Steve Aoki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Steve Aoki
Steve HiFi 2.JPG
Steve Aoki playing a set at the HiFi Nightclub in Calgary, Canada.
Background information
Birth name Steven Hiroyuki Aoki
Born (1977-11-30) November 30, 1977 (age 35)
Miami, Florida
Origin Newport Beach, California,
United States
Genres Electro house, moombahton, dubstep
Years active 1999, 2006–present
Labels Dim Mak Records, Ministry of Sound Australia, Deckstar
Associated acts LMFAO, Afrojack, Redfoo, Kid Cudi, Lil Jon, Laidback Luke
Website steveaoki.com

Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (born November 30, 1977) is an American electro house musician, record producer and the founder of Dim Mak Records.[1]

Contents

Biography[edit]

Steven Hiroyuki Aoki was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Newport Beach, California. He graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 1995, where he was a star player on the varsity badminton team. He is the third child of Rocky Aoki and Chizuru Kobayashi.[2] His father was a former Japanese wrestler who also founded the restaurant chain Benihana. He has two older siblings, sister Kana (who is sometimes called by her middle name "Grace"), and brother Kevin (owner of Doraku Sushi restaurant). He also has three half-siblings, all of whom are younger: half-brother Kyle and half-sisters Echo, and Devon, a model and actress. As a child, Steve lived with his grandfather and grandmother (Kevin and Evanny Aoki Huang),[citation needed] his mother, and his two older siblings.

Aoki attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated with 2 B.A.s; one in Feminist Studies and the other in Sociology. In college, he produced do-it-yourself records and ran underground concerts out of his Biko room in the Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative, which was located in Isla Vista, a section of residential land adjacent to UCSB. As a concert venue, the apartment became known as The Pickle Patch.[3][4] By his early 20s, Aoki had built his own record label, which he named Dim Mak after his childhood hero, Bruce Lee.[5] He has also been in numerous bands, including This Machine Kills, which released an album on Ebullition Records, Esperanza, and The Fire Next Time.

Music career[edit]

Aoki founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996. The label has released music by other electro house artists such as MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Felix Cartal and Mustard Pimp, as well as by Klaxons, Scanners, Whitey, and Mystery Jets.[6] Aoki is a club promoter and DJ. He has teamed up with Blake Miller of the LA-based band Moving Units to produce remixes. The duo of Miller and Aoki work under the moniker Weird Science.

In May 2006, Aoki became a board member for MC5 bassist Michael Davis' Music Is Revolution Foundation,[7] a non-profit organization that provides music education support within public schools.[8]

Aoki's debut mix album, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles was released in January 2008.[9] He had an Essential Mix that aired on BBC Radio 1 on 2 August 2008 10 and again on 27 October 2012.[3]

Aoki's latest solo album, Wonderland was released January 2012 and features guest vocalists and musicians LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Kay, Travis Barker, will.i.am aka Zuper Blahq, Wynter Gordon, Rivers Cuomo, Lil Jon, Chiddy Bang, Lovefoxxx of CSS, Big John Duncan former guitarist of the punk band The Exploited, and others.

Aoki has been busy in the studio collaborating with other fellow producer friends and thus far has released singles with The Bloody Beetroots, Armand Van Helden of Duck Sauce, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Tai, Sidney Samson, Tiesto. In his interviews, Twitter feed or from his YouTube channel, he has shown teasers or has discussed doing future collaborations with Diplo, Knife Party, Datsik, Chris Lake, Rune, Iggy Azalea, Angger Dimas, and Dirtyphonics.

He has remixed many artists and bands, including 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, Fërnando Oviedo, Chester French and Peaches.

He remixed the track "When The Wind Blows" that features on the UK edition of The All-American Rejects' 2008 album When The World Comes Down.

On November 10, 2009 Aoki released a remix for Drake's song "Forever". The song features Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. The track made it to the top of Hype Machine's chart in December 2009.[10]

Through relentless touring he gained huge support from colleges. Performing an average of 250 shows a year, he has recently started touring with production via bus tours like the spring 2012 Deadmeat Tour he headlined more than 55 cities in 60 dates across the United States and Canada. Many of the artists Aoki collaborates with make appearances on tour with him.[11] He has played lesser-travelled regions — in 2009 he played a show in Beijing, China with Diplo at a night organised by promoters Split Works.[12]

In March 2010 Aoki released "I'm In The House", a collaboration with Zuper Blahq—alter-ego of The Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am. The song charted at #29 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release.

