Chet Faker is the stage name of Nicholas James Murphy, an electronica musician from Melbourne, Australia, born in 1988. He takes the name as an homage to Chet Baker and cites Bob Dylan, his mother’s Motown records, and his father’s chilled-out Ibiza CDs among his influences.

Career

He first comes to wider attention after a cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” spreads online and reaches number one on the Hypemachine chart. His first EP, Thinking in Textures, appears in 2012 and receives positive reviews; it is described as lounge-oriented and noted for balancing subtlety with strong melodic appeal. The EP also connects with Australian radio audiences, with “I’m Into You” reaching number 24 in the 2012 Triple J Hottest 100.

Collaborations and releases

After his debut EP, he works with other artists in several ways, including collaborations with Flume and remixes for MS MR and The Temper Trap. He also appears as a featured vocalist on Say Lou Lou’s “Fool of Me”, which is named Best New Track by Pitchfork in May 2013. He later releases a single with Kilo Kish, and Flume announces that the two have recorded an EP together, describing it as a hybrid of their styles.

Debut album

His debut album, Built on Glass, is released in 2014 and is preceded by the single “Talk Is Cheap” and its video. The album enters the ARIA Charts at number one.

Style

His music is associated with electronica, downtempo, soul, trip hop and lo-fi textures.