Nathan Fake

Nathan Fake
Fake performing at La Gaîté Lyrique, Paris in 2018
Background information
Born (1983-03-01) 1 March 1983
King's Lynn, Norfolk, England
OriginNecton, Norfolk, England
GenresElectronica, techno, ambient
OccupationsMusician, producer
InstrumentSynthesisers
Years active2003–present
LabelsCambria Instruments, Ninja Tune, Border Community, InFiné

Nathan Fake (born 1 March 1983)[1] is an English electronic musician from Necton, Norfolk.[2] He first gained attention through releases on James Holden's Border Community label, particularly the single "The Sky Was Pink" (2004), whose remix by Holden proved influential and attracted sustained attention over two years.[3] Fake has released seven studio albums across four labels—Border Community, Ninja Tune, his own Cambria Instruments, and InFiné—and has remixed artists including Radiohead, Jon Hopkins, and Sasha.[4] He co-founded Cambria Instruments with Wesley Matsell in 2014.[5] His work has been generally well received by critics, with his debut Drowning in a Sea of Love (2006) his most acclaimed release.[6]

Early life

Fake was born in King's Lynn,[1] and grew up in the village of Necton, Norfolk, in a non-musical family with an agricultural background.[7][8] He received a Casio keyboard as a childhood Christmas gift, which sparked his interest in music-making.[9] He discovered electronic music through BBC radio as a teenager, first becoming interested in the Prodigy around the age of fourteen before developing an intense interest in Orbital, whom he listened to almost exclusively for approximately three years.[7][10] He later cited Aphex Twin as a further influence, and has said that reading music magazines about the equipment used in electronic production deepened his interest in the genre.[7] His first instrument was the piano, which he learned by memorising pieces by ear.[11]

Fake began making music around the age of fifteen and started producing seriously at seventeen.[8][7] He attended school in Swaffham, where he has said musical interests were marginalised in favour of sport.[7] At nineteen, he enrolled at a music college in Reading, but dropped out during his second year after his music career began to take priority over coursework.[7] During his first year at college, he emailed an unfinished track to James Holden through the Border Community website; Holden responded positively and requested a finished version, which became Fake's debut release.[7][12] After a period living in London, he returned to East Anglia.[9]

Career

2003–2013: Border Community

Fake's debut release, the Outhouse EP, appeared on Border Community in 2003.[13] The following year, he released the single "The Sky Was Pink", which became a breakthrough for both Fake and the label. Holden's remix of the track proved unexpectedly successful, continuing to grow in popularity over two years and spawning numerous imitators.[3] The remix's prominence complicated matters for Fake, as audiences came to expect the remix rather than his original compositions.[3][14]

Fake's debut album, Drowning in a Sea of Love, was released in March 2006 as the first full-length on Border Community. It received positive reviews; Pitchfork awarded it 8.4 out of 10[6] and Rosie Swash of The Observer compared it to the work of Boards of Canada.[15] Remixes of tracks from the album, particularly the FortDax and Four Tet reworkings of "You Are Here", further raised Fake's profile.

His second album, Hard Islands, followed in April 2009. Clash gave the album 8 out of 10, describing Fake as "one of the most interesting and promising electronic talents around" and praising its blend of techno, IDM, and shoegaze influences.[16] In 2011, Fake remixed Radiohead's "Morning Mr Magpie" for the album TKOL RMX 1234567, after being approached by frontman Thom Yorke.[4]

Fake's third and final Border Community album, Steam Days, was released in September 2012. FACT described it as his "most dynamic album-length work to date",[17] while Resident Advisor noted a return to the "fuzzy melodies and subtle, static-laced gleam" of his earlier work.[18]

2014–2018: Cambria Instruments and Ninja Tune

In 2014, Fake co-founded the label Cambria Instruments with Wesley Matsell, with their inaugural release being a split single between the two artists.[5] The Glaive EP followed on the label in 2015.

