Born in Hong Kong on December 8, 1980 (the day John Lennon was assassinated), Preston Lau accidentally discovered his musical talent and deep passion for music at the age of nine when a Feng Shui master (Chinese fortune teller) told him he might possess a special interest in music. Preston was curious and began to take classical piano lessons from the teacher his elder sister was studying with. After a few lessons, he began to fall in love with music and was eager to explore more of the art form. Although he was learning classical piano, he learned to play his favorite pop and rock songs entirely by ear and performed them naturally with heart and soul. He also taught himself drums, guitar and music theory. At Shatin College, Preston performed piano at school assemblies, played drums in his own rock band ‘Elixir’, and studied music for General Certificate of Secondary Education in which he achieved a grade A for the exam. He was then awarded the first ever ‘College Award’, specially created for his outstanding contribution to music.

 

In 1996, Preston left Hong Kong to complete his last two years of high school at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, USA where he picked up jazz music and fell in love with the American art form. In the final year, he was awarded one of the school’s top music awards, 'Joseph Elliot Award’, and was invited to perform at the annual Senior Honors Recital for selected outstanding performers. He also performed at the 1998 Berklee College of Music Jazz Ensemble Festival with the Northfield Mount Hermon Jazz Combo and was awarded the 'Judes' Choice Award'. After graduation, Preston furthered his studies in jazz piano and music business at the University of Miami Frost School of Music in Florida where he studied with some of the nation's finest musicians including Vince Maggio (former private student of Oscar Peterson), Phillip Strange (Doctor Of Musical Arts), and Matt Bonelli (former bassist for the Bee Gees), and Maurice Oberstein (former CEO of CBS Records and Chairman of BPI). The institution's Studio Music and Jazz program is consistently known as among the best in the nation. It was also the first music school in the nation to offer the innovative degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries.

 

But it wasn't until his second year in clubbing capital Miami that Preston discovered electronic dance music. It all began when a friend handed him Paul Oakenfold's ‘Tranceport’ album. He loved it so much that he literally sat in front of the loud speakers with his eyes closed every night, studying the beautiful trance sounds the music offered. It was inevitable that he soon got his hands on the turntables and taught himself to mix records. Within a few months, he began to DJ at student house parties around Miami.

 

Preston DJs progressive/deep house, trance and down-tempo/chill out with a tasteful and distinctive sound and style that reflect his personality. Since his return to Hong Kong in 2003, he has DJed at numerous trance music dance parties organized by a self-formed group of trance music lovers ‘Trance Desire’. These parties were held at Nu, Bling, Music Room Live and The Valley. In 2006, Preston began his DJ residency at Philia, an upscale lounge in Central. Preston has also been hired to DJ at weddings, bars (Woo Bar @ W Hotel Hong Kong, Gecko, Half Past Ten), clubs (Privé, Beijing Club, Cliq, Heat, Why Club), corporate events (Cartier, Fendi, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, BNP, Bacardi Global Conference), and special events including the after party for the 2007 Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Hong Kong Fasion Week 2013. He has also had the honor of opening for Kaskade, one of the world’s top house music DJs/producers, and Claude Challe, founder of 'Buddha Bar' album series. Preston was a finalist in the Pioneer x Juice DJ Quest 07. In 2011, Preston worked as Music Director and Resident DJ at Bisous (www.bisous.com.hk), a classy club in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong.

 

During the day from 2003-2006, Preston worked at Naxos, the world's largest classical music label and distributor and Grammy® award-winning record label, where he was involved with the development, operations and marketing of the label's online digital music services including its corporate website www.naxos.com and Naxos Web Radio. He was also the personal assistant to the label's Founder and Chairman Klaus Heymann, and attended MIDEM in 2004, the world's largest yearly event dedicated to the music industry.

 

In 2008, Preston started his own music company Flat Six Limited, and organized and produced KASKADE's first DJ event in Hong Kong. Flat Six also released 'Philia Chillout Session 1' and 'Philia Chillout Sessions 2 - Home', both down-tempo/lounge CD albums compiled and mixed by Preston. Later on the company formed the band 'Teal' featuring Preston on keyboard, Sherin Siew on guitar and vocals, and Sam W on vocals, performing at various venues in Hong Kong. 

 

In 2012, Preston got together with his DJ friend Raymond Mak to form 'Rase & Preston', an electronic dance music duo featuring Rase as DJ and Preston on electric keyboard. The group combines the DJ art form with live improvised playing on the electric keyboard, providing interaction with the DJ and music. Music styles range from jazzy deep house to the darker sounds of progressive house. Rase is a DJ and electronic dance music enthusiast who pays detailed attention to harmonic mixing, flow and interaction. Their debut perfomance took place in Central, the heart of Hong Kong.

 

During the same year, Preston was approached by trumpter and music producer/composer Julian Law to explore collaboration opportunities. Immediately, there was chemistry and connection between the two so they formed 'Fungi Project', a band featuring Julian on trumpet/flugelhorn, Preston on keyboard, Dominic Chan on guitar, and Noel Villanueva on drums. Their music styles include contemporary jazz, rnb, funk, soul, and electronica. Fungi Project plans to perform live and produce single tracks in 2014.

 

Currently, Preston works as a music producer/composer, pianist, club DJ and music educator (jazz & contemporary piano/music theory/composition/production). He is a private piano instructor at Chinese International School, and has served as Music Director and pianist of 'The Irrisitable Trio' concert at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. He has also produced and arranged the singles 'So Let Me' and 'Honey' for pop duo 'The Bees' which have been aired on radio stations in Hong Kong, and is producing and arranging songs for upcoming artists. As a composer, Preston has written and produced music for websites including www.zuji.com, and is releasing his own songs in the styles of contemporary jazz, pop, rnb, down-tempo/chill out and electronic dance music on the internet. His most recent composition in collaboration with electronic dance music producer Michael L. 'Light of Way' was released by Overtmind Records and is available for download on www.beatport.com and iTunes.