HKE

## History

HKE (also known as Lucid, Hong Kong Express, and M) is a music producer of over 60 aliases, co-creator of the Dreampunk genre, and founder of the experimental electronic label—Dream Catalogue. HKE's first [known] alias was Subaeris in 2011, although he has noted that he was producing music years prior. The project self-released 6 albums under the future garage/ ghost tech/ cyberpunk ambience umbrella before releasing via Dream Catalogue in 2014. With t e l e p a t h in the ambient duo, 2814, Hong Kong Express helped shape the softer sample-free Post-Vaporwave landscape to new heights, all while innovating electronic sounds into further more abrasive sub-sects, embracing WosX's Hardvapour and Flap (see: Subgenres). The two would go on to partner on Dream Catalogue, where Hong Kong Express took the helm. After a couple years of experimentation & growth with likeminded artists (as well as his delirious phase, often dubbed the “Chaos Era”), Dream Catalogue further shaped itself as the epicenter for Dreampunk. Its roots in surrealism, cyberpunk, eastern philosophy, urbanization, and isolation have helped form the genre to where it is today. Many of his aliases would debut on the label (as well as its sub-labels) in the early years, such as HKE, Darkpyramid, Chesumasuta, emperor tangerine, Sandtimer, among countless others. Following the introduction of Hardvapour and the subsequent cultural shift, the label head would have a falling out with the Vaporwave community (including several artists who had previously released on Dream Catalogue). In 2019-2020, HKE delegated Dream Catalogue’s key duties to its general managers, Nicol [former] and Shima33 [current], so he could focus on music curation, album artwork, and his personal life. After a series of shut-downs, new IPs, and re-openings in 2021, Dream Catalogue would temporaily rebrand itself as Dream Catalogue EVO.

## Discography

### As Hong Kong Express

#### Albums

* 浪漫的夢想 (2014)
* 2047 (2014)
* This (2015)
* 愛慕 / 悲哀 (with t e l e p a t h ) (2015)
* Hong Kong Express (2016)
* I Am Here, In Love​.​.​.​.​.​.​.​.​.​.​.​. (Exist​.​.​. Exist​.​.​.​. Exist​!​!​!​) (2020)
* L.Y.F (2021)
* Lucid To It (2021)

### As HKE

#### Albums

* HK (2015)
* Gateway アセンション (with t e l e p a t h ) (2015)
* Loop Matrix (2016)
* No Dreams (with Halo Acid)
* Omnia (2016)
* Pain of Gods (with wosX & Cocainejesus) (2016)
* Delete (2016)
* Into Your Heart (2017)
* Dragon Soul (2017)
* Care For You (2017)
* SQ777 Series (2017):
	+ SQ777-1: No Man Is God
	+ SQ777-2: Heel Aesthetic
	+ SQ777​​-​​3: Emotionless Passion
	+ SQ777-4: High Kinetic Energy
	+ SQ777-5: Modern Esoteric
	+ SQ777​-​6: 16​-​Cell
	+ SQ777-7: Sacred Code (Encrypted)
* Charming Devil (2018)
* Shadow Merchants (with Halo Acid) (2018)
* The Artist Is Unknown - Later Tonight (former alias) (2018)
* Silk Demon - The Embrace Between The Circus And The Sky (former alias) (2018)
* Main Event Set (2020)
* Service Work (2020)
* Music Is Capital (2021)
* Punk (2021)
* More Electric Swill To Fill Up Your Stupid Heads (2021)
* Upgrade YOURSLF (HKE x Sangam) (2021)
* Choonz (2021)
* Nothing Culture (2022)
* HKE x ZOMBY (HKE x Zomby) (2022)
* Birth Of Da Nu World (HKE x The Monarch) (2022)
* A NU MYSTIC TRAJECTORY (2022)

#### EPs

* Apocalypse (2015)
* Sleeping Angel (2015)
* Essence (2020)
* I Am (2020)
* The Present Sound Of London (HKE x Inertia Eyes) (2021)
* Part Two (2021)
* Zero Point Irrationalist (2022)
* HKE / WEI (HKE / WEI) (2022)

### Albums As Subaeris

* Subaeris (2012)
* Kegare (2012)
* In Tokyo 2 (2012)
* Shinjuku Underground - Meditation Chamber System Overload (2013)
* Europa (2014)
* New Tokyo Blue Mood (2014)
* The City In Rain (2014)
* Cycle (2014)
* Dreams Love Chaos City (2014)
* Blue Tokyo (2015)
* New Tokyo Blue Mood 2 (2015)
* Transcendent God (2016)
* Asleep / Awake (2017) (Remastered)
* O.N. Global Tableau 44 (2017)
* The Planet Is In Love (2017)
* Blue Mood 3 (2020)
* Venus Cloud City (AUT2M / Subaeris) (2020)

### Albums As チェスマスター (Chesumasuta)

* 真の愛 (2014)
* Night Drive (2014)
* The Games We Play (2014)
* 天使 (2015)
* 非実体 (2015)
* I Am Chesumasuta (2016)
* Infinity Of A Void (2017)
* Return Of The High Intellect Nymphomaniac Anime Legend 3000 (2018)
* Tokyo Audio 4000 (2018)
* Contemplation Of Reality, In Forest Rain (2020)
* I Am Not Chesumasuta (2022)

### Albums As Sandtimer

* Vaporwave Is Dead (2015)
* The New King (2016)
* In Search Of The Chessmaster (2016)
* Pain Of Gods (with wosX / Cocainejesus) (2016)
* Stay Away (2016)
* God (2016)
* HVIA (2016)

### Albums As DARKPYRAMID

* Electrical Teardrops (2014)
* A Heart Full Of Love (2014)
* Cytherea Somnaiare (2015)
* New Humans (2016)
* Prelude To Destruction (2016)

## External Links

* Dream Catalogue's website
* Dream Catalogue's Bandcamp page
* Dream Catalogue's Twitter
* HKE on Discogs
* HKE on Spotify
* MASSAGE / Yusuke Shono's Interview with HKE
* Red Bull Interviews Hong Kong Express
* Neon Vice Interviews Hong Kong Express
* Marcel (Dreampunk Record Club) Interviews HKE
* Andrew Daly (Vinyl Writer Music) Interviews David Russo
* HKE MEGACHART (All Known Aliases)
* HKE's official bio (LYF21)