|
MUSIC
|
|
AOKI UBER ALLES |
THE L.A. DJ’S NEW PUNK COLLABORATION,
RIFOKI, TAKES HIM BACK TO HIS “BLOODY” ROOTS.
A lot can be said about Steve Aoki, and most of it
already has been. At 32, the Californian has dipped his hands in more
pots than a ceramicist. Aoki is the owner of a successful
independent label, a restaurateur, a promoter, the head of a clothing company, and most famously,
a ripping DJ. But that’s all been said before. Everyone already knows that Dim Mak
Records was responsible for kick-starting the careers of more bands than you could
file under your Facebook interests, including Bloc Party, Battles and MSTRKRFT.
It is no secret that he co-owns the Korean BBQ restaurant Shin alongside That ’70s Show’s
Danny Masterson, or that his pro wrestler father, also a Renaissance man, was the founder of the
Benihana restaurant chain. And by now it’s old news that Aoki’s first remix
album, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, debuted at number 15 on the Billboard electronic
chart.
“THE RIFOKI THING IS EXCITING, BECAUSE WHENEVER WE PLAY TOGETHER WE DISRUPT THE DANCE FLOOR WITH SOME FUCKING NOISY-ASS PUNK ROCK,” AOKI SAYS.
The band echoes the hardcore blasts of
the music that dominated the earlier sound of Dim Mak Records. That in-your-face,
punk-as-fuck attitude that Aoki brings to the forefront of his DJ set is explored in
full with Rifoki’s chaotic new EP. Replete with tortured screams that make you worry
that the guy is about to have an embolism, and a spastic mix of aggression and melody,
Aoki’s latest project is geared to pound through the brains of club-goers expecting
something light to dance to.
“I feel like it’s always a part of
me. I can’t get rid of it. No matter how old I am and [how] broken my body gets I’ll always be
into hardcore, because that’s my roots. That kind of sound, culture and lifestyle is the
reason why I’m so dedicated to music in the first place. If I didn’t find the hardcore scene
at that early impressionable age, who knows where I’d be. Now it’s just part of my DNA.”
It seems strange that the label that
helped put today’s incarnation of popular electronic music on the map was born out of a
scene that couldn’t have been further from Clubsville. But it’s an integral part of what
gave Aoki both his drive and his understanding of the need for diversification in
order to exist in an industry that has become so hostile to independent labels trying to make a
profit. DIY punk is where Aoki learned how to hustle. With no major-label backing, no
chance of radio play or sums of cash thrown their way, the bands that he grew up
with had to do everything themselves. If a band wanted to tour, they had to book it
themselves. If they wanted t-shirts, they had to screen-print them, and often, if they
wanted a record released they had to beg a generous friend to pony up the cash. With this
framework hammered into his head at an early age, Aoki became the successful
multi-faceted entrepreneur that he is today.
“It’s a different kind of
business model. I started Dim Mak thirteen years ago. Back then it
wasn’t meant to be a business. For true punk labels, it’s not
about the money being made. Dim Mak doesn’t survive on records
sales. We don’t survive on the Bloody Beetroots’ Romborama album
sales. For Dim Mak to survive we’ve expanded into all kinds of
different areas to keep it afloat. We’re doing lots of festivals
now, a lot of stages at festivals. We have a clothing line, which is
a separate company from Dim Mak, but still part of the Dim Mak brand. You gotta think outside the box if you
are going to survive in the music game. If you are in it, you are in
it because you love the music. If you make money, that’s a bonus.
It’s probably one of the worst businesses to get involved in unless
you are absolutely dedicated and willing to lose everything.”
Looking at Aoki now, it is clear that
his dedication is his insurance, and at this point he’s standing proud without having lost much. He is
gearing up to release his first artist album this year. Originally slated for a spring 2010 release, the
DJ’s busy schedule caused him to push it back to the fall.
“I
just finished a track with Rivers Cuomo from Weezer and Blaqstarr
from Baltimore, Kid Cudi. It’s a dance record with vocalists, and some
tracks are more club tracks. Some other collaborations – just finished a track with D.I.M. out of
Berlin. It’s going to be an album of sounds. Some club tracks, some tracks that aren’t meant for the
club.”
“I QUIT DRINKING IN SEPTEMBER. I DO
DRINK A LITTLE, BUT IT’S SO LITTLE THAT I’M NOT EVEN GETTING A BUZZ.
THERE’S REALLY NO TOXIN GOING INTO MY BODY EXCEPT THE FOUL FOOD THAT I
HAVE TO EAT SOME OF THE TIME.”
Like anything else Aoki touches, his
first artist album will likely turn to gold. The humble roots of
basement shows and hand-stitched LP covers seem a world away from
where he’s ended up, flying across continents to play high-profile
shows, canoodling with the rich and famous, and producing remixes for
every hot band under the sun. While his trademark onstage antics –
pouring vodka on nubile boobs – might have seemed as unlikely for
an unassuming, politically-leftist, straight-edge teen as it does 10
years down the line, 2010 sees the man returning home to explore his
(bloody) roots.
Looks like he’s come full circle
after all.
Written by EVAN MILLAR
|
