Fred again… is an undeniable musical marvel in the world of EDM. The 32-year-old has reinvented the definition of electronic music time and time again. With his Tiny Desk performance reaching 14 million views, the artist can be seen live remixing– turning spoken word and other audio videos into fully fleshed out songs within seconds. He is able to layer various instruments over each other in a way that is truly mesmerising, almost hypnotising, to watch. It is no wonder that millions of people keep going back to that video.
After blowing up again this summer from his five-track EP with the grime legend Skepta, Fred again… decided to switch up completely and turn to punk music. Aussie band Amyl + the Sniffers gained UK popularity this year in the festival circuit, performing their 2024 album Cartoon Darkness. Although their album is sonically fantastic, the band gained media fame largely due to their front-woman, Amy Taylor’s, insanely bubbly personality and outspokenness on political issues. Amyl + the Sniffers played after Kneecap on the infamous day at Glastonbury festival ‘25. After Bob Vylan had chanted “death to the IDF” and Mo Chara of Kneecap discussed his court case for possible charges of terrorism in association with advocating for Palestine, Amy came out and defended the previous bands during her set, reiterating their calls by shouting “free Palestine”. Similarly, Amy used her set during the Reading and Leeds festivals to discuss issues of Palestine and women’s rights in between songs.
Joining forces, Amyl + the Sniffers and Fred again… came together to produce the song ‘you’re a star’. A remix of ‘Big Dreams’ from the Cartoon Darkness album. In the original song, Amy’s lyricism focuses on optimism and following your heart’s desires despite the struggles you may face. The track opens with the line “you got them big dreams, you wanna get out of here”, the line “you wanna get out of here” is what Fred again.. distorts and loops for the musically juxtaposing intro to ‘you’re a star’. Craftily keeping the same elements of the original whilst simultaneously changing its meaning. When Amy sings the line in ‘Big Dreams,’ it is full of hope and possibility, the idea that “you” will make it out and achieve your goals in life. However, in Fred’s ‘you’re a star’ the mechanical, scatty intro is intentionally all over the place, embodying the feeling of being lost and telling us that the “you” in question may not make it out.
Amyl and Fred’s individual music often situate around the themes of success, escape and determination. In the Fred again… ft Skepta hit song of the summer ‘Victory Lap,’ the artist encapsulates the idea of ‘making it’ by using the voice of huge musicians Doechii and Skepta to structure the track. Skepta raps, “we sold out everything except humble pie, one slice cut a man down to size.” In the same sense, Amyl + the Sniffers collaborated on a punk song with Bob Vylan, ‘Dream Bigger’ remixing Vylan’s song ‘Dream Big’ and echoing Amyl’s ‘Big Dreams’ that birthed ‘you’re a star.’ ‘Dream Bigger’ is one of the most uplifting and positive punk songs about being able to do anything you put your mind to.
‘you’re a star’ is electronic and technical with sonic undertones that illuminate a sense of melancholy. The song feels like being trapped within the cogs of a machine that you’re desperate to escape, running through the indents like a maze, with a clock counting down each second. Amy’s voice plays the role of your guiding angel, a calm and optimistic yet looming presence, she tells you to “take a breath” but reminds you that “its comin’ round again.” The calm moments of the song epitomise the sense of quiet, feeling that you’re finally getting things together, finally going to “get out of here”. Then Fred’s production takes you on another whirlwind, and you realise that you were never actually as close as you may have thought.
Image Credits: Amyl + the Sniffers at Reading festival 2025. Taken by Parima Shah