Nathan Fake

Nathan Fake

Nathan Fake is an electronic musician from Necton, United Kingdom, born in 1983. His music sits across electronic, IDM, microhouse, progressive house, tech house and wonky techno, with releases that move between atmospheric, moody material and more direct club-focused tracks.

Background and early development

He grows up in Norfolk and first becomes interested in electronic music through artists including Aphex Twin and Orbital. At school, he feels outside the mainstream because of his interest in music. As he starts collecting and experimenting with his own equipment, he develops a working method that often relies on hardware and single-take recording.

Border Community and early releases

A meeting with James Holden in 2003 leads to Fake connecting with Border Community, then a new label. He releases his first material for the label that year with the “Outhouse” single. Further EPs, including “The Sky Was Pink” and “Silent Night”, establish his profile and lead to his debut album, Drowning in a Sea of Love, in 2006. That record receives widespread critical praise and builds a loyal audience.

Albums and label work

Fake’s later Border Community albums are Hard Islands in 2009 and Steam Days in 2012. His music is described as becoming generally more uptempo over time while still keeping a sense of urgency and spontaneity. In 2017, Providence appears as his most experimental full-length, and in 2020 he releases Blizzards, which includes some of his most immediate and club-friendly material.

Cambria Instruments and collaborations

In 2014, Fake and former Border Community associate Wesley Matsel found the label Cambria Instruments. Their collaborative single Black Drift / Bismuth follows, and Fake then issues the solo Glaive EP in 2015. He also makes remixes for artists including Radiohead, Jon Hopkins and Clark, working across labels such as Ninja Tune, Domino, Warp and Kompakt.

Later releases and touring

In September 2016, he announces a signing to Ninja Tune with the DEGREELESSNESS / Now We Know 12-inch, which features Prurient, also known as Vatican Shadow, from Hospital Productions. He tours extensively, including dates with Orbital, Four Tet, Jon Hopkins and Clark.

Style and approach

Fake’s recordings are often characterised by a lush, hazy and sometimes shoegaze-influenced quality, alongside darker or more atmospheric tech-house and downtempo elements. His preference for hardware and live-style single takes gives much of his work a spontaneous feel.