As much as his countless detractors hate to admit it, Steve
Aoki is a star. He’s a globe-trotting DJ who hobnobs with everyone from
Lindsay Lohan to Justice. His record label, Dim Mak, is among the most
influential indie imprints in the world, boasting releases from
I’m so happy. We just had a bunch of retail meetings, and I’m
so impressed at how many huge chains are picking it up. It’s so hard to sell
CDs now, given the downfall of the music industry. I’ve been running Dim Mak
for 10 years, and the mom-and-pop shops have always been my bread and butter.
But to ship thousands of CDs to stores like Best Buy and Target for those kids
that don’t have access points besides online is so cool.
I love how it came out, from the artwork to working with all
of the great artists that guest on it. This mix to me is more of an
introduction for a lot of the kids that have just found electro. There has
always been a gap between the culture of DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Tiesto to the
culture of electro. It’s like two different worlds. It’s an exciting time, with
what acts like Justice and MSTRKRFT have been producing. I picked the most
obvious and popular tracks on purpose. Having people like Amanda Blank and
Naeem from Spank Rock rapping over “We Are Rockstars” is a pretty cool concept
if you ask me.
I think it’s just the consistency of quality. We’ve always
had great artists come play, and we maintain strong relationships. We got to a
point where it became the global satellite for many of the new international
acts that want to play
Absolutely. But the sound has changed. Three or four years
ago, we were more excited to have someone like Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah
Yeahs and Carlos D of Interpol come DJ. I’m sure that in a couple of years, it’ll
evolve from where it is now.
No, I don’t. It doesn’t really affect me. People are going
to have their opinions. I have no reason to backlash or talk negatively on him
or what he’s doing. I don’t care to put the energy or time into something like
that.
It used to affect me. But for the most part, the stuff would
be untrue. It’s easier for people to assume that rumors and gossip are true
when you don’t know the person they’re about. I’m not trying to put myself anywhere
near her fame, but it’s a lot like how the press treats Britney Spears. You
read in Us Weekly that she has mental illness or whatever, when maybe she just
had a really bad day. What can you do? I just want to continue doing the work I’m
doing with the label, clothing line and DJing.
Pictures of you DJing
with Lindsay Lohan are all over the Internet. Have her skills improved due to
your coaching?
Her main job is not being a DJ, so it’s not really relevant. But the most important
thing about anyone playing records at a party is what songs they choose. To me,
Lindsay has some of the most eclectic tastes out of anyone I know. She’d be a
great DJ if she really wanted to be.
Have fun. I’m serious—just enjoy what you’re doing. After
that, the rest is just icing on the cake.
You can also catch Steve and his crew at their weekly party "Banana Split Sundaes" at club LAX
Scott T. Sterling is Music editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
