Steve Aoki

Steve Aoki is an electronic and house DJ and producer from Miami, United States. He grows up in Newport Beach, California, and studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1996, in his early twenties, he founds Dim Mak Records, which becomes his main label imprint and also appears in the labels Dim Mak En Fuego and Pillowface Publishing.

Career

Dim Mak Records releases music by a wide range of electronic acts, including Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Dada Life, Zeds Dead, MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Felix Cartal and Mustard Pimp, as well as Aoki’s collaboration with Tiësto. The label also issues recordings by non-electronic bands and artists such as Bloc Party, Battles, The Kills, The Gossip, Klaxons, Scanners, Whitey and Mystery Jets, and it releases more than 250 records.

His first mix album, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, appears in 2008. He also records an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 in the same year. His solo album Wonderland follows in 2012 and includes guest appearances from LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Travis Barker, will.i.am under the name Zuper Blahq, Wynter Gordon, Rivers Cuomo, Lil Jon, Chiddy Bang, Lovefoxxx of CSS, Big John of The Exploited, and others.

Collaborations and remixes

Aoki issues singles with The Bloody Beetroots, Armand Van Helden, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Tai, Sidney Samson and Tiësto. He also discusses or previews possible collaborations with Diplo, Knife Party, Datsik, Chris Lake, Rune, Iggy Azalea, Angger Dimas and Dirtyphonics.

His remix work includes material by the Jackson 5, Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Mike Posner, Girls Generation, All American Rejects, Refused, The Killers, Bassnectar, Lenny Kravitz, Bloc Party, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, S.P.A., Kid Cudi, Chester French and Peaches.

Touring and chart success

He tours heavily and gains support from college audiences through frequent live dates. One tour, the Deadmeat Tour, covers more than 55 cities across the United States and Canada. In 2010, he releases “I’m In The House”, a collaboration with Zuper Blahq, the alter ego of will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. The track reaches number 29 on the UK Singles Chart in its first week.

Other work

In 2006, Aoki becomes a board member of the Music Is Revolution Foundation, a non-profit set up by MC5 bassist Michael Davis to support music education in public schools.

Related acts

He is associated with Weird Science, Esperanza, This Machine Kills, The Fire Next Time, Rifoki, Fuck You, 3 Are Legend and Afroki.