Steve Aoki didn't seem to be in the best of moods prior to his sold out headline show for Together Festival in Bangkok last month. He appeared to be in a heated argument with his manager, but for sake of politeness, we tried our hardest not to listen.
What seemed like an eternity passed before Aoki was ready for a quick interview, after which he went on stage to amp up the Bangkok crowd, like he's done many times in the past.
As one of the most frequently booked deejays in Bangkok, Aoki's first gig here many years ago drew just a couple of hundred people, but these days, he commands more than 10,000 when he visits. It's pretty much the same worldwide as Aoki is one of the pioneers who brought entertainment to his deejay gigs. It isn't just the music that makes people lose their minds on the dance floor, as Aoki also brings showmanship, a celebrity-studded lifestyle, which includes champagne-spraying, cake-throwing stunts, crowd surfing, and, of course, his huge personality that crowds can never get enough of. All in all, Aoki is a rock star deejay in every sense of the world.
Born to Rocky Aoki, the founder of Benihana restaurant chain, Aoki grew up in California. It was while studying at University of California, Santa Babara, that he started making music. In 1996, he founded his record label, Dim Mak, releasing artists like MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Infected Mushroom and Whitey among many others.
He gradually built up his reputation as a deejay and remixer. In 2008, Pillowface And His Airplane Chronicles won him Best Mix Album of the Year at the Billboard Awards. His debut album, Wonderland, came out in 2012 and was nominated for the Best Dance/Electronica Album Grammy. Last September, he released the first of his two-part album series Neon Future I, while Neon Future II hit the shelves last month.
How has 2015 been treating you so far?
It's been good. It's been a busy year with the Neon Future I tour, and I'm releasing Neon Future II. The way I think about this year is a lot of closure because Neon Future I and II both started over two years ago, so finally to see these two projects coming together and being able to let them go is a big deal.
Can you tell us a bit about Neon Future II and how it differs from its first part?
Neon Future II is a bit darker and more emotional. It's deeper in a psyche way. Neon Future I is more of a party record, fun record. II is full of emotional songs. They're powerful songs. They're based on the way singers sing on the song. There are some 'turnt up', club songs too. You have to balance it out. You can't just have songs to cry to all the time! It makes sense because with Neon Future I, you come in a party, and then Neon Future II, you go into a more deeper realm.
You've worked with Mike Shinoda on A Light That Never Comes before and now he's on Darker Than Blood on your new album. How did this collaboration come about?
We started both those songs at the same time. We started those songs in January 2013. We've been talking and we both wanted to work together. We worked on a bunch of different songs and those are the two that actually surfaced. The other ones were more musical ideas.
I Love It When You Cry with Moxie Raia is your lead single and has been getting a lot of airplay. Can you tell us your idea behind this particular track?
Sometimes I help with lyrics and the vocal melody. It's case by case. In this case, she came packed with it. She already had the vocals and the lyrics. She brought it to me to do a remix and I turned it into a song. I said, 'You know what, this is more than a remix'. It's a song, so we turned it into a song.
In 2013, you were in Bangkok and you even went to the protest and took some photos. What went through your mind, and did you think you were in danger?
I don't care about [being in danger]. I even went in 2011 with the red shirts. I walked around. I wanted to see and be a part of it. You have a different perspective when you see it yourself. There were kids along with other generations.
It affects all the people of Thailand, not just one small segment. This isn't like a fun ride for them. They were there because they didn't have a choice.
Where do you think dance music is heading?
I think there's a shift. A lot of producers are artists now. So we like to get to the studio, and make current sounding drops, current sound designs that relate to what the current dance music is sounding like right now.
When you work on an album, it's not about how effective the drops are, it's about how best to build song arrangements. I think artists nowadays are going in that direction. When you're in the studio, you realise that you want to transcend. You want all kinds of people to listen to your music, not just club kids. Maybe it's just me. I like to work on albums because it expands the way you think, not just what works on the dance floor
Has being constantly on the road been tiring?
You can't think of it like, 'Yeah I'm on the road, and I just can't wait to get home'. If you can accept it, then the road is your home. For me, I have to accept it like that. So instead of getting a studio in Las Vegas, I'll use a studio in New York, London or wherever. If I have a couple of days here in this city, I'll just get a studio. I bring my work with me.
My home is the road. You have to think about how to live your life and still do it while you travel. It is difficult because you have to work in new environments, with different people, and be okay with that. It takes a certain person to do this kind of work. But it's not my first rodeo, you know. I've been touring since 2007 or even earlier.
Why cake?
Why not?
What kind of people get caked at your shows?
If someone goes like 'No!', I won't cake them. Someone in this room wants the cake, I can guarantee you right now and I'll cake that person.
