We are sad to say that a dear friend who has been very much part of the EPM team (under the guise of ‘Party Operations Director’) for many years has passed away. Brian Hanna who was known to one and all as ‘Engine Room’ is now getting the party started on the other side and as his name suggests – will be keeping it going for some time to come!

For those that don’t know him, Engine Room is one of UK clubland’s most endearing and truly legendary characters. From ducking with the mods and rockers to hanging out with today’s techno DJ elite, Brian’s enthusiasm, love for music and ‘party hard, after party-harder’ attitude to life endeared him to everyone he met. As big hearted as they come, with a Cheshire grin smile, a massive thirst for new music and a head full of observation and wit that bounced from the sublime to the clinically insane, Engine Room was an honorary member of minus, Villalobos’s right hand general, The Josh ‘Wiiiiinky’ Wink fan club in one go, Funk D’Void’s wing man, Paris the Black Fu’s ‘Maltese Falcon Brother’, Carl Cox’s disco light rope, Jeff Mills’s party nemesis and most definitely the ‘Third Lone Swordsman’.

There are so many personal anecdotes that are shared via Brian’s dancefloor escapades over the years with so many people that its impossible to know where to start or end – much like the one long party that was Brian’s life. One we at EPM fondly remember is our own Oliver Way taking on Brian’s challenge at the first ever dedbeat three day weekender of ‘who could stay up the longest’ only to lose miserably and wake up on the sofa with the entire chalet contents tied to him. Little did we know that this was a man who only revealed at this year’s Sonar Festival his record of keeping the party going - 18 days on 10 hours sleep! Engine Room, truly earned his nickname.

"Incoming", "north east", "chop chop busy busy bang bang", "got my bags packed", “draw a line under it”, “lucky dip”, “another one”, “team colours”, “manana” Brian we will miss your catchphrases as much as your Sid James laugh and big heart of gold. Whether it was Dedbeat, Bloc, Fabric, Lost, Weekend, Watergate, Berghain, Sonar, the entire coastal enclave of Brighton or any pub, backroom or event hosted by messers Weatherall and Tenniswood - for better or worse our room mate, dancefloor devil and pied piper leading us astray. Knowing that you are not at the party is like John Peel not being on the airwaves. It will never be the same.

Whenever asked what he had been up to his stock reply would always be "life". And you certainly did that Brian, like no one else! We at EPM raise a collective vodka and cranberry to you sir. “Manana!”