Hailing from Norway, DJ and producer FAKETHIAS (Mathias Humlen) has been a regular fixture within the Oslo experimental club scene for some time, organising free parties in the city’s disused bunkers, skateparks and the surrounding forest. His debut album Core, a departure from these purely harsh electronics, marks a new direction for the artist, whose last EP Excess earlier this year featured a crushing array of ultra-processed and dread-inducing tracks. In contrast, his newest release is an ecstatic fusion of airy shoegaze melodies – written on a “shitty” guitar – and crunchy industrial textures. “I’m way more inspired by accidents than anything else,” he shares, “I like creating the potential for beautiful mistakes.” 

For his exclusive Dazed Mix, Humlen shares a “cursed” mix featuring an eclectic mix of experimental tracks, from art-club duo New York to Varg²™ and many more – listen below.

How’s your winter going – any plans?

FAKETHIAS: Good, I just got back from a trip to Miami. I’m hibernating now. Next year I’ll start performing with a band.

Congrats on Core Echo! What’s the thinking behind the name?

FAKETHIAS: Thank you! All I can say is that it’s a personal album. 

What are some of the main inspirations behind the album?

FAKETHIAS: I played around with the guitar in my teenage years, and wanted to pick it up again. I had this idea of merging the sound of a rock band with the sound of a city, so I blended guitars with digital instruments sculpted from field recordings and audio ripped from YouTube and so on. I’m interested in pop music that can push forward sonically without losing its accessibility.

I had been working on this album in my head for a very long time. I think all my projects are like assemblages of a lot of different impressions, most of them not even musical. I knew what the album «looked like» long before I knew exactly how I wanted it to sound or wanted to say lyrically. I just needed the emotional push that made me write the songs, and when I got that, they wrote themselves. 

What’s the underground scene in Oslo like? How does it play into your sound?

FAKETHIAS: Oslo has an interesting free party scene that bloomed on the way out of lockdown. I was involved in a project called Enter that really changed the city’s nightlife and popularized harder sounds. These parties, hosted in bunkers, skate parks, abandoned houses or the forest have been some of the most fun I have ever played. The vibe is very different from techno clubs and they have attracted a lot of heads and DJs from around the world. 

I don’t think what’s going on in Oslo or anywhere else affects my sound much though. I’ve always been doing my own thing, and usually just try to make what I think is missing. 

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

FAKETHIAS: I was a big fan of West Coast rap and producers like Timbaland, Kanye West and the Neptunes when I was a kid. My dad showed me a lot of this music. In primary school my dream was to become a world famous hip-hop producer. I made my first beat when I was 8 years old or something.

What would you say are some of your most formative musical experiences? 

FAKETHIAS: Probably listening to music with headphones on all day long growing up. Even in class, I got a special permission to do it. 

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?    

FAKETHIAS: Someone told me I should eat animals if I care about their wellbeing.

And the best advice?

FAKETHIAS: Don’t censor yourself.

What are you listening to at the moment?

FAKETHIAS: Vintage Araabmuzik and Clams Casino. I’ve generally been listening to a lot of music I was into around 2011-2012 in the past year.

Tell us about your Dazed Mix.

FAKETHIAS: High heels. Cursed tech-house. Evil businessmen. Glass elevators. Kaskade in a skybar.

Core Echo is out now

Tracklist

1. DJ Spytt – “?????”
2. Hideki Taniuchi – “Tokei no Hari no Oto”
3. New York – “Makeout”
4. Katie Fash – “Poser”
5. S.P.T. – “Untitled (Vofa - PI05.3 + Varg™ – You are Eating my Face (feat. AnnaMelina)”
6. Katie Fash – “Flash”
7. Dismantle – “Warp”
8. Exium – “Morphology”
9. DJ Nick Jersey – “Insider”
10. Loyalty XIX – “Sunset on Another Planet”
11. Katie Fash – “High Roller”
12. DJ Spytt – “?????”
13. Gutkein – “Bejetle”
14. Anusrektum – “Rotavirus”
15. Scarecrow – “Samantha Rising”
16. AKA fetish – “Hands Only”
17. Jacobworld – “Mill”
18. Massive Gain – “Exceptional Taste”
19. Scarecrow – “Admin”
20. MASSIVE GAIN – “Spiteful Redux”
21. MASSIVE GAIN – ?????
22. Reeko – “Concience (Take 2)”
23. DJ Nick Jersey – “Syla”
24. Kaskade ft. Skylar Grey – “Room for Happiness (Speed Services™ Remodel)”