‘Art begets art’ is exemplified by producer Hakuu’s involvement in the latest VIBE.QUEST installment here at Relaux. Keenan Branch (going by ‘Hakuu‘) serendipitously came into earshot thanks to his support of our mix-series over on Soundcloud. After taking one listen to his recent EP “Omniscients” it was clear his bass laden ambient style was a perfect fit for our blog’s stylistic focus, and soon thereafter a beautiful mix was ready for all to enjoy.
Hakuu’s mix highlights not just his own sounds, but that of his peers and mentors such as Andrea, A Sol Mechanic, Dpat, and Lux Natura. Spanning an hour, the mix may take more than one listen to fully appreciate the dips and rises through subtle stylistic changes. From elongated tones of pure ambiance to fluttering melodies to powerful low-end beats, we found ourselves completely lost inside a woven tapestry of tranquility that will place your mind at ease.

Working off acoustic judgement alone, you’d be stunned to find Hakuu is just 21 years old and his production career not yet age 2! But lucky for us all, he was gracious enough to chat with Relaux and share his story. What other talents, connections, and projects is he working on? Press play on Hakuu’s mix and read on as he shares more about his journey and creative development!

RELAUX: You’ve put out an EP along with some various remixes. What might be next on the musical horizon?

Hakuu: I recently wiped my soundcloud clean before putting that EP out…  I like the sound of the EP and I think it gives a good feel for what you could expect in the near future in terms of the different styles… I have a few collaborations in the works with some producers and vocalists, along with a few remixes as well. I plan on another EP or album this winter and will surely be putting some random tunes out here and there before then!

Tell us a bit about your other work as Keenan Branch the multimedia artist!

Drawing/Visual art has been my main passion and focus my whole life. I’m 21 now and am focusing on art and music about 50-50… I am currently working on getting my art up and running as more of business, more and more commission work/design work projects along with clothing design etc… I will always create art… I’m not sure how the two will play out in the future since music is so new to me.

Where in the world are you making your music and how did you manage to get looped in with Parisian label Moose Records for your EP?

I grew up in Oregon and have been constantly traveling since high school… I got a boost of travel inspiration after high school and haven’t really stopped… I can usually be found on the west coast of the US or Canada and will soon be settling down in Portland, OR for this coming winter and possibly beyond.

Andrea is one of my biggest inspirations… through him I found out about Moose Records. They have consistently been releasing epic tunes and I’ve always been inspired by their sound as a collective. I had a few unreleased tracks together and thought I might as well shoot them some demos. Andrea really liked it and offered to put out an EP. They have been an amazing crew to work with in terms of the releases. Very supportive and thoughtful people who are really in it just to support the craft of other artists.

What is something in your world that sources artistic inspiration?

Everything really… All art inspires me. Travel inspires me. Creative people inspire me. Nature and the wilderness REALLY inspire me. I’d say it’s a melding of those things into one that is reflected in my art and my music.

Tell us about the vision or intent with this VIBE.QUEST mix?

For the most part it’s a lot of my past and current inspirations mixed with a few of my tracks… I mixed it in the early morning as the sun was coming up, so the time of day definitely played a part in the vibe…

Any last words of wisdom for Relaux listeners?

There is no need to look to others for approval, do what you love and expect the best.

–TRACKLIST–
lux natura – forest floor

lux natura – at first glance

hakuu – silver

aywy & kuma – intervals

dpat – deloused

atu – doubts

fwdslxsh – yellow

atu & ta-ku – long time to no see (ekali remix)

drip-133 – shedding pastel

a sol mechanic – wait and see

josh pan – roses are dead

stwo – eden (hakuu remix)

andrea – all alone

katuchat & andrea – call me

andrea – out here

herzeloyde & kuma – heartwork

dpat – bloom

dpat – over

dpat & atu – nothing here

hakuu – omniscients

a sol mechanic –  you excite me