Finland, the homeland of the world’s largest mobile-phone manufacturer, the land of a thousand lakes (more precisely, 187,888 of them), and the place where the sun shines at midnight in midsummer, takes pride in its music, represented by the great classical composer Sibelius as well as hot metal bands like HIM. At the same time, Finland’s energetic electronic dance music scene has produced international DJs and producers such as JS16, Bomfunk MC’s, Darude, and, in drum and bass, Dharma and Dice (Breakwater Crew), and Muffler.
Let us welcome a new face among Finland’s finest, Janne Hatula aka FanuSamurai, whose debut album Focused Mind on Pauze Recordings (UK) had been creating a stir on the global drum and bass scene for a year.
On Focused Mind Hatula, known in drum and bass as Fanu, presents thirteen downtempo tracks, masterful twilight zones memorable for the depth of their atmosphere and the breadth of their imagination.
The album is a powerful tour de force of a magical vision, presented with all-encompassing clarity and beautifully constructed minute details.
Hatula is 26 years old and grew up with his twin brother in the small town of Haapavesi (population 8,000). His mother, who works in elderly care, and his father, who builds houses, also have younger twins, who are 17. “All I did as a child was play computer games,” says Hatula. “That is how I learned English. I’m sure it also affected my imagination.” In 2000, Hatula moved to Helsinki (population 500,000) to complete six months of compulsory military service, and has been studying to become an English teacher at the University of Helsinki ever since; he is due to graduate in 2007.
Strangely enough for a musician whose music sounds so intricate, Hatula has no musical education. “I’m one hundred percent self-taught,” he says. “I grew up listening to rock, but at the age of eleven I started listening to radio shows that played all the techno phenomena of the early ’90s that were significant in Europe. I loved it all. I realized how limitless electronic music was, and I’m still fascinated by it.” “I remember a tape I recorded at home for my class. It was recorded on my Amiga under the influence of 2 Unlimited — ha! Everyone was excited about it, including me. It taught me to understand electronic music.”
“Drum and bass began for me in ’94. My friend had a compilation called ‘D&B Selection Volume 4: Running It Red’ released on Breakdown, which I thought was fun, but I was beginning to really love it. It had an insane number of amen breaks that consumed me, and there was no turning back. The next important milestones were Tek 9 – ‘It’s Not What You Think It Is’, LTJ Bukem - ‘Logical Progression’, and the first ‘Platinum Breaks’ from Metalheadz. These albums formed the foundation of drum and bass for me. People who know the history of drum and bass can hear it in Fanu’s work.”
Regarding his drum and bass alias, Hatula says: “The nickname Fanu came from an old friend who liked giving people silly names that meant nothing. Later, DJ ESB from Canada called me Sauna Samurai because I love saunas and films about medieval Japan. FanuSamurai is a combo.” Accordingly, the atmospheres of ‘Focused Mind’ can conjure up epic landscapes and mythical scenes from Kurosawa, Kill Bill, or anime.
Hatula honed his craft in isolation. “I advanced quite a lot through trial and error. Actually, I don’t have any friends who make music. Listening to electronic music and comparing it with my own was an inspiring process that taught me so much. Self-education isn’t a bad thing if you have persistence and dedication.”
In 2003, his first signed track, ‘Defunct Drums’ Depression Decade’ was released on New York’s Offshore Recordings. “Big up to Brett; I’m still proud of this release. The VIP version will soon appear on a new Offshore compilation.” This success was followed by releases on Subtitles, Commercial Suicide, Breakin’, Warm Communications, Subtle Audio, Thermal, Forestry Service, LoCuts, Soothsayer, and 13 Music, as well as the creation of his own label, Lightless.
Hatula, who describes his sound as “Emotion, imagination and atmospheres,” can work on his music at any time of day. “But I can’t write much in summer. It needs to be slightly dark. Summer kills my creativity. My music often sounds slightly melancholic and gloomy, and it’s hard to get into that mood when it’s sunny and bright all around.”
“When I was growing up in the provinces, the dark, cold winters shaped my imagination; hence the name of my label—Lightless. I find inspiration in darkness. If you had seen the Northern Lights when it was truly dark and cold around you, you would understand me. The darkness I love is more melancholic than joyful; apparently, that is how the emotional content of my music found its place.” Describing how his tracks come into being, Fanu says: “Usually there is some emotional element: a pad, string, synth, or melody. I never start with drums. I play around with a 16- or 32-bar loop for a while. I also play random samples from my hard drive while the loop is playing—this allows me to get the best results. I can hear this emerging melody in my head; I can practically see it. Then I simply work on that section until it becomes something I can continue working on. I’m very demanding and try to keep the quality of the music very high, although that is quite difficult.”
When listening to “Focused Mind”, it can sometimes seem as though a real live experimental jazz ensemble is playing, with drums, bass, keyboards, a horn section, and additional percussion. But, says Hatula, “I know absolutely nothing about jazz. Jazz has never really grabbed me. Maybe I was listening to the wrong stuff.”
It is impossible not to marvel at how he manages to create such complex rhythms with such virtuosity, or bass that sounds like live improvisation. But Hatula replies, “I can’t play any instrument. I think I’m proud of the amount of attention I devote to writing my beats. I try to make the drums as realistic as I can. I suppose that is one of my main distinguishing features, apart from the emotional content. Most of the electronic music I like sounds very organic, and that is what I try to achieve.”
“It took me about a year to write Focused Mind,” he says. “I put so much work into it. My goal is to create music that is always relevant. I feel that is what I achieved with the whole album, and I’m very proud of it. It contains so much emotion; it was a long journey, and I’m very happy that many people will hear it and that something on this album will touch their souls. It’s my first album, and I’m proud of that too.”
Hatula’s label Lightless Recordings, founded this year, “is getting big and thick. I’m happy to have Lightless to promote exactly the style of drum and bass music I love most. And I’m glad that it is one of those labels that serve as a channel for special music in times of oversaturation.”
The first release, 001 “For Those Who Dream / Next to the Divine One I Wake”, is practically sold out. The second release, 002 “Garmonbozia / My Life in Flames”, has already been approved by Bill Laswell (a Grammy winner and fusion legend) and will soon appear on the market. “I’ve just finished a drum and bass track with vocals by the singer Gigi (Bill Laswell’s wife). A banging track, I think. It will be the third release on Lightless Recordings.”
Apart from music, Hatula is interested in “searching for meaningful things in life and trying to get everything out of them. I ride my skateboard. I eat. I drink beer. Then some more beer. I get off on good music. I fool around with my wife.” In the studio, Hatula’s main goal now is to learn to make music using software. “I was a hardware fan, but now I’ve bought myself a Mac. I’m sure it will give me lots of new ideas and allow me to do things more flexibly. However, I’m not giving up hardware completely. I want to get the best from both approaches.”
“When people tell me that they experienced strong emotions while listening to music I wrote for myself, I feel wonderful. It is the best compliment of all. It warms my heart, encourages me, and gives me the strength to keep writing music straight from the heart. I think that is the only way!”
Originally published in English by Dogs On Acid (text: Mary Ishimoto Morris). Translated from the Russian translation by r.dee and Buran.
