Following the release of his acclaimed seventh album Evaporator earlier this year, Nathan Fake returns with Caldera, a four-track EP arriving on 23rd October via InFiné. Exploring a darker, more nocturnal side of his sound, the release moves between heavy percussion, distorted textures and restless melodic passages, balancing expansive atmospheres with raw, physical energy.
Across more than two decades, Fake has developed a distinctive approach to electronic music, combining instinctive experimentation with an enduring fascination for sounds that evolve in unexpected ways. Here, the British producer reflects on the physicality of making music, his loyalty to older studio technology, and the creative freedom found in simply playing around with sound…
You described Evaporator as “daytime music”, a departure from the nocturnal atmosphere of some of your earlier records. Did approaching an album with a different time of day in mind change the way you made it?
Yes, I did describe it as that before. When I was making the album, it was originally going to be way more ambient, which to me feels like night-time music, but it sort of became more breezy and upbeat as I worked on it. I think it still definitely has its darker or more intense moments, though.
Landscapes, open spaces and shifting atmospheres run throughout the language surrounding Evaporator. Do physical environments influence the way you imagine and construct sounds? Maybe, subconsciously. I don’t really think about what influences me; it’s all quite in the moment and everything.
There’s a physicality to your music, from the heavy percussion to the distorted, almost abrasive textures. How important is that bodily response when you’re making a track?
Oh, I think that’s really important to me. I’ve always been very physical when I make music, as in moving around a lot, haha. And I do a lot of live recordings in the studio, too, and that always ends up being quite physical and visceral.
You’ve continued to work with older software such as Cubase VST5 while incorporating newer technology. What does your studio setup look like today, and what keeps you loyal to those older tools?
It’s still similar at the core, with a few new bits and pieces. It’s super simple, really, embarrassingly simple. I’m just really happy using the stuff that I use.
You’ve described much of Evaporator as falling into place instinctively, with ideas developing through repetition until they feel right. Has that way of working remained consistent throughout your career?
Not sure, really. There have definitely been things that I’ve agonised over. Even on Evaporator, there were a couple of tracks that took ages to nail.
The album’s sounds rarely seem to settle, constantly shifting between melodic clarity and distortion. Are you drawn to the moment when a track starts to behave in a way you didn’t anticipate?
Yes, I’ve always been into that. I mean, my music is quite minimalist in its arrangements, but I like the idea of the sounds slowly warping or whatever throughout the track. I’ve always liked in Autechre’s stuff how quite often the track starts in one place and subtly, or not so subtly, ends up in another place, but quite seamlessly and gradually.
Your music often balances a strong melodic sensibility with something much rougher and more abrasive. Where do those two impulses meet for you?
I’ve always been really into quite heavy drum parts and lush chords and melodies, so the space in between those is quite an interesting place, maybe. I kind of like it being quite bipolar; otherwise, I feel music ends up in that awful middle ground where it’s lacking in energy but also lacking in any kind of depth.
You’ve spoken about being shy and uncomfortable with the more visible side of being an artist, yet Evaporator is the first album to feature your face on its cover. Has your relationship with being seen changed over the years?
Haha, yeah, I’m still not sure about my face being on the cover now, but it’s out there now, so yeah. I should’ve done it years ago when I was better looking, haha. To be honest, I still hate being seen and I hate photos and videos of myself, but in the social media age, one has to just grin and bear it.
After more than two decades of making electronic music, are there sounds, techniques or artists that still make you feel like you’re discovering music for the first time?
I think discovering a new synth, or even just finding or making new drum sounds, is always exciting for me.
Looking back across seven albums, what keeps the process of starting something new exciting for you?
I still get stupidly excited, like just about getting down an idea for a beat or whatever. The act of just kind of messing around is always where the best ideas come from, I find, so I look forward to just playing about with sounds, etc.
Caldera is out now