After extensive touring in support of Steam Days, Fake experienced a prolonged period of writer's block.[9] He broke through the creative impasse after purchasing a Korg Prophecy synthesiser from the 1990s, whose limitations as a monophonic instrument forced him to approach composition more intuitively, playing melodies in real time rather than programming sequences.[9] Fake signed to Ninja Tune through rapport developed from prior remix work,[9] and released the singles "DEGREELESSNESS / Now We Know" and "RVK" in late 2016 and early 2017.[19]

His fourth album, Providence, was released on Ninja Tune in March 2017. It received generally favourable reviews, with a score of 73 out of 100 on Metacritic based on ten reviews.[20] Resident Advisor gave the album four out of five, praising it as a reinvention,[21] and The Skinny highlighted the layered sound resulting from the Prophecy's constraints.[22] Two remix EPs, Providence Reworks Parts I and II, followed later that year, featuring reworkings by Overmono, Konx Om Pax, and Olga Wojciechowska. The Sunder EP was released on Ninja Tune in 2018.

2019–present: Independent releases

In 2019, Fake reissued two of his earliest EPs, Watlington Street and Dinamo, on Cambria Instruments. His fifth studio album, Blizzards, followed in April 2020; most of the album was recorded live in single takes on a stripped-back hardware setup.[23] Resident Advisor described it as potentially "Fake's best LP yet" and his most club-friendly record, noting its "chunky breakbeats and swinging garage drums".[24] The album was followed by the Sanxenxo EP and Blizzards Remixes in 2021.

Fake's sixth album, Crystal Vision, was released on 7 April 2023. The Quietus reviewed the album favourably,[25] and Inverted Audio praised its range.[26] The Guiro EP followed in October 2023. In December 2024, he released Covers (From Memory), an EP of cover versions of tracks by Slam, Orbital, and Industry Standard, recreated from memory without re-listening to the originals.[27]

In March 2025, Fake released the single "Hypercube" on Cambria Instruments; sounds from the track formed the basis of a sample pack he created for Spitfire Audio's LABS+ platform.[28] His seventh album, Evaporator, was released on InFiné in February 2026, his first release on the French label.[29] Written during the summer of 2024, the album was described by Cyclic Defrost as "radiant, physical, and full of air".[30]

Critical reception

Fake's work has received generally favourable reviews throughout his career, though critical assessments have varied between albums. His debut, Drowning in a Sea of Love, was his most acclaimed release, with Pitchfork awarding it 8.4 out of 10.[6] His middle-period albums received more mixed responses; Hard Islands and Steam Days both received 6.2 out of 10 from Pitchfork,[31][32] and Steam Days scored 67 out of 100 on Metacritic from thirteen reviews.[33] Providence fared better, with a Metacritic score of 73 out of 100.[20] Later work saw a critical recovery: Pitchfork gave Crystal Vision a 7.6,[34] and Resident Advisor described Blizzards as potentially his strongest album.[24]

Critics have consistently noted a tension in Fake's output between atmospheric, melodic composition and harder, more club-oriented material, with individual albums tending to favour one approach over the other.[16][18] Reviewers have frequently situated his work within the tradition of 1990s British electronica, drawing comparisons to Boards of Canada, Orbital, and Aphex Twin.[15][29] The shift in his production method around Providence — from programmed sequences to real-time performance on the Korg Prophecy — was widely noted as a turning point.[9][22]

Musical style and equipment

Critics have described Fake's music as blending electronica, techno, IDM, and shoegaze influences.[16] Resident Advisor characterised the Border Community sound as "midnight bliss brand of electronica and off-kilt analogue techno", drawing on "British techno and ambient house of the early to mid-'90s".[18] His debut album drew comparisons to Boards of Canada,[15] while later work has incorporated elements of breakbeat and UK garage.[24] A Closer Listen noted the continued influence of Autechre, Orbital, and Aphex Twin across his career.[29]

Fake has cited the Korg Prophecy, a 1990s monophonic synthesizer, as a pivotal instrument, describing how its limitations forced him to compose more intuitively.[9] Other equipment he has used includes a Roland SH-09, MC-202, and various drum machines.[35] He has expressed a preference for "obsolete, '90s digital synths" over modular setups.[36] He typically records synthesiser parts onto cassette tape before transferring them to computer,[9] and uses Cubase as his primary digital audio workstation, a setup largely unchanged since his early career.[14]

His production process has evolved over time. Earlier albums relied more on programmed sequences, while Providence was built from real-time jam sessions on the Prophecy.[9] For Blizzards, Fake stripped his setup back further, recording most tracks live in single takes.[23] He works entirely alone, without collaborators in the studio.[11]

