Nic Fanciulli: Ibiza Icon

Nic Fanciulli is a Grammy-nominated DJ, producer, and label owner who has been at the cutting edge of underground house and techno for over two decades. As a DJ, Nic is known for his energetic, soulful sets and his love of a great bassline. His incredible taste in music and dedication to underground values has seen him become one of the cornerstones of the scene.

After spending the first four years of his life growing up in Kenya, it was back in the UK that his love for music developed. Growing up in a house where disco, funk and soul records were played by his parents his first experiments as a musician was as a drummer in bands influenced by Oasis, The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays. It was only after discovering Laurent Garnier, that Nic threw himself into the world of electronic music.

Originally focusing purely on DJing, Nic created mixtapes and would hand them out at his local nightclub, Club Class. Despite forgetting to include his contact details on the tapes, the promoters eventually tracked him down and offered him a regular slot at the club. The work was varied - opening on some nights, closing on others, if the headliner didn’t turn up he’d play from open to close. This education in the art of DJing allowed Nic to hone his craft with a live audience each night, learning to work a crowd and the skills needed at every stage of a set to take his performance to the next level.

After breaking out as a DJ, Nic turned to producing, originally teaming with Andy Chatterley to make techno and rave-inspired tracks under the names Skylark and Buick Project. It was under the latter that Nic experienced his first major hit record with the Buick Project Remix of Tracey Thorn & Tiefschwarz - “Damage” blowing up worldwide and eventually earning a GRAMMY-Award nomination for Best Remixed Recording.

While still releasing under the Skylark and Buick Project aliases, Nic founded his own label, Saved Records in 2004. Now almost 20 years later, Saved has become one of the most influential record labels in the scene and has released over 200 records from some of the most exciting artists around, including Loco Dice, Jamie XX, and his fellow ANTS residents Andrea Oliva and Francisco Allendes.

Along with releases on Saved, Nic has worked with many of the most influential labels in electronic music, dropping tracks with Crosstown Rebels, Defected, FFRR, Ovum and REKIDS. As an immensely skilled DJ, he has been tapped for many of the scene’s most respected mix compilations including Global Underground, Balance, Renaissance and Defected in the House.

Despite coming up via the UK scene, Fanciulli has always had an international outlook, finding a following wherever he played. More than anywhere else, Nic’s legacy is most interlaced with the island of Ibiza. Over his long DJ career, Nic has helped cement the island as ground zero for electronic music and has played a significant role in helping to shape the underground sound of the island.

It is in Ibiza where Nic began his long and successful relationship with ANTS. Performing at the party in its debut year and becoming a firm favourite of The Colony and a pivotal member of the ANTS family. As a member of our ANTS residents team, he’ll play at ANTS 10 YEARS STRONG throughout the summer, including going B2B with a special guest on Saturday 26th August.