Biography

French producer Fred Falke makes electro-disco and house that openly embraces '80s dance and pop influences. He first rose to prominence by collaborating with Stardust co-producer Alan Braxe on a series of 12"s, most notably the 2000 filter-disco anthem "Intro" and the synth pop-inspired 2004 hit "Rubicon." The duo became in-demand remixers, completing mixes for Death from Above 1979, Kelis, Goldfrapp, and many others, while Falke began releasing tracks on his own, collecting several of them on his 2011 full-length Part IV. As a producer, writer, or remixer, he's added smooth disco guitar and electro-house beats to songs by Ellie Goulding, Will Young, Katy Perry, Jamiroquai, and many others. In the early 2020s, he frequently collaborated with producer Zen Freeman, often on versions of familiar hits from the '80s, and he released an original game soundtrack, Flippin Misfits, in 2022. Initially a bass player, Falke moved to keyboards and production work by the end of the '90s. He began a successful partnership with Alan Braxe in 2000, releasing singles on the Vulture and Kitsuné labels, most of which were collected on Braxe's 2005 compilation The Upper Cuts. The pair produced remixes for artists including Goldfrapp, Röyksopp, Justice, and many others, until ending their partnership in 2008. Falke also began working with German house producer Kris Menace, remixing his 2004 single "Missile Test" (as part of duo Menace & Adam) and guesting on his 2006 single "Fairlight." Falke released a few solo singles and EPs, starting with 2006's "Omega Man," and most of these tracks appeared on 2011's Part IV, released by Kris Menace's Work It Baby imprint. "Geronimo," a collaboration with the Knocks, appeared on Kitsuné in 2012. Falke produced and wrote songs with artists like Will Young, Florrie, and Gossip, and remixed Lana Del Rey, P!nk, Selena Gomez, and Jason Derulo, among dozens of others. He returned to solo work with the 2015 EP Alpha, featuring a voiceover by famed American radio DJ Shotgun Tom Kelly. "Don't Give Up," with vocalist Jake Isaac, appeared in 2017. "Watch the Sun," the first of Falke's many collaborations with Zen Freeman, was released in 2019. The two then collaborated with Todd Edwards for the nostalgic 2020 track "1980's," and featured Macy Gray on 2021's "Make Me Feel." As the duo Ampersounds, Falke and Freeman began frequently releasing singles on a label called Orange, often covers or remixes of '80s hits like "Last Christmas," "Burning Down the House," and "Personal Jesus." Falke's soundtrack for the video game Flippin Misfits appeared in 2022. Braxe's The Upper Cuts, containing several co-productions with Falke, was given an expanded reissue in 2023. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi