Biography

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 was awarded a masters 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.
Frans first vinyl release, Alpha, on Dublin based Mantrap Records, was warmly received and played by Surgeon, Paul Mac, and Charlton, to name a few. Surgeon also decided to include a previously unreleased track of Frans on his Fabric 53 mix album, and this track now finally gets a physical release in 2011 as the title track of his It was Written in Vapour EP on the prolific Dutch label, Audio Assault Records.
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, guaranteeing an original and different experience every time. This approach allows him to be closely tuned to the reaction of the crowd, to make a unique connection with the audience. Always looking to explore new dimensions with his live show, Fran is currently working at revisiting and refining an audio-visual performance format he trialed 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...

Discography

Djamel Kireru (Fran Hartnett remix) Heavy Reel [HVRL02] 2011
Rory St John 13 Bullet (Fran Hartnett remix) Limetree [LTP009] 2010
Fran Hartnett Sword & Shield Stasis Records [STA02] 2010
Fran Hartnett No Undo Subsist [SUB-D 05B] 2010
Itokim Dancing on a Cloud (Fran Hartnett Silver Acid remix) Nice & Nasty [NANO 85] 2010
Fran Hartnett Alpha Mantrap [MANTRAP05] 2009
Orlando Voorn Angles (Fran Hartnett Dreamstate Remix) Nice & Nasty [NANO 77] 2009
Rob Glennon Ambush (Fran Hartnett Stealth Approach Mix) Static 2009
Julian Eustace Detached (Fran Hartnett remix) Static 2009
Fran Hartnett Ghost Among Us Middleware 2005

Schedule

No upcoming events