Nathan Fake

Having released records on Ninja Tune and Border Community, Nathan Fake has become one of the most respected figures in electronic music. On top of his own work, he's remixed the likes of Radiohead and Jon Hopkins and gained a great rep for his amazing live shows. And it turns out he reached all this success via Cool Edit Pro (and magazines like this)

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Nathan Fake is, well, a bit like you and us. He grew up reading magazines about what gear his favourite musicians liked and then started to emulate them. With influences like Apex Twin and Orbital, it was pretty obvious that his music would follow an electronic path. He’s consequently also developed an obsession with the gear they used back then, amassed a list of classic synths and even some classic software that he still uses alongside his more up to date Ableton Live based setup. After releasing his first music in 2003, Nathan found a home on some legendary labels including Ninja Tune and Border Community, plus his own Cambria Instruments. His music also earned him some very high-profile remix jobs including on tracks by Radiohead and Jon Hopkins. He has since built up a huge live reputation, playing sold-out venues across the globe, all using an improvised setup of hardware and software. As he celebrates 20 years of music making with new album Crystal Vision, Nathan reveals that ‘just doing your own thing’ can be the secret to longevity. 

1 How did you start out in music in the first place?

Nathan Fake: “Well I grew up in Norfolk. I was really into electronic music as a teenager and eventually wanted to make my own music as I had a lot of ideas in my head for tracks and stuff. It was a dream to be a musician I guess, so it’s pretty amazing I’ve actually ended up being able to do it professionally.”

2 And how did that ‘professional’ part of your career start out?