After breaking through with his stunning debut single 'Terra Firma' last year, fast-rising multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Circuit Faker is now back once again to deliver his dynamic new effort 'Ocular Therapy'.
Capturing more of that rich and euphoric electronic aesthetic he is quickly earning a reputation for, 'Ocular Therapy' makes for an incredibly broad and immersive listen. With its bright and uplifting textures, soaring atmosphere, and his own shimmering vocals at the helm, he is cementing himself as one of the more exciting names on the rise right now.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I grew up with an old, oakey-looking upright piano in my childhood home. I loved just banging on the lowest notes in the register and listening to the distorted rumble it would give off. Long before I took any formal lessons, I would just sit and bang on that thing. Piano was the first instrument I truly fell in love with, and it led me to a life-long love for making sounds out of nothing.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
My first true love was Radiohead. I didn't discover them until high school, but they changed my life. However, I was lucky to get to listen to all kinds of music growing up. My dad was obsessed with bands like Tom Petty, The Eagles, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers, but also listened to a lot of jazz, blues, and funk music. I remember sitting in the passenger seat of his car when we'd be driving around running errands, and he'd always tell me the history of the song we were listening to, or what it was like to hear it live, or some other interesting fact that only a dad would know. I was very fortunate to be exposed to such great music at such a young age. Better than listening to the likes of Baby Shark, I guess.
What was the first album you remember owning?
This is so embarrassing, but the first album I ever bought with my own money was Hanson's 'Middle of Nowhere.' This was in 1997 mind you, so I was really young (cut me some slack). BUT, the reason I thought Hanson was cool was because they were like, my age (they weren't but it felt like they were) and the biggest thing at the moment and I was like, "I want to be in a band and play drums in my living room and skateboard around all day." Simpler times.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
The answer to this is a moving target, as I'm always jealous when I hear a song that moves me immediately upon first listen. If you were to ask me a few years ago, it would have been Elixir by Tourist. It's just such a beautiful song. But lately, I can't step away from Young by Mont Duamel. It's a perfectly crafted pop song and was my summer anthem in 2023. All time? I wish I could have been in the room when Radiohead were writing There, There. The groove, that spy thriller guitar part at the end, the lyrics... its the perfect song.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I spend a lot of time playing my acoustic guitar. If I come up with something that I think is worth pursuing, I'll record a voice memo to my phone and revisit it later. But, when I sit at my computer to produce, I typically start with drums. Sometimes the two converge in a meaningful way and it makes for something great.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
People need to listen to Bobbing. His new album 'Year of the Newt' just came out and its a real groove. But his last album 'Thank You for Singing to Me' is also great. The other band I recently got turned onto is Idles. Their album 'Tangk' is wonderful. Finally, 'Waking Hours' by Photay is a beautiful record front to back and one of my favorites of the last decade.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Radiohead, please. But that would be an awkward bill. Maybe Rufus Du Sol in a more orderly world...
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Getting to do whatever you want. Just like any other art, music is an endless spanse of whatever the hell we want it to be. It's so fun to sit down with literally just the air you're breathing, and then through an act of physics that air turns into sound, and then that sound becomes something repeatable that you yourself created.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Getting to do whatever you want. Hah. A world without borders is tough. I have so many half-finished ideas it's numbing. It can be a real challenge to stay focused sometimes. I feel like I spend more time not writing than I do writing. Someday I'll crack the code...
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
When facing a bout of writer's block, I got some really cool advice from a close friend: practice a style you're not used to or normally interested in. It sucks at first, but then you realize that you’re training yourself to get good (or better) at something, strictly from a technical level at first (because you’re solely focused on emulating the style, not being creative in it). Then, you’ll start to get the creative bug for that new thing, which isn’t really your thing, and then you take that inspiration back to your main focus and you see it from a new light. Works every time.
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Circuit Faker's new single 'Ocular Therapy' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.