Other work

Remix work

In addition to his solo releases, Fake has maintained an active career as a remixer. Beyond the Radiohead remix discussed above, he has reworked tracks for artists across a range of labels, including Jon Hopkins on Double Six Recordings, Clark on Warp Records, Dorian Concept on Ninja Tune, Irène Drésel on Room Records, Sasha on Last Night on Earth, and GoGo Penguin on Decca Records.[4]

Television and media

Fake's track "Grandfathered" was used in a television advertisement for the Motorola Pebl phone and in Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe. His track "You Are Here" was used in the CSI: Miami episode "Miami Confidential", and the FortDax remix of the same track serves as the theme music for Newswipe with Charlie Brooker and Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe on BBC Four.[37]

Discography

Studio albums

Studio albums
Title Year Label
Drowning in a Sea of Love 2006 Border Community
Hard Islands 2009 Border Community
Steam Days 2012 Border Community
Providence 2017 Ninja Tune
Blizzards 2020 Cambria Instruments
Crystal Vision 2023 Cambria Instruments
Evaporator 2026 InFiné

Singles and EPs

Singles and EPs
Title Year Label
Outhouse 2003 Border Community
Watlington Street EP 2004 Saw Recordings
The Sky Was Pink 2004 Border Community
Dinamo EP 2005 Traum Schallplatten
Silent Night 2005 Border Community
Drowning in a Sea of Remixes 2006 Border Community
You Are Here 2007 Border Community
Iceni Strings 2012 Border Community
Paean 2013 Border Community
CAMBRIA01 (split with Wesley Matsell) 2014 Cambria Instruments
GLAIVE 2015 Cambria Instruments
DEGREELESSNESS / Now We Know 2016 Ninja Tune
RVK 2017 Ninja Tune
Providence Reworks – Part 1 2017 Ninja Tune
Providence Reworks – Part 2 2017 Ninja Tune
Sunder 2018 Ninja Tune
Sanxenxo 2021 Cambria Instruments
Sandstone 2021 Cambria Instruments
The Grass 2023 Cambria Instruments
Vimana 2023 Cambria Instruments
Amen 96 (Drumless Version) 2023 Cambria Instruments
Guiro EP 2023 Cambria Instruments
Outhouse 2023 2023 Cambria Instruments
Covers (From Memory) 2024 Cambria Instruments
Hypercube 2025 Cambria Instruments

Remixes

  • Avus – "Real (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Border Community (2004)
  • Perc – "Closer (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Premier Sounds (2004)
  • DJ Remy – "Scrambled (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Additive Records (2004)
  • Steve Lawler – "Out at Night (Nathan's Night In)" – Subversive Records (2004)
  • Tiefschwarz – "Isst (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Fine Records (2005)
  • Shocking Pinks – "Dressed To Please (Nathan Fake Remix)" – DFA Records (2008)
  • Vincent Oliver – "Clouds in The Haeds (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Lo Recordings (2008)
  • Starting Teeth – "Venom (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Creaked Records (2009)
  • Grasscut – "Muppet (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Ninja Tune (2010)
  • Jon Hopkins – "Wire (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Double Six Recordings (2010)
  • Walls – "Gaberdine" – Kompakt (2010)
  • PVT – "Light Up Bright Fires (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Warp Records (2010)
  • Radiohead – "Morning Mr Magpie (Nathan Fake Rmx)" (2011)
  • Neon Jung – "Delirium Tremens (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Magic Wire Recordings (2012)
  • Clark – "Growls Garden (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Warp Records (2013)
  • Dorian Concept – "Draft Culture (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Ninja Tune (2015)
  • Ultraísta – "Party Line (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Partisan Records (2019)
  • Dominik Eulberg – "Dreizehnspecht (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Studio !K7 (2020)
  • Irène Drésel – "Chambre2 (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Room Records (2020)
  • Christian Löffler – "Roth feat. Mohna (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Ki Records (2020)
  • Damian Lazarus – "Into The Sun (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Crosstown Rebels (2020)
  • Sophie Hutchings – "Orange Glow (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Mercury KX (2020)
  • GoGo Penguin – "Open (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Decca Records France (2021)
  • The Micronaut – "Archery (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Ki Records (2021)
  • Field Works – "Station 5 Review (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Temporary Residence (2022)
  • Tennyson – "Slow Dance (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Counter Records (2022)
  • BLOODMOON, Bearcubs – "All In Place (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Eat Your Own Ears (2022)
  • Paradigm Shift – "Force One (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Lone Romantic (2023)
  • bdrmm – "Alps (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Rock Action Records (2024)
  • Hrdvsion – "Captivated Heart (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Creaked Records (2024)
  • The Ocean – "Preboreal (Nathan Fake Rework)" – Pelagic Records (2024)
  • Sasha – "How to Wear Raybans Well (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Last Night on Earth (2024)
  • La Pointe – "Umbra (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Secret Teachings (2025)
  • C. Diab – "Lunar Barge (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Tonal Union (2025)
  • Anzwart – "A step on the horizon (Nathan Fake Remix)" – Anzwart (2025)

Compilation appearances

  • "The Sky Was Pink" – Fear & Loathing 2, Mixed by Luke Slater – Resist Music (2004)
  • "Numb Chance" – Elektronische Musik: Interkontinental 5 – Traum Schallplatten (2006)
  • "Laluna" – #savefabric – Fabric Records & Houndstooth (2016)

Collaborations

  • "Lava Flow" (collaboration with Milky Globe) (2006) – LoEB

References

  1. ^ a b "Nathan Fake on Apple Music". Retrieved 1 March 2026 – via Apple Music.
  2. ^ "Nathan Fake enters his Steam Days". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Lobenfeld, Claire (29 October 2017). "James Holden reflects on a career spent escaping dance convention". FACT Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Artist explains Radiohead remix". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Nathan Fake launches new label Cambria Instruments". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Nathan Fake: Drowning in a Sea of Love". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Interview with Nathan Fake". Outline Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b Durston, Tom (3 February 2012). "IA MIX 50 Nathan Fake". Inverted Audio. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fenwick, Tom (12 March 2017). "Nathan Fake: Providence interview". FACT Magazine. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  10. ^ Lizz (27 January 2017). "Nathan Fake". Outline Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Interview: Nathan Fake". Spectrum Culture. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  12. ^ Keoghan, Jim (22 November 2012). "Pink Sky Thinking: An Interview With Nathan Fake". The Quietus. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  13. ^ Jones, Andy (13 July 2023). "Nathan Fake: "I'd love to get a Yamaha Z1. I've got a thing for these obsolete '90s digital synths that seem a bit unwieldy"". MusicRadar. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  14. ^ a b Bailey, Ruth (21 February 2026). "Nathan Fake: "It confused a lot of people."". Cyclic Defrost. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  15. ^ a b c Swash, Rosie (19 February 2006). "Nathan Fake, Drowning in a Sea of Love". The Observer. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Diver, Mike (15 May 2009). "Nathan Fake – Hard Islands". Clash. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  17. ^ Macpherson, Alex (16 August 2012). "Nathan Fake: Steam Days". FACT Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b c Miller, Derek (21 September 2012). "Nathan Fake – Steam Days". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Nathan Fake announces new album, Providence". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Providence Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  21. ^ Miller, Derek (23 March 2017). "Providence". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  22. ^ a b Wallace, Megan (6 March 2017). "Nathan Fake – Providence". The Skinny. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  23. ^ a b "Nathan Fake recorded most of his new album live in one take". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  24. ^ a b c Ryce, Andrew (1 May 2020). "Nathan Fake – Blizzards". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  25. ^ Sherwood, James (4 May 2023). "Nathan Fake — Crystal Vision". The Quietus. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Review: Nathan Fake: Crystal Vision". Inverted Audio. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Covers (From Memory)". Nathan Fake on Bandcamp. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Spitfire Audio launches LABS+ Digital Memory instrument library". Rekkerd. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  29. ^ a b c Bye, Jeremy (20 February 2026). "Nathan Fake ~ Evaporator". A Closer Listen. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Nathan Fake – Evaporator". Cyclic Defrost. February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  31. ^ Pytlik, Mark (30 July 2009). "Nathan Fake: Hard Islands". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  32. ^ Pytlik, Mark (2012). "Nathan Fake: Steam Days". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  33. ^ "Steam Days Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  34. ^ Sherburne, Philip (12 April 2023). "Nathan Fake: Crystal Vision". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  35. ^ "Nathan Fake on the hardware and software behind his new album, Providence". MusicRadar. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  36. ^ Warburton, Mike (26 January 2017). "Nathan Fake Interview: Raw Improvisation". Skiddle. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  37. ^ "FortDax Archive site". fedge.net. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
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