By Jocelle Koh
With over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify under the moniker ‘Kainbeats’ and 164 thousand monthly listeners under his solo piano alias ‘Keane Wang’, Lo-fi chillhop pianist Keane Wang has been prolifically releasing music since his first single ‘i wish it was quiet’ in 2019.
While lofi artists have been plentiful since the ‘lofi girl’ phenomenon hit the internet in 2017, the Asian American pianist has continued to breathe fresh air into the scene with his dreamy, therapeutic blend of piano melodies and themes that speak deeply to him, such as nature, mental health, and his heritage.
Keane shares with us about his beginnings, how he turned his creativity into healing for himself and also for many others, and his reverence of nature in his work, which he considers a frequent collaborator on his records.
- Hi Keane! We love your serene piano melodies, but even more so we love the perspectives you bring to your work. Can you introduce yourself to our audiences?
Thanks very much to Asian Pop Weekly for the opportunity – I was a former medical student who turned to music as my way of healing people. Growing up in San Diego and studying in New York, I ended up moving to the UK countryside to pursue music full time after some health issues. It gave me a lot of time to think about what is important in life and especially the value of peace – which I try to bring to others with my music.
- Even though you are very much tied to your instrument of choice, the piano (with a sprinkle of lo-fi beats and traditional samples from time to time), your work has explored many themes such as your heritage, mental health, and nature. What is it about these themes that speak to you so?
These themes are very inspiring because I find a lot of depth in them. Becoming proud of my heritage was a long journey growing up in the West, but became a great source of confidence that I wanted to share with others. The beautiful creation which is nature is unmatched by any human creation – so it is also a great muse. Finally, if a track I make can help even one person feel better, I think it has done its job. It helps my own mental state to create, too.
- You’re a prolific musician with hundreds of songs under multiple aliases including ‘Keane Wang’ and ‘Kainbeats’ under your belt. What drives you to create?
My musical inspiration has always been to bring to life the sound I want to hear. In a broader scale, helping others with the gifts I was given brings me great purpose in what I do every day.
- We saw you share recently that your 2023 album ‘Pacific Lull’ has raised over 20,000 euros towards ocean conservation! Could you share with us a little more about your ‘Pacific Lull’ project? Growing up in San Diego, the Pacific has always been a source of life and inspiration for me. Given that the whole album was inspired by those blue waves, I was happy to pay it back to my “collaborator”, the ocean.
- You directed the funds towards Marine Conservation Society UK, local river cleanup groups and also rehabilitation and on-site conservation efforts. Through your musical journey, how has the environment played a part, and why do you feel a need to give back?
There is some element of my ability to make music a gift I was given and did not work for, so I find a lot of balance in returning it into the world.
- As someone who travels around the world and uses nature frequently to give you inspiration, I’m sure you are keenly aware of the impacts of climate change and the need to preserve our planet. How do you think everyone can do their part to become global citizens?
I would say that being objectively well-informed on a local/global level, and participating actively in democratic processes based on that knowledge, is the best thing an individual can do to make a notable difference.
- You’re working towards a new release, your album ‘Lavender Dreams’! Can you share a little about the soundscape you’re creating within this upcoming album?
There’s a beautiful lavender field around where I live which I thought of often as I was writing this album. On a misty morning, with the sun just rising, it looked sublime in the golden light. Lavender also happens to be a favorite flower of bumblebees, without which these fields could not exist, so I’m donating 25% of the proceeds from this album towards bumblebee conservation and re-habitation. They’re also really cute.
- Your sound has changed over time as you continue to grow and be inspired by different things. What are you most excited to experiment with in more music moving forward?
I’ve been paying a lot more attention to specific frequencies and how they can affect/heal people. It’s also been a very hot subject in the scientific world. I’ve also been working with more vocalists recently and these have both been very interesting!
Armed with a great sense of purpose and a weighty reverence for the contributions of nature to his works, Keane is a unique example of how environmentalism and music can combine to reach a higher purpose. With a great appreciation for nature and how sustainability efforts require the contributions of the gifts of many, Wang is both an indispensable friend to the arts, and to nature. We look forward fervently to his next album ‘Lavender Dreams’, and how it will help his bumblebee friends to stay homed and healthy!
‘Lavender Dreams’ releases June 13th, 2025 and is available for pre-save now on Spotify under Keane’s ‘Keane Wang’ artist alias. Continue listening to the singles already out from this album to support Bumblebee conservation and re-habitation, or check out Keane’s 2023 album ‘Pacific Lull’ which donates proceeds towards Marine Conservation! Lastly, go follow Keane on Instagram at @kainbeats for more on his creative endeavours.
This article is part of Asian Pop Weekly’s 2025 resurgence of our ‘Earth Emergency’ article series (originally launched in 2021) raising awareness for the importance of sustainability efforts given the irreversible effects of climate change that are already impacting our livelihoods through the lens of musical friends who inspire change in their own unique ways. Check out the rest of the articles in the series here.
