Twenty years after his seminal debut album Drowning in a Sea of Love (2006) and his legendary breakout hit "The Sky Was Pink," English electronic pioneer Nathan Fake has returned with his seventh studio album, Evaporator. Marking his debut on the prestigious Paris-based label InFiné, Evaporator is not just a milestone of survival in a rapidly shifting electronic music landscape - it is a masterclass in texture, emotional maturity, and artistic independence.
The Sonic Concept: Turning on the Lights.
Historically, much of Fake’s catalog has leaned into dark, nocturnal, or sweat-drenched rave territories (most recently heard on 2023’s Crystal Vision). Evaporator, however, represents a stunning pivot. Recorded during an unusually warm UK summer in 2024 and completed in a swift six weeks, Fake has described the record as a deliberate move toward "airy daytime music." It is a record that breathes. Rather than bombarding listeners with over-engineered, peak-time techno drops, Evaporator opts for vast, organic soundscapes that let the rhythm section take a back seat. The tracks function as sunbursts, fine mists, and bracing rainscapes, shifting between expansive ambient techno, melodic IDM, and introspective electronica.
Track Highlights and Collaborations
The 11-track album spans a beautifully curated 41 minutes, showcasing thrilling eclecticism:
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"Aiwa": The album opener sets a melancholic, Boards of Canada-esque tone, striking a delicate balance between nostalgic warmth and modern execution.
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"Hypercube": Originally teased as a single, the track starts with a soaring, almost tongue-in-cheek trance melody. Instead of pushing it into an aggressive club banger, Fake strips away the heavy drums, leaving an epic, emotional builder that lets the synth line truly float.
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"Yucon": A whimsical, minimalist piece where Fake lean into his playful instincts, utilizing a toy Casio keyboard.
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"Sunlight on Saturn": The emotional core of the record. This track dials directly into widescreen, hazy ambience, bathing the listener in a gorgeous, sunset-hued synth glow that stands as some of Fake’s most evocative work to date.
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The Collaborations: Fake expands his universe by bringing in heavy-hitting peers. "Orbiting Meadows" (co-composed with Clark) is built around an unsettling yet beautiful 18EDO microtonal piano part and wailing pads. Meanwhile, "Baltasound" (featuring Dextro, aka Ewan Mackenzie of Pigs x7) anchors the album with a massive, comforting pillar of deep sound.
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"Slow Yamaha": A sweeping, nine-minute closing track that rides on a loping, disco-tinged beauty, providing a perfect, lingering resolution.
What Makes Evaporator Stand Out From Contemporary Electronic Music?
In a modern electronic landscape that often feels saturated, hyper-polished, and driven by short attention spans, Evaporator stands out for three primary reasons:
1. An Intuitive, Anti-Trend Production Workflow
While many contemporary artists obsess over the latest plugins, AI tools, or YouTube tutorials to achieve a "perfectly engineered" commercial sound, Nathan Fake achieves greatness by looking backward. He recorded Evaporator using the exact same software he started with over two decades ago: Cubase VST5 running on a vintage IBM ThinkPad, alongside his trusty Korg Prophecy synthesizer.
By capturing tracks mostly in single, instinctive live takes, the music sounds beautifully raw. The equipment feels like it is on the ragged edge, injecting an analog human element—fizzing circuitry, subtle imperfections, and immense warmth - that modern digital precision often sterilizes.
2. Introspection Over "Look-at-Me" Culture
Modern electronic music is deeply tied to social media, algorithms, and high-energy extroversion. Evaporator is a quiet rebellion against this "look-at-me" era. It is an unhurried, patient, and deeply focused album. It doesn't beg for your attention with cheap gimmicks; it earns it through restraint and tension-and-release mastery. As French publication Télérama aptly put it, it's "an album for old ravers who no longer go to raves but have kept the penetrating memory of them."
3. A Bold Step Toward Personal Openness
For a self-described shy musician who grew up idolizing the mysterious, anonymous electronic artists of the 90s, Evaporator represents a major personal breakthrough. For the first time in his 20-year discography, Nathan Fake's face graces the album cover art. Though stylized and heavily altered, it signals a newfound openness and a willingness to step out from behind the abstract graphics.
The Verdict
Evaporator is a triumphant release. It reframes Nathan Fake’s legacy rather than just repeating it. By trading the dark clubs for the open daylight, Fake has crafted a direct, evocative, and deeply comforting album. It reminds us that sometimes the most forward-thinking move an artist can make is to trust their oldest instincts.
Essential Tracks: "Sunlight on Saturn," "Hypercube," "Slow Yamaha"
For Fans Of: Jon Hopkins, Boards of Canada, Burial, Caribou.
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