Fran Hartnett

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Fran Hartnett is one of the most experienced artists in the Irish techno scene. DJing at local youth-club discos in his early teens, then discovering (and falling in love with) rave and hardcore music around 1992, eventually led to led to his first club residency (1997) at a techno night called Genius in 'The Kitchen', Dublin.

Fran then spent many years DJing at countless clubs, one-off events and raves, often supporting internationally renowned artists. Amongst these were techno luminaries such as Joey Beltram, The Advent, Kevin Saunderson, Marco Carolla and Rolando. During these years Fran gradually gained a reputation as an accomplished DJ in his own right.

Ten years on, in 2007, Fran received his master's degree in Music and Media Technology, following two years of intense study in Trinity College, Dublin. By this time he had made the transition from DJing to playing his own music live, occasionally supporting his peers (Surgeon, The Black Dog, Jeroen Liebregts, James Ruskin, Luka Baumann, The Advent), with his rhythmic, inventive, and sometimes darkly emotive techno.

Fran's first vinyl release, 'Alpha' (2009), on Dublin based Mantrap Records, was warmly received and played by Surgeon, Inigo Kennedy, Paul Mac, and Charlton, to name a few. Surgeon also decided to include a previously unreleased track of Fran's on his Fabric 53 mix album (2010), and this same track then became the title track for Fran's 'It was Written in Vapour' EP (2011) for the prolific Dutch label, Audio Assault Records. This vinyl release has quickly found its way into the sets of Luke Slater, Dave Clarke, and Inigo Kennedy, and has received great feedback from the likes of Go Hiyama, Kr!z, Perc, Grovskopa, Matt K, and Rob Hall.

Fran is still very much a DJ, regularly buying new music on vinyl, and always on the hunt for that fresh and futuristic sound that is the essence of techno. He still plays the decks whenever given the chance but is increasingly in demand as a live act. The attraction is that of a true live performance, where modern electronic instruments (drum machines and synthesizers) are played fluently, resulting in an original and different experience every time.

Always looking to explore new dimensions with his live show, Fran is currently working at revisiting and refining an audio-visual performance format that he first tested at the Mantua Festival (Roscommon, Ireland) in 2008, using a setup which allows him to integrate his music with synchronized animated imagery triggered by midi messages from his drum machine. With increasing popularity and regular bookings around Ireland (and having played his first live gig outside of Ireland at CTRL, in Gent, Belgium, in May 2010), Fran is all set to bring his sound further afield to the techno clubs and festivals of Europe and beyond...