Nathan Fake

Providence

BY Alan RantaPublished Mar 8, 2017

8
To paraphrase George Harrison, it takes patience and time to do it right, child.
 
UK producer Nathan Fake is all too aware of this fact. He took three years between each of his first three albums, the last of which came out in 2012. As is his habit, Fake has grown substantially in the five years since Steam Days.
 
Providence finds Fake reinvigorated, having worked through writer's block to find inspiration in a virtual analog synth from the mid '90s, the Korg Prophecy. He mined all the gold he could from that Korg to make Providence. Despite the variety here — "RVK" could have fit on Eskmo's self-titled 2010 album, the synth work supporting the scintillating guitar work on "SmallCityLights" has the vintage horror soundtrack feel of certain Pye Corner Audio tracks, and the five-minute mark of "DEGREELESSNESS" takes a turn into Shpongle hippy trance territory — the whole album is united by the Korg.
 
Providence marks the first time Fake has worked with vocalists, incorporating contributions from Prurient and Raphaelle Standell-Preston from Braids. It's also the first Fake album not on Border Community, the boutique experimental electronic label helmed by James Holden. But as Fake's aural realm has expanded, so has his opportunity to make a larger impact on the world of music under the umbrella of Ninja Tune, one of the biggest and best indie labels on earth. Time is on Fake's side now — his patience paid off.
(Ninja Tune)

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