Meet Fannar, the DJ bringing an eclectic dose of bangers to London nightlife

Kicking off his creative endeavours with MySpace-era music as a teen, the now-DJ and ‘just for fun’ photographer Fannar is somewhat of a self-declared ‘SpongeBob’. An absorbing force for all things creative, it’s no surprise that the Icelandic native has become a must-know name in the queer nightlife scene after jumping into disk jockeying blind over a decade ago. But, without venues like LGBTQIA+ boozers The Joiners Arms and The Glory, Fannar wouldn’t have met the people who gave him the chance, and tools, to step behind the decks. It’s his Icelandic heritage that we have to thank, though, for the DJ’s eclectic stage lineups — however idyllic his Norden youth might have been, it certainly left plenty of room for experimentation. With vast influences ranging from dreamy Sigur Rós, dancey GusGus and rap group Quarashi, Fannar learnt not to be scared of doing things a little differently, culminating in what he refers to as his ‘Pick n Mix’ style. As he continues to play at iconic parties like Meat, Fannar, and style the UGG Southbay Lows, is also giving the queer nightlife scene a much-needed sugary pick-me-up with his contribution to Ziber, London’s ‘delirious, grotesque, Queer’ new project…

 Chris Saunders: Could you tell me a bit about where you grew up?  

Fannar: I grew up in Iceland. It was very free and there was no pressure, so I could do whatever I wanted to do without judgement. For example, I could get into music. I used to make music in my bedroom during the MySpace era.

CS: What kind of music did you make?

F: It was very ambient, experimental stuff. I was self-taught, but also made music with friends so we could feed off each other. It was good energy. And, at the time, Iceland was very experimental, so I was influenced by a lot of different stuff.

CS: When did you move to London?

F: I’ve lost track of time, it feels like I’ve been here forever. I’m going to say I moved here 17 years ago. When I came here, I only knew one person, another Icelandic person, but I was like, fuck it, and just came anyway. 

CS: Was it the right decision in the end? 

F: Definitely the right decision. I’ve learned so much, and I’ve been known to be a bit of a Spongebob — I love Spongebob — just absorbing everything around me. I like to think I’m good at teaching myself to do stuff.

CS: Do you think you could do the career you’re in now if you were still in Iceland?

F: I wouldn’t have been DJing in Iceland because I was making music back then, so I probably would have carried on with that. I knew I was a gay person — that’s why I moved away, I wasn’t out in Iceland — and, when I moved over here, all the fabulousness of that took over and music faded into the background. I met the right people in London who gave me the opportunity to step behind the decks while not knowing anything, and it just started from there. That was 12 or 13 years ago now.

CS: Obviously your career revolves around nightlife and nightlife is such a big thing in the Queer community. But that scene is kind of in trouble right now in the UK. There are a lot of places closing down. What impact do you think that’s going to have on the Queer community?

F: Moving here 17 years ago, I pretty much just jumped straight into the queer community. I think it was the Joiners Arms that I first used to go to, and what I realised about the queer community is that everybody is from somewhere else. London is such a melting pot. There’s so much human connection here. You meet people who connect with the same things and you learn a lot from each other. And, when you’re unaware or unsure of something, then you can have conversations in queer spaces that guide you. Queer nightlife is still kicking, but it’s difficult for the community when the government is clamping down and alcohol licences are being taken away. It feels like things are heading in the wrong direction. Queer spaces mean everything to me because they help me emotionally and they do the same for a lot of people.

CS: When someone sees your name on a line up, what should they expect from you? What’s your style?

F: Just fun, I would say. DJing, for me, has always been about having fun. I don’t stick to a particular genre, and I’ve absorbed all different genres coming to London. I would never have thought of listening to house and disco before because I was more into electronic music, but being in London has been an eye-opener. There’s also a more serious side to my DJing through acid and techno. So it’s a bit like a Pick n Mix. 

CS: Have any particular artists or DJs inspired you?

F: The boys from Horse Meat Disco have massively inspired me, and being in their presence has been amazing. But I wouldn’t say anything commercial. It’s more about the people that you get to know. I think everybody I work with is an inspiration. In our community, everybody’s doing a fantastic job and we all help each other and feed off each other, which is amazing. 

CS: In your sets, is there one track that you go to every time?

F: ‘Things That Dreams Are Made Of’, by The Human League. It kind of sums up moving to London pretty well. 

CS: What’s the music scene like in Iceland? What do most people listen to?

F: I can’t really say what’s happening today, but, when I was growing up, it was very experimental. Obviously there was Bjork and Sigur Rós, who captured the dreamscape of Iceland really well. GusGus, which is dancey but experimental. And then, rap-wise, Quarashi. There was also a big punk and heavy metal scene at the time. But yeah, I think, growing up in Iceland, the music scene was very based on experimentation because we had nothing else to do, so we weren’t afraid of it.

CS: You’ve obviously performed in loads of spaces throughout London. Is there one venue in particular that holds a special place in your heart? 

F: Well, The Glory, obviously. That was a special place. Also Horse Meat Disco at Eagle. And Dalston Superstore is amazing. And now, The Divine, which I’m looking forward to seeing the development of. I’m extremely proud of John Sizzle and Jonny Woo for creating and maintaining this space for the community. It’s hard work. They’re the heroes of the Queer.

CS: You’re also a photographer, right? 

F: I do a bit of photography. My ex, Adrian, is a photographer and, when we met, it was a bit of a Freaky Friday scenario. I taught him everything about putting on club nights and vice versa. Then I used to assist him on shoots and I would just absorb everything that he was doing. I realised, though, that photography wasn’t for me work-wise, but I enjoy snapping for my own little picture diary. 

CS: How important do you think it is to keep these Queer spaces open? 

F: I wouldn’t say it’s important —  it’s necessary. It’s necessary to have these spaces. Things like gay websites aren’t the way forward. It’s the spaces in London that have shaped me into who I am. It doesn’t matter who you are, but in order to find yourself, it’s necessary to have these places. And the fact that it’s getting more difficult for them to operate is just shameful on behalf of the government. 

CS: Is there anything exciting you’ve got coming up that you want to talk about?

F: Obviously we have Meat, which we do bi-monthly. And then another really exciting thing, which is fresh on the scene, is a party called Ziber, which is coming up on 24 August at Kit Kat in Berlin. It’s so great to be part of the gang doing that because, with spaces closing down, it’s hard for promoters to start something fresh, so it’s amazing to have this coming in.