Exron Exclusive Guest Mix #065: HAUWARD

Check out Exron’s Exclusive Guest Mix and Interview with rising artist, HAUWARD.

Exron recently debuted an Exclusive Guest Mix Contest, giving their following the opportunity to submit their work for a chance to be featured on Exron’s official website and social platforms. This exciting promotion brought forward some standout talent from the underground, connecting rising artists to the Exron community through a shared love of sound.

To kick things off, congratulations are in order for the contest winner, HAUWAURD! HAUWARD’s mix delves into deep house, connecting with listeners through moody, hypnotic grooves. It is the kind of set you throw on when you need to lock in at work or set the tone before a night out with friends. HAUWARD is from San Francisco, and after years of mixing and producing, “his sound has found a home in the worlds of deep house”. Exron’s exclusive interview with DJ HAUWARD, along with the link to his mix, is below.

Exron: Seven years of mixing and producing is no small thing. What does your sound look like now compared to when you first started, and what’s shifted along the way?

HAUWARD: My sound has branched out in many different directions since the start of my production journey, and I really struggled to find my sound those first few years. I found myself falling in love with many different genres and, in a sense, was dipping my toe in producing all of them, such as tech house, indie dance, and finally landing on my sound this past year with a range in deep house, minimal, and deep tech. 

Exron: You recently played direct support for impressive artists like Cloonee, Mindchatter, and Dombresky. What was that like for you? Any major lessons learned?

HAUWARD: I had so much fun playing this show! This was my first time playing a show on this large a scale, and I learned a lot about the amount of prep that goes into it. I was on a number of different email threads to coordinate everything about 3-4 months before the show date, and it was a great experience learning what I needed to prepare as an artist beforehand. 

Exron: You’ve intentionally pulled back from playing out to focus on production. What made you decide that the foundation comes first?

HAUWARD: I personally felt that a lot of my shows were taking up too much time because I’m also working as a project engineer, and time is limited for me. On top of that, I noticed my growth as an artist was plateauing, and focusing on my production would benefit me in the long run. Now that I’m growing my own music catalog to play out in shows, it will be much easier to market myself when I do start to play shows again in the near future. 

Exron: Justin Jay’s masterclass led to you signing with Fantastic Voyage Records. Walk us through that process and what it taught you about the industry that you couldn’t have learned any other way.

HAUWARD: The process was 6 weeks long of intensive production focus for 5 weeks, and then the last week learning about the industry. I learned three major things that helped me immensely, and I still work by. The first is that you are going to be the biggest judge of yourself. The second is to not give a f**k. The third is to finish making your tracks in a timeline you make for yourself. Most musicians and I can get stuck only producing loops or just getting an idea down, but those three things really helped me get out of my head. By finishing tracks daily/weekly, my production knowledge and experience went through the roof. 

Exron: When you’re DJing, you talk about connecting with the crowd as much as the music itself. What does that actually look like in practice, and how do you read a room?

HAUWARD: From the experience I have from playing over the years, I’ve been able to visualize a set beforehand in order to plan out my set. I deep dive into the details of what I think playing the show is gonna be like and map out what I’m going to play according to that. Another cool trick that I learned from my good friend, artist, and producer, Nick Cardenas, is to find a big-name artist playing a recorded set on YouTube that could be of a similar vibe to the show I’m playing, mute it, and play my own tracks to see if it works. While I’m actually playing, I love to check in with the crowd visually by seeing who’s dancing, is the crowd is locked in or checked out, etc. Depending on crowd reactions, I’ll either maintain or switch up the vibe, but I’m always trying to stay ahead of the curve with my set planning. 

Exron: What does the HAUWARD project look like a year or two from now? Any big goals in mind?

HAUWARD: In a year or two from now, I’m really looking at beginning to market myself. I have a very small social media presence right now, and I recently finished my calendar plan to start pushing more content out consistently. I’m hoping to have a larger organic following fan base within the next year or two that I can use to push my music further down its path. 

Exron: What’s something about the deep house world that people on the outside of it don’t really understand?

HAUWARD: I think deep house tells more of a story through its melodies from start to finish in many different songs. The feeling you receive from it is an experience with a variety of different emotions, depending on the track. The culture surrounding it also feels so genuine within not only the community of artists, but the people who attend shows and listen as well. 

Exron: Who are you listening to right now that’s influencing the kind of music you’re making?

HAUWARD: I obviously love to take notes from the big artists such as Chris Stussy, Sidney Charles, and Josh Baker. However, I love finding smaller artists who are producing insane tracks. Lately, my top two I’ve been listening to are Sulphur and Hashira, both out of London. They have some really unique and fresh music that I’ve had on repeat. 

(end interview)

Exron is thrilled to learn about HAUWARD’s journey as a producer from California and has him solidified on the radar as one to watch. To connect with HAUWARD, check out his SoundCloud and Exron’s exclusive mix, featuring undeniable soundscapes that will satisfy the deep house lovers and beyond.

Featured Image Provided Courtesy of HAUWARD.

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