Nathan Fake will release his fourth album this coming March, titled Providence, on Ninja Tune.

Providence is described by the label as Fake’s “most personal and profoundly emotional work to date.” It was crafted in the wake of a crippling two-year spell of writer’s block during which he was unable to compose any music at all—but Fake describes the record as “a massive step up both in my career and in my life in general… it felt like I’d come alive again.”

Providence also sees the British producer collaborate with vocalists for the first time, joining forces with Prurient (a.k.a. Vatican Shadow/founder of Hospital Productions) who contributed the heavily distorted vocal to ’DEGREELESSNESS’ and Raphaelle Standell-Preston from Braids, who lends her voice to “RVK” and was introduced to Fake by their mutual friend Jon Hopkins. Both arose from chance meetings in Geneva and Osaka as their tour schedules crossed.

Norfolk born and bred, Nathan’s first encounters with electronic music came via the radio (hearing the likes of Aphex Twin and Orbital) and reading about the equipment that they used in magazines. This was the stimulus for him to buy some gear and begin his own sonic experiments and, linking with James Holden in 2003, Fake’s early output came via his fledgling Border Community label. His debut album Drowning In A Sea Of Love (2006) drew him much acclaim, followed soon by two further albums for Border Community, Hard Islands (2009) and Steam Days (2012). Fake then found himself in ftouring mode for two years and, in this nomadic state, found it impossible to write any new music. On his return, events in his personal life intertwined with, and exacerbated this creative block. “I didn’t write any music at all for about two years,” he explains. “Overall there was roughly a three-year break from writing.”

Emerging from this extended period of inactivity, Providence was recorded during the first six months of 2016 in Fake’s home studio / living room. The meaning behind the title is two-pronged: on the one hand, it’s a nod to the Korg Prophecy synth that features so heavily on the record. But on a deeper level, it means “guidance or divine guidance” —not necessarily in a religious sense but more to be guided by a higher power—or more specifically to Fake, music as therapy and a path out of a dark period in his life.

Tracklisting

01. feelings 1
02. PROVIDENCE
03. HoursDaysMonthsSeasons
04. DEGREELESSNESS feat. Prurient
05. The Equator & I
06. unen
07. SmallCityLights
08. Radio Spiritworld
09. CONNECTIVITY
10. RVK feat. Raphaelle
11. REMAIN
12. feelings 2

‘Providence’ is scheduled for March 10 release, with two album tracks and an album video preview streamable below. Pre-order is available now, here.