RELAUX welcomes a second shaman to the VIBE.QUEST series: FADER ONE. Fresh off the release of his EP “Random Thoughts”, FADER ONE offers us an hour of expressive bassy beats using tracks from many of today’s most relevant producers to leave his creative mark on our project. He has spent years traveling through both cities and genres to develop his style of percussive electronic, and we the listeners are reaping the benefits! In addition to his love for low end mixing, he possesses an uncanny combination of knowledge and humility which shone through in our interview. Settle into the sounds posted above, then read about FADERS’s ongoing musical mission….
How did the FADER ONE project get off the ground? And what kind of goals/genres did you have in mind when you started?
As a drummer/percussionist I’ve always been interested and influenced by various grooves and rhythm. I think that’s what made me gravitate towards DJing and putting mixtapes together. As I learned more about audio engineering and production, it allowed me to try making my own remixes and songs. I never really had a clear idea of what I expected to achieve from music, I try allow myself to go where these experiences take me. But I’ve always had an idea to be able to combine my drumming or live background with the production and DJ aspects of music. So I’m hoping to be able to find some musicians to work with in this sort of scenario. I started focusing on producing about 2 years ago, so I still feel like I have a lot to learn. To be honest I think I’ll always have that feeling of wanting to learn more.
How did you go about finding and weaving together the tracks for this mix?
In terms of selection, these are all songs that i’ve been listening to or inspired by recently. The focus was also on vibes that evoke certain emotions for me, as well as showcasing emerging artists from all over. For instance the first track on the mix is a remix by a buddy in Montreal, Canada. I love the vibe that he has on that track, so I had to start things off with it. In terms of integrating everything, I tried to stay true to the idea of taking the listener on a journey through the perspectives of various artists and producers.
You list yourself as being based in Boston and Hongkong; do you find your musical tastes and inspirations shift as you cross continents?
I think that my music taste is most definitely affected by these two different environments, but I don’t feel as though it’s shifts as dynamically as me getting on and off a plane in different countries. It feels as though my experiences in each (and every) place have all formed together to create collective ideas. I guess it’s similar to the thought that i’m an Asian-American (not to have to throw labels in the mix), and that my upbringing in both countries has given me the character and perspective that I have.
Besides this mix, how do you approach the creative process of making music?
I try to allow the music to guide me through this creative process. It may sound very spiritual, but it’s basically just the same idea as ‘going with the flow’. I try to make sure that I have all of my musical gear set-up, and ready to be used. So when a musical (or any) idea comes to mind, I can quickly attempt to translate this thought through my instruments/equipment.
I noticed your Bruce Lee quote on style in your song “Halo”. How do you express yourself fully? Do you have any other famous philosophies that guide your work?
I think that we will continually go through this process, I believe that this is a significant part of growth in life – learning how to “truly express one’s self”. In general I enjoy reading others’ philosophies on life, and trying to better adapt the way that I live mine with the people who I love, and all of those around me.
“Just being in here is a humbling experience to me because you’re looking through all of these records sort of like they’re a big pile of broken dreams in a way. Almost none of these artists still have a career really, so you have to kind of respect that… I mean, if you’re making records and if you’re djing and putting out releases whether it’s mixtapes or whatever, you’re sort of adding to this ‘pile’ whether you want to admit it or not…Ten years down the line you’ll be in here, so keep that in mind when you start thinking like ‘oh yeah i’m invincible, or i’m the World’s best or whatever…’ because….that’s what all these cats thought..” – DJ SHADOW
If you could play your music in any physical location around the world where would it be?
Definitely somewhere with an epic view! Maybe beautiful beach in S. East Asia? Or ontop of peak in Colorado? What if we could create a Sealab2021-style dome underwater, that would be pretty cool too! This is actually what “IAMNOBODI” did for inspiration on “Schillerprominade” (Track #5 in the mix) and the rest of his ‘Snapshots From Berlin’ project.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Living on a hillside/mountain, or a beach, and making music! Haha I’m not too sure. I’m just going to let things play out for the time being, then eventually I’d like to spend some time playing music and living life back in Asia and Europe.
Your sound is similar to other rising stars like Flume and Odesza. How do you see your sound fitting into the future progression of electronic music?
Those artists are definitely inspirational for me. I love that Flume has tried to break free of genres and those types of boundaries. His production is always on point too, making me feel like I needed to be taking notes the whole time that I’m listening. Odesza strikes me in a similar way, but I love that you can really hear so many different flavors being mixed together. I’m really hoping that i’ll be able to network with some more musician/bandmates so that I can try to put together some of the ideas that i’ve mentioned; I’d like to be able to fuse together, both live and studio production ideas. It was exciting watching Pretty Lights (Derek Vincent) perform with a drummer, and keyboard player (Break Science), alongside a small horn section, and someone behind a modular synth!
Is there anything else you want to share?
Thank you RELAUX for reaching out and making all of this happen! It feels awesome to be a part of this movement that you’ve created. Also I can’t give enough thanks everyone who has been supporting the project in any way or form. Stay tuned-in for some new ideas that we’re about to release 
