Nathan Fake

Drowning in a Sea of Love is proof that Nathan Fake "is not a DJ, never has been, never will be” — or so his label states. But after the acclaim Fake (his real name) received for the electro anthem remix of 2005’s "The Sky Is Pink,” expectations for something remotely danceable from the Norfolk (England) artist didn’t seem unreasonable. But the dance floor is not what Fake had in mind when he produced DIASOL, his first full-length album for James Holden’s Border Community label. While guys like the DFA continue to rock electronica via hashed out disco beats, others like Fake slip in through the backdoor, choosing instead to fuse the two without the aid of a drum machine. Gusts of rock distortion and trailing feedback, quirky beats, and cinematic layering suggest the album isn’t meant to be singularly digested but rather consumed in one intense bedroom session. From the tinkering AFX nods on "Stops” to the piercing guitar psychedelia of "The Sky Is Pink,” Fake successfully camouflages digital landscapes in good old rock production, allowing DIASOL to transcend musical genres in the same way that albums by Boards of Canada, M83 and others are able to. Word has it that Fake nearly forgot about the album’s release thanks to the rigours of college — a worrisome trait since Fake’s DIASOL shows he’s got so much future potential.