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I don’t know how to start this nicely or smoothly so I’ll just start this and get the show on the road. This is going to take some coffee…
There’ll be a few things to say about being “Fanu”, the new album, and some other artistry business. I won’t try to smooth anything out too much and I suppose it’ll be best to get things out exactly as I feel about them, anyways.

First, the album thing. Here’s the shocker, and it makes me look and feel like a sucker, and I deserve it 100 percent (200, actually), but here it is: it’ll be digital only. I know I’ve been saying there’ll be vinyl, but in the end I felt it’s not worth it. The reason relates to the topics I want to bring up and thoughts I’ve been having. I’ll get into that.

First, vinyl ain’t cheap. I can’t justify spending a few months’ rent on vinyl, and if what other labels releasing vinyl say is to be trusted, it IS hard to sell. The type of music I make as Fanu isn’t actually a major seller in digital format, and I believe it wouldn’t be a big seller on vinyl either. The minimum amount of vinyl I can do with a viable plant is way bigger I know I could sell, and my distributor, who has major experience in the field, agrees, and I definitely don’t have time for any DIY stuff anymore (such as do a small run and ship them out myself). Sure, I could do it “for the love” but I feel that I’ve put in quite a bit of love during my career, and without the intention to sound like a grump, I’ll say in the past few years I’ve been “giving back” more than I’ve been getting.

Second, the whole “Fanu thing” (I know that’s oddly put but read on as that kind of relates to something else) is earning me very, very little money. I know there are labels releasing vinyl but at least they are earning money from gigs and what not which they can spend on vinyl but that’s hardly the case for me.
Also…I don’t want to believe in signs/omens too much but there’s been many things along the way when I’ve been working on the album that have kind of made me think this might be the last one. Now, even the art designer who’s been working on the album art (a major factor for a vinyl release) has mostly disappeared and made things extremely difficult, and at the moment of writing this, the album doesn’t even have art for it anymore. He knew the aesthetics perfectly as it relates to the part of town where I live. Now, there’s no artist and no art, and this is a huge drawback.

I know the world is full of great artists but I don’t have the time and energy to go looking for one that understands the aesthetics, and at the moment I can’t spend any more time on the album struggle; I’ll need a quick solution for art for digital release, and I need to move on with some things…read on.

Doing “the Fanu thing” has been awesome and shitloads of fun – it’s been going on since 2003 in a sense because I had my first proper release then – it’s taken me to so many places in Europe, USA, and Russia, it’s made me so many great friends around the world, provided me with many moments I’ll never forget, and I’m absolutely amazed by the fact that people around the world like my music.

However, if I said I’m not feeling blue by the fact that I feel it’s withering for me in every aspect, I’d be lying.

Every now and then I get asked, “Where’s your tour schedule?” and the fact is, I don’t have one. With the amount of work I’ve been putting in during the past ten years, you’d think I’d have a busy tour schedule. I don’t really get booked anymore, and I know the reason you don’t see Fanu in music media is – let’s face it – because the music I make as Fanu is very untrendy, and even in the world of drum and bass today, it’s a total niche thing. The internet changed some things for the worse, and now that everything’s so saturated and everyone’s an artist, you need to stand out to earn your shows, but whatever the reason is (there’s many), I’m failing to get “out there”, and I don’t get booked, and playing the music I love for people who love it, too, was always one of the greatest things about it. That’s mostly gone now.

I salute each and everyone who’s loving the jungle thing and I will always love it, but in a way I feel that my personal fight for breaky drum and bass has run its course. I could still do it like I’ve been doing it so far, but you know how in an adult’s life there’ll be moments when you think what’s “worth it” in the end – especially if you have lots of other obligations and offers going on.

Don’t get me wrong: there are grrrreat artists and music out there (just like the radio show I’ve been doing with almost two years proves) but in a way it’s not enough for me to keep me fully satisfied, and the whole D&B climate has changed so drastically.

Briefly said, drum and bass as an industry (with its media/promoters etc) feels like a place where I don’t feel I belong, and I’m somewhat tired of the thing I’ve been doing…it’s an uphill battle testing my faith and endurance. In terms of making and keeping it worthwhile and professional, there’s very little space for the Fanu type sound in the current d&b world, and that’s a fact.

This brings us to the next point, which is the good news, but the bad news is I can’t say many words about it for the time being. I’ll keep it super brief.
I was offered a chance by a well-established record label I like to start working on a whole new project. New identity, no genre limitations. New everything. You know I’m an avid maker of music, so that’s exceptional news for me. This is something I’ve been secretly thinking of for a long time, and now it seems to be happening.

Also, it’ll allow me to be just an artist making music and that’s all. With Fanu/Lightless, I’ve been an artist + record label + agent + PR guy + whatnot for a long time, and seeing the minimal results of it is killing me every now and then when all I’d like to do is make music. That’s all I can say about those plans for now.
Anyways, seeing how things are going in “Fanuland”, this feels like a great new chapter.

For a long time I’ve felt I want to explore new areas more, and I’m inspired by many things more electronic, for example, which won’t fit under the Fanu name. I also need to finish the hiphop thing that’s been cooking, for example, which I had to put on the backburner for a while to wrap up the Fanu album.

Having said all this, I feel relieved. Majorly relieved. It’s been a long time coming.

If you read it all this far, I salute you. Now, if there’s any things to take away from this, it’s:

-the new Fanu album will be coming out as a digital release. Release date will be coming soon ; for now, I’m on the hunt for any sort of decent release art…so watch this space.

-I’m not quitting…it’s too early to say. I just need a good break from producing Fanu/jungle material, being a record label, doing promo, etc…I will play any gigs that might come along the way.

-I will keep making music. Loads of it! Different styles. The person writing this is not “Fanu”…for “Fanu” is just a name under which certain type of music has been released and performed.

Yours truly,
the person behind “the Fanu thing”

Makes for good reading when you juxtapose it against this thread.

topmo3 wrote:considering that fanu is much bigger outside of finland than he is here, it might be funny for you that last winter we had him play in a local nightclub, i played just before his live set and i swear apart for the few dreadlocked junglists there were a little too few people appreciating his set

that being said, good producer and decent bloke. i've actually spoken to him online about him giving me ableton lessons and he was more than willing so might have to give that a shot later on

alphacat wrote:You have to come at it full steam already, and even then there's no guarantees

nowayjeezy wrote:You have to come at it full steam already, and even then it's one in a million

nowaysj wrote:

alphacat wrote:You have to come at it full steam already, and even then there's no guarantees

nowayjeezy wrote:You have to come at it full steam already, and even then it's one in a million

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Wub, shit man, that hit me hard. Was only clinging to the edge today, and this really didn't help

The fact that anyone can actually make a living off of music is only by the grace of god. Music is foolishness, and to think that you would dwell in that foolishness in the face of what is consuming the world... folly only within human capability.

We are the son's of Adam, and we have ALL been cast out of the garden.