Producer-songwriter Lucas Secon confirmed in a May 2010 interview with HitQuarters that he and Rivers Cuomo had recently worked with Aoki on a single.[13]

In July 2012, Aoki was added to the Pollstar Top 100 North American Tours in their 2012 Mid Year Report.[14] The list designated Aoki as the highest grossing dance artist in North America for the first half of the year.[15]

On December 11, 2012, Aoki released his first EP It’s the End of the World As We Know It, including three songs.

Business ventures[edit]

The Dim Mak Collection[16] clothing line was launched in 2006.[17] A new fashion range designed by Steve and his sister Devon Aoki will be coming out in the future.

In 2007, Aoki and friend Greger, the owner of WeSC, came up with the idea together to do the "Aoki headphones." They used different shades of green, because that was Aoki's favorite color at the time.[18] Each season for 3 years, Aoki designed new headphones for WeSC. He is currently working closely with Sol Republic and is a founding partner in the headphone company. In 2013 Aoki's headphones came out in the SOL Republic website for the public to purchase. Aoki also is endorsed by Supra Footwear, where he has helped develop and design shoes under his name.

Following somewhat in his father's footsteps, Aoki is a co-owner in two restaurants in Los Angeles and one in New York City. Eveleigh on Sunset Boulevard & Kitchen 24 on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

He co-owns a management company called DECKSTAR[19] with his manager Lawrence Vavra, Matt Colon and Paul Rosenberg. (The late DJ AM was also a co-founder.) The roster boasts artists such as Blink 182, Holy Ghost!, Infected Mushroom, and Rancid.

He has co-founded and is now developing a website that attracts college students to sell, buy, share books, rent rooms, post events called PILLOWFACE.[20] It's function is similar to Craiglist but that it targets and is exclusively for college students. When he went on his Dead Meat Tour across the United States and Canada in January through March 2012 he was promoting the website to all the colleges across the country.

In November 2009, Aoki created his own magazine titled "Aoki" through a celebrity magazine publishing company called MYMAG.[21]

Guest appearances[edit]

He was featured in the video games NBA 2K8 and NBA 2K9 as a special celebrity player, even though he admits to being terrible at basketball. He makes cameos in the videos for Cobra Starship's 2007 single "Send My Love to the Dancefloor, I'll See You in Hell (Hey Mister DJ)" and The Sounds' single "Tony The Beat".

On January 2012, Steve Aoki released new tracks on Turntable.fm in conjunction with SOL REPUBLIC Headphones[22] making him the first established artist to fully orchestrate a listening session using the platform.[23]

Aoki has appeared in an episode of The CW's new superhero series Arrow on March 20, 2013 at 8 pm EST. He was playing himself, spinning at the grand opening of Oliver Queen's fictional nightclub.[24]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Album details
Wonderland
Wonderland (Remixed)
  • Released: June 10, 2012
  • Label: Dim Mak, Ultra
  • Formats: Digital Download, CD
Neon Future
  • Released: TBA
  • Label: Dim Mak, Ultra
  • Formats: TBA

EPs[edit]

Title Album details
It’s the End of the World As We Know It

Mix albums[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Dance
Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles
  • Released: January 22, 2008
  • Label: Thrive
  • Formats: CD
 8

Singles[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK UK
Dance		 UK
Indie		 AUS BEL (FL) CAN FRA NLD
"I'm in the House"
(featuring Zuper Blahq)		 2010 29 3 1 — 43 — — 40 Non-album single
"Turbulence"
(with Laidback Luke featuring Lil Jon)		 2011 66 — — 37 — — — — Wonderland
"No Beef"
(with Afrojack featuring Miss Palmer)		 25 6 39 — 55 — 42 23
"Livin' My Love"
(featuring LMFAO & NERVO)		 2012 — — — — — 68 — —
"Beat Down"
(with Angger Dimas featuring Iggy Azalea)		 44 10 — — — — — — Wonderland (Remixed)
"Singularity"
(with Angger Dimas featuring My Name Is Kay)		 2013 — — — — — — — — It’s the End of the World As We Know It

As featured artist[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
BEL (FL) NLD
"Warp 1.9"
(The Bloody Beetroots featuring Steve Aoki)		 2009 23 — Ramborama
"We're All No One"
(NERVO featuring Afrojack and Steve Aoki)		 2011 106 89 Non-album single

Promotional singles[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
BEL
(FL)
"BRRRAT!"
(with Armand Van Helden)		 2010 — Non-album single
"Wake Up Call"
(with Sidney Samson)		 —
"Earthquakey People"
(featuring Rivers Cuomo)		 2011 — Wonderland
"Tornado"
(with Tiësto)		 — Non-album single
"Ladi Dadi"
(featuring Wynter Gordon)		 95 Wonderland

Remixes[edit]

Weird Science production[edit]

Steve Aoki and Blake Miller's production group

Featurings[edit]

  • The Bloody Beetroots – "Warp 1977" (featuring Steve Aoki & Bobberman) (Dim Mak)
  • The Bloody Beetroots – "Warp 1.9" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Dim Mak)
  • The Bloody Beetroots – "Warp 7.7" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Dim Mak)
  • Junkie XL – "1967 Poem" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Nettwerk)
  • Motor – "Kick It" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Dim Mak)
  • Tai – "Paradise Poltergeist" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Dim Mak)
  • Travis Barker – "Misfits" (featuring Steve Aoki) (Dim Mak)

Other Collaborations[edit]

  • Atari Teenage Riot featuring Steve Aoki – "Codebreaker" (2011)
  • Knife Party & Steve Aoki - "Piledriver" (2012)
  • Steve Aoki & Angger Dimas vs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike - "Phat Brahms" (2012)
  • Coone & Steve Aoki - "Can't Stop The Swag" (2013)

Awards[edit]

 This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (March 2011)
  • Best DJ of the Year – Paper Magazine (2007)
  • Best Set of the Season – Ibiza Awards (2007)
  • Best Party Rocker DJ – BPM Magazine (2007)
  • Best Mix Album of the Year – Billboard (2008)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kid Millionaire. Dim Mak. Retrieved on January 7, 2012.
  2. ^ Aoki family tree from NY mag Nymag.com. Retrieved on July 9, 2008
  3. ^ Pickle Patch Compilation |. Mostly.blueskiesabove.us (2008-01-13). Retrieved on 2012-01-07.
  4. ^ [1][dead link]
  5. ^ Steve Aoki profile. thelookrightnow.com
  6. ^ "Steve Aoki Bio, Music, News & Shows". Retrieved February 28, 2013. 
  7. ^ "Meet the Board". Music Is Revolution Foundation. Retrieved 2011-02-10. 
  8. ^ "The Manifesto". Music Is Revolution Foundation. Retrieved 2011-02-10. 
  9. ^ Steve Aoki's debut mix album profile Retrieved on July 9, 2008
  10. ^ a b Twitter / Steve Aoki: Just finished my remix for. Twitter.com (2009-11-10). Retrieved on 2012-01-07.
  11. ^ "Steve Aoki Tour Reviews". showscoop. 
  12. ^ [2] (http). spli-t.com (2009). Retrieved on 2012-15-08
  13. ^ "Interview With Lucas Secon". HitQuarters. May 17, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010. 
  14. ^ Smith, Jay. "Pollstar's Mid-Year Charts & Figures". Retrieved 16 July 2012. 
  15. ^ "Dance Stars Bring in the Money Stateside". Retrieved 16 July 2012. 
  16. ^ Dim Mak Collection
  17. ^ Official Dim Mak Collection website
  18. ^ DJ Steve Aoki headphones
  19. ^ DECKSTAR
  20. ^ PILLOWFACE
  21. ^ MYMAG
  22. ^ "Steve Aoki Drops Two New Tracks in SOL REPUBLIC's Turntable.fm Room...LIVE". SOL Republic. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  23. ^ "Steve Aoki Unveils New Music Using Turntable.fm". hypebot. Retrieved January 11, 2012. 
  24. ^ Benanti, Sam. "Steve Aoki to make 'Arrow' Cameo". DJZ.com. Retrieved February 28, 2013. 
  25. ^ Island 1712415 at 45cat (retrieved 2012-10-13

External links[edit]

Steve Aoki
Studio albums
Mixtapes
Extended Plays
Singles
Featured singles
Spinnin' Records
Members
Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_Aoki&oldid=557968855"