MUSIC PREMIERES
There’s a cultlike atmosphere inside The Garage, the 800-capacity north London sweatbox, that’s driven entirely by a band who didn’t seem to exist before the start of 2025. “I queued an hour for a shirt!” one young, excited fan of President tells NME – though, wearing the same shirt and bow tie combination as the group’s nameless vocalist, he’s already dressed the part.
This frenzy started in February when Download Festival subtly added an unknown act named President to its 2025 line-up. Much like masked sensations Sleep Token (who share the same management), the anonymous band communicate through cryptic social media messaging; President call their gigs ‘rallies’, like Sleep Token’s ‘rituals’. When their debut single ‘In The Name Of The Father’ arrived in May, the start of the presidential ‘campaign’ was met with a wave of press coverage and playlist placements.
Fierce debate around their sudden rise still engulfs the heavy music community. Naysayers sneer “industry plant”, that they’re aping Ghost and Sleep Token with gimmicky masks, fuelled by a marketing budget that emerging artists don’t have access to. Others argue that a supergroup of established musicians have the right to utilise their springboard of prior success to their advantage if they wish. Indeed, Revolver recently revealed President’s vocalist has been in the industry “for quite some time”, though his “identity and affiliations have never been officially revealed – and he intends to keep it that way”.
Sweat is already dripping from our singer’s disturbing mask as he arrives at the glowing red lectern onstage. He’s soon overpowered by the audience – a running theme across the night – who are awestruck and roaring from minute one. The unreleased ‘Dionysus’, assuredly cut from the same pop-metal cloth as opening track ‘Fearless’, packs some punch when it reaches its breakdown.
Dressed in black boiler suits and balaclavas, the other three members remain stoic and robotic as their frontman paces left and right during the Bicep-esque ‘Rage’. Incredibly, the crowd scream its lyrics louder than when they launch into a slick, surprise cover of Deftones’ ‘Change (In The House Of Flies)’. Though they’ve been shoehorned into the rock and metal world, President clearly hold allure for a diverse range of music fans.
The vocalist’s gravel and grit shine through in the restless ‘Destroy Me’, the night’s comfortable highlight, before he’s drowned out again during fan favourite ‘In The Name Of The Father’. A pre-recorded instruction to “remain alert, stay united and above all, stay loud” is the closest we get to verbal communication with President – although the frontman does blow us a kiss as he departs the stage.
After just six songs (there’s no outing for ‘Conclave’ from forthcoming debut EP ‘King Of Terrors’) and 30 minutes, some of the euphoria does fall off a cliff. By announcing more headline dates only for 2026, President have perhaps bought themselves the time they need to flesh out their live show with more material. This assertive debut performance, nevertheless, has secured them our vote.
‘Fearless’
‘Dionysus’
‘Rage’
‘Change (In The House Of Flies)’ (Deftones cover)
‘Destroy Me’
‘In The Name Of The Father’
MUSIC PREMIERES
Four years on from the ‘Actual Life’ series lifting him into the mainstream spotlight, Fred Again.. continues to feel unavoidable. The London producer and DJ born Fred Gibson has moved at a relentless pace, bouncing between sold out stadium dates in New York and surprise appearances at Sheffield’s 1,000 capacity Forge, while also making history as the first electronic artist to top the bill at Reading and Leeds in 2024.
Where the ‘Actual Life’ releases and his fourth album, 2024’s ‘Ten Days’, leaned into warmth and joy pulled from ordinary moments, Gibson has also sharpened his instinct for high impact club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on ‘USB’, an “infinite album” first imagined in 2022 as a home for tracks that exist outside any fixed universe, including defining moments like ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jungle’.
‘USB002’, the second vinyl only chapter of the ‘USB’ project, brings together 16 recent tracks, many of which surfaced gradually on streaming services over a ten week stretch. The music was shaped live, in step with ten unannounced DJ appearances across the world from Dublin to Mexico City. Even with a Glastonbury style registration system in place, The Times reported that 100,000 people tried to secure tickets for the opening night in Glasgow.
Appropriately, ‘USB002’ feels alive and constantly in motion, helped along by contributions from close collaborators such as Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The rigid, techno driven pressure of ‘Ambery’ echoes elements of Floating Points’ 2019 album ‘Crush’, while Gibson’s take on ‘The Floor’ builds like the slow climb of a rollercoaster before dropping back to earth without warning.
The guest list stretches beyond the usual dance circles, with two Australian guitar bands popping up in unexpected ways. ‘You’re A Star’ reworks Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Big Dreams’ into a breakbeat driven rush, while ‘Hardstyle 2’ pulls the experimental post punk edge of Shady Nasty into an Underworld adjacent space alongside Kettama. Gibson’s real trick is his ability to connect with anyone. These tracks are not reinterpretations but full takeovers.
The visual world wrapped around the ‘USB002’ rollout reinforces the instinct behind the music. Phones were prohibited at shows staged in vast warehouse spaces under sweeping light rigs, while Gibson’s team shared striking black and white footage and created artwork for each single on site. Bottling that sense of urgency, the project is rooted in the thrill of the present moment, something Gibson seems able to summon simply by turning up.
If the ‘Actual Life’ series and ‘Ten Days’ captured passing snapshots of experience, ‘USB’ is defined by constant movement, a space where boundaries are removed entirely. Sitting somewhere between an album and a playlist, ‘USB002’ underlines why Fred Again.. feels so dominant right now, and suggests that his current run may only be the beginning of something much bigger.
