Steve Aoki Biography

Steve Aoki is a DJ and also the founder of Dim Mak Records, which has counted leading indie rock bands such as Gossip, Bloc Party, the Kills and the Rakes among its stable of signees. The son of wealthy restauranteur Rocky Aoki, he is of Japanese heritage and calls Los Angeles home. In 2007 he released his first official mix CD, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, on Thrive Records.

Featuring tracks by Justice, Klaxons, Mystery Jets, Peaches, Datarock, Yelle, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, and Scanners — most of them remixed — Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles is fairly representative of Aoki’s renown as a tastemaking dance-party DJ rather than a skillful turntablist. In 2009 his remix work brought rapper Drake’s single “Forever” to the dancefloor, while 2010 saw him release the “I’m in the House” single with Zuper Blahq, alter ego of Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am.

Further high-profile artists’ material was also re-worked by Aoki during this period, with tracks by Michael Jackson, the Killers and Lenny Kravitz all benefiting; while collaborations with like-minded producers such as Armand van Helden and the Bloody Beetroots continued to appