Culprit 1 a.k.a. Culprit One (born James Hannam) is a British DJ, remixer and electronica producer.
Early life and education Hannam holds a degree in music from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and attended Crosskeys College in the Welsh valleys, where the Manic Street Preachers also studied.
Career Hannam's music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 1 by Steve Lamacq, Zane Lowe, Bethan Elfyn, Annie Mac, Annie Nightingale, Colin Murray and Huw Stephens (who contributed sleeve notes to first album 'Running in Order'). Eddy Temple-Morris, Adam Walton and Radio 101 (Croatia) have also supported Culprit 1 releases.
"What I Use", the first recording made under the Culprit 1 moniker, was released in July 2003 on Boobytrap. Hannam went on to perform at the American South by Southwest event and subsequently signed to Exceptional Records.
Following popular events with a string quartet early in 2007 (two members of which also performed with Kanye West on his 2006 UK tour), he found favour in the classical music world, earning the support of influential UK radio station Classic FM.
In November 2010, Exceptional released Hannam's second album Theme 2, featuring vocal contributions from Smiler, Polarbear and Iko.
Discography TitleFormatLabelYear"What I Use"CD singleBoobytrap Records2003Aqoon GuudCD EPMy Kung Fu2004"Jarred" / "What I Use"12 “ vinyl singleMy Kung Fu2004"No Need to Ask"CD singleMy Kung Fu2005"Sway"12” vinyl singleExceptional Records2006"Hollow"Download singleExceptional Records2006"Tricks"12” vinyl singleExceptional Records2007Running in OrderCD albumExceptional Records2007"No Need To Ask" (reissue & remixes)12" vinyl singleExceptional Records2007"Screamer"Download singleExceptional Records2010"Distraction" (feat. Smiler)Download singleExceptional Records2010Theme 2Download albumExceptional Records2010
Remix discography ArtistReleaseLabelYearThe Messiah ComplexFeverWe Are Your Friends2004The Martini Henry RiflesSlash the SeatsMy Kung Fu2005Melanie CNext Best SuperstarRed Girl Records2005Jo and DannyDying KissDouble Snazzy2006The AutomaticMonsterB-Unique / Polydor2006The AutomaticRecoverB-Unique / Polydor2006The AutomaticRaoulB-Unique / Polydor2007Paul Hartnoll feat. Robert SmithPleaseKids2007Kaiser ChiefsThe Angry MobB-Unique / Polydor (promo only)2007John Hardy & BBC National Orchestra of WalesLettersFfin Records2010
Other information Unusually for a producer in a traditionally serious and publicity-shy genre, Hannam maintains an amusing, tongue-in-cheek journal and Facebook group, in which he regularly describes his studio experiments, vegetarian recipes and journeys back to Wales. A couple that met at the debut Culprit 1 performance in October 2003, married in 2008. The name Culprit 1 was influenced by a graffiti scrawling at Newport bus station. At Bettws High School in Newport, Hannam won the 1992 Eisteddfod keyboard solo competition with a rendition of 2 Unlimited's European hit "No Limits". Hannam's first job after graduating from university was a club reviewer for the UK dance magazine Muzik. The editor at the time was Conor McNicholas, who later became editor of the music magazine NME.
References
External links Culprit 1 Official website Culprit 1 Official MySpace page Culprit 1 biography from BBC Wales Beatportal interview, May 2007 Western Mail interview, June 2007