Fanu is a pseudonym of Helsinki, Finland, producer / DJ / label-owner Janne Hatula. Hatula is mostly known for electronic music and his undying and ever-growing love for breakbeats, chopping beats, and working with synths, samplers, and gear. A self-employed artist and an entrepreneur – junglist, samplist, passionate DJ, record label executive, bassline-o-holic, avid music lover, breakbeat fanatic, and an electronic music teacher. Or, “the undisputed Scandinavian breakbeat master”
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Fanu is a pseudonym of Helsinki, Finland, producer / DJ / label-owner Janne Hatula. Hatula is mostly known for electronic music and his undying and ever-growing love for breakbeats, chopping beats, and working with synths, samplers, and gear. A self-employed artist and an entrepreneur – junglist, samplist, passionate DJ, record label executive, bassline-o-holic, avid music lover, breakbeat fanatic, and an electronic music teacher. Or, “the undisputed Scandinavian breakbeat master”, for Hatula’s been a seminal artist in promoting the breakbeat-oriented drum and bass sound. HISTORY and love for breakbeats Hatula grew up in small, quiet countryside town in Finland where music filled the void for him since an early age. Hatula started experimenting with music around 1992, starting with a melting pot of house, dance, techno et cetera – but hearing breakbeats changed everything, and today, Hatula’s creating modern breakbeat music with aesthetics that come from those days. The drums are the backbone, whatever the genre. INFLUENCES In terms of ideas and soundscapes, Hatula admits owing a great deal to The Future Sound of London, Underworld, Source Direct, Photek, old Metalheadz crew, Dj Shadow, Dj Krust, Amon Tobin, to mention a few. Also, the surrounding environment – the dark, cold Finnish climate – had an impact on Hatula’s inspiration, for it leaves a lot to be interpreted. PERFORMANCES and broadcasts Hatula’s been DJing internationally, playing drum and bass for a decade, sometimes also performing live, bringing together breakbeat music of various genres and tempos. He does a monthly drum and bass radio show on Finnish Bassoradio every third Monday of the month at 7–9 p.m. GMT. RELEASES Fanu’s released five albums, several EPs and single releases, vinyl, CDs and digital releases since 2003 on various seminal labels such as Subtitles, Offshore, Subtle Audio, Commercial Suicide, Columbia, etc., and collaborated with and remixed renowned artists such as Bill Laswell, Amon Tobin, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, etc. Since 2006, Fanu’s own label, Lightless Recordings, releasing breakbeat-driven music with deep, dark atmospheres and strong rhythms, has been the main home for his music. See discography for full Fanu release history on the site or check out full discography at Discogs. RECENT Fanu remixed Amon Tobin’s “101 South” and did a mix for Ninja-Tune-run Solid Steel. The recently-launched “Oh-So-Random” series of EPs saw its second installment, much on the 160 BPM tip. The next, much-awaited release dropping soon is the next Lightless vinyl release, “PARACOSM” / “YIN DUB” (12″ + digital). Fanu’s always got his hands busy with several release projects. One of them, “Talk To Strangers”, an instrumental hiphop LP from his FatGyver guise, is waiting to get released on Redefinition Records. In the pipeline there are EP releases for other labels, remixes, and collabo projects. In late 2015 he announced that he will no longer be working under the Fanu moniker; "It is both with a heavy heart and with a fresh, exciting look into the horizon that I’m announcing that as of now,'Fanu' as an artist will be no more." He will however continue crafting funky beats and you'll most likely not see the vibes of Fanu completely disappear.
