Throughout his fourth album, Nathan Fake deploys sounds that might cause some listeners to worry their audio equipment is about to self-destruct. Harsh, rubbery synths loop to vaguely maddening effect. Tortured, flanging synths on SmallCityLights recall a Prince CD skipping in the machine. One nagging effect on Radio Spiritworld sounds worryingly akin to bagpipes. Fortunately, Fake, who hails from Norfolk and has been exploring the pastoral fringes of electronic music for a decade and a half, does interesting things with these noises, weaving intricate figures amid the vast, shifting soundscapes he conjures up. His influences – Orbital, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada – surface at various points, but he pays off the debts with thoughtfulness and skill.
