Hanssens goal is always to play the weirdest shit I can, and have it work.
Hanssen's goal is "always to play the weirdest shit I can, and have it work." JOE LARRABEE

HANSSEN (aka BRIT HANSEN; Hush Hush Records, Jacob London)

Top 5 current tracks:

Topdown Dialectic, "A1" (Peak Oil)
"This is right in the sweet spot for me; elusive hooks that drift in and out of focus, effects that make you feel like there's something wrong with reality, but also enough of a groove that it stands a solid chance of rocking a dance floor. Or, at the very least, not completely clearing it."

Burnt Friedman, "Echokammer" (Bright Sounds)
"This is where I really want to live all of the time, tho. It's not sustainable in the real world, but I would love to just play stuff like this. You can totally clear a floor with this one, but if you play it right, it could also very well literally set the club on fire. That's a pretty fun challenge."

Kristoffer Eikrem & Bendik Bakasas, "Eyes of the Abstract" (Mutual Intentions)
"I remember seeing Derrick May and Stacey Pullen at the Showbox a long-ass time ago. I forget which of them did it, but they went into straight-up whale song for quite a bit longer than most people would. It was amazing and so beautiful and the place just went nuts. I like trying to create that kind of moment with songs like this."

Flight Mode, "It's So Nice" (Delusions of Grandeur)
"Since the beginning of time, I have had the softest of spots for tracks like this. Mega-spaced-out disco cut-ups that dive in and out of the deep end with enough delay to kill a horse. They all sound exactly like this track, and I've loved each and every one of them."

Egoless, "Woodpecker's Groove" (LoDubs)
"I slowed this one down to 'house tempo' for my sets, but it's fantastic at any speed. It's got so much movement and space, and just quirky enough to tickle my inner Jacob London. It's physically impossible for me to not move some part of my body when this comes on."

Crew/label affiliation: "I've been collaborating with my best mate Pezzner as Jacob London since forever. More recently, I've been releasing solo material on local label Hush Hush Records. I could probably also claim honorary member of the Hunt & Gather crew."

Styles played: "Whatever genre that 'Echokammer' track above is. House, techno, ambient, abstract techno, disco, breaks—basically anything that sounds good played around 110-130 bpm. I've also been taking techno 'bangers' (industry term) and slowing them down to 90 bpm, which is becoming one of my absolute favorite things to play. Some stuff just gets so primal-sounding that way."

Events organized: "I've managed to stay the hell away from event organization, but I have started up a monthly internet radio show, 'Compound.' It happens every third Sunday from 10 am-12 pm via OrphanRadio.co.uk."

DJing philosophy: "My goal is always to play the weirdest shit I can, and have it work. To do that, you have to work up to it. Like a stand-up comic's set, you have to get them on your side before you drop the really offensive joke, or they'll turn on you. When the set gets to a point where some people drop that huge hand-raiser, I prefer to drop some old Pan Sonic or something else instead."

Format: "A trusty old USB thumb drive. I actually prefer the experience of playing vinyl. I find it easier and it's just more fun, kinda like driving manual versus automatic. Convenience wins, tho, especially since I've been editing a good majority of the stuff that I play out. It's become a big part of my DJing experience and sound."

Worst request: "My favorite is always, 'Can you just play anything other than this?'"

Upcoming events:
6/29 - Audioasis Happy Hour @ W Hotel w/FKL & Chong the Nomad (DJ)
7/14 - Timbre Room (DJ)
7/22 - Ambient improv w/Secret School @ Northwest Film Forum (live PA)
7/28 - Cascadia (w/Pezzner as Jacob London) (DJ)

Listen to Hanssen's Transit album here.