Ken Hayakawa is not a self-explanatory name – if it was, it would be a pseudonym. Ken Hayakawa is Ken Hayakawa’s real name, pointing out a solid connection to Japan. Born in 1982 in Salzburg, city of Mozart, Ken spent a great deal of his childhood in his mother’s hometown (unfortunately, his knowledge of the Japanese language has faded away). At the age of six, he started playing piano and progressed in such a promising way that, in 1991, he performed compositions of Beethoven and Diabelli on the occasion of the castle concerts in Salzburg in one of the most famous halls of the prince archbishop’s residence. But his career as concert pianist remained incomplete: At the age of twelve, ken switched to skating and gained quite a good reputation in this discipline as well (including promotion skating for international companies). After having completed his vocational training as electrical engineering technician, ken experienced an existential crisis which he finally left behind when (re)discovering his passion: Music. He bought two turntables and delved deep into electronic music. In 2004, he moved to Vienna. Besides his regular dj gigs (e.g. at flex) he there mainly focused on producing activity, initially only with one computer and a fistful of plug-ins, later with constantly upgraded equipment (his technological know-how being of great use). Ken’s music is marked by a minimalistic style. While earlier productions were clearly characterized by atmospheric spirit, a strong tendency towards club floor has recently become evident. Beats are straighter and more present, arrangements clearer and trendier – without anyhow forgetting the precision of sounds on top, behind and beside. After a long and meticulous work in his home studio, the first releases are to be issued (by vekton, flexschallplatten, off, liga elektronica and techsound columbia) – and they will certainly not be the last ones.