Artist: Nathan Fake
Title: Silent Night / Grandfathered
Label: Border Community
By: Jason Calvert | 4 January 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Silent Night
• B: Grandfathered

Nathan Fake "Silent Night / Grandfathered"

Norfolk's Nathan Fake has certainly gained a reputation for his slightly eccentric works, which have taken quite a turn since his massive debut with 'Outhouse'. His unique style was showcased on the successful 'Watlington Street EP' on SAW Recordings, and with a forthcoming album titled 'Drowning In A Sea Of Love' pending, things couldn't be looking better for Fake. His original works have never scored him less than a 9 here at Progressive-Sounds, and this release here continues the trend.

This release couldn't have come at a more fitting time. Yes, you all know the classic, and now it is time for the "Silent Night" of now. The original melody is kept in tact and played through a very warm synth. It's simplistic nature leads the listener to take a lot of notice of the smaller effects and percussion in the background, which complement the track perfectly. The interesting 3/4 timing of the track gives it an almost bouncing vibe. A washy FX line rides over the top, and the subtle percussion lays down a tight foundation. I really can't find fault here. Fake has successfully paid his respects to a Christmas classic whilst boasting his interesting flavour. This is a truly unique outing and I challenge you to find anything remotely comparable to this track!

'Grandfathered', the first number from the album to surface, is also a slower number, but pushes heavier percussion to the flipside, giving it quite a bit more grunt. Fake's trademark synths and sounds are all here, and the production in some ways reminded me of a couple of M83 tracks, which is certainly a good sign. If this is an indication of what to expect from the album, I think it is going to be a very exciting release indeed.

Eccentric, unique, use any words you can think of to describe this, but one thing remains the same. This release rocks in so many aspects, and it is great to see that Fake doesn't want to take any notice of traditional convention or what people might consider to be the "in" thing at the moment. He makes the music he loves, and this passion flows right throughout this and hopefully will be evident in his album. Fake has my utmost respect for breathing some vibrancy into the electronic community.