautiful, heart-filling work from fred.

[austinalvaradogarcia]

He actually played the Tiny Desk... This man is incredible.

[jenilacko]

Came for drum and bass, got taken to church. And now I'm sobbing in the bathroom on the clock. This was everything my soul needed.

[jariv]

Putting ads on this masterpiece is a crime against humanity

[thecheetoboi]

From boiler room to tiny desk. So pumped to see Fred Agains journey as an artist and human being.

[simonrb]

BBC has to give him the philharmonic orchestra at some point. It would be the greatest musical spectacle of the century thus far.

[nickyroberts]

"How many times have you watched this?"
Yes

[sarahkarney]

my dad is on hospice and can’t even speak hardly anymore. i watched this with him, and he smiled and nodded when i asked if he liked it - i finally cried for the first time in months with him during Me (Heavy). thank you for giving me permission to feel and connect with him when i’ve been working to stay strong for the both of us - we both needed it. it means the world to me, Fred. ♥️

[fom_info]

Why is nobody talking about the fact that this is the first time we heard the tiny desk itself?!

[joshuameister]

About to have the best Boiler Room set, best Tiny Desk set, and best Coachella set of all time. All at the same time.

[johnnys]

He looks like he's in an unbelievable flow state - there could be a million people there and i don't think he would notice

[isaacversaw]

Fred using the Tiny Desk as an instrument in the Tiny Desk set is proof he is the ultimate innovator!!!

[beatboxlanguage]

this may be the most direct, brutal, honest expression of electronic music I have ever seen. pure and raw and meaningful

[leonkyriakos]

SET LIST:
Kyle (i found you) 0:00-4:27
Roze (forgive) 4:28-10:03
Adam (interlude) 10:04-10:47
Me (heavy) 10:48-15:04
Delilah (pull me out of this) 15:05-21:02
Berwyn (interlude) 18:42-19:10
Faisal (envelops me) 21:03-26:08

[IzSaru]

There's a melancholy to his music, like holding on to someone you love while sailing the open seas, running low on supplies, no land in sight.
Yet there's hope in love.
Hope beyond the vast horizon.

[jagowat]

This is up there with the Anderson Paak and Mac Miller tinydasks. Truly one of the greatest performances on here. His musical choices, intonation, vision and expression on music is like nothing ever seen before in electronic music, it’s incredible

[CollegeMusic]

One of the best tiny desks ever? incredible.

[Makeithail]

Fred’s music is what I imagine goes through someone’s mind as their life is flashing before their eyes. Timeless music.