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Impressively, then, Nathan Fake has shown he is very much more than a one trick pony, with a bold second album statement that gets more impressive with every listen. We should watch his every move closely.
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The result is writ large on this brilliant second album, which welds his drifting soundscapes to fractious, rapturous techno.
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Hard Islands is the nasty business that grabs a hold of your short and curlies and never lets go until your rocks are off.
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With only six songs on offer--one of which is a 75-second interlude called 'The Curlew'--it's hard to feel like this is the assertive, confident statement Fake has it in him to make. As a strategic move out from the ghetto of nostalgic IDM Nowheresville, though, it'll suit just fine.
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There’s no doubting that sensory sensations offered here can hold the listener, but most likely they'll be enjoyed a helluva lot more while chemically-enhanced; essentially this is not a record designed for home listening.
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Ultimately, it lacks the variety or the startling sonic leaps that would make it essential. Interesting, but no cigar.
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A few of the Hard productions are among Fake’s finest to date, but this release--its short running time aside--works primarily on a collection basis, as if it were two separate EPs gathered for one release and nothing more than that.
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UncutHis tunes have taken a tougher, more urban tone, with stand-outs 'The Turtle' and 'Basic Mountain' building to hard edged concrete peaks, drenched in acid Rephlex bleeps. [Jun 2009, p.85]
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MojoHard Islands is evolution. But some will hanker for Fake's fluffier vintage. [Jun 2009, p.102]
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Q MagazineThis impressive follow-up finds him lacing hard-edged techno beats with quirky shifts on tone and texture. [Jun 2009, p.121]
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Hard Islands is hardly a wash, just frustratingly short of the sound statement Fake wanted to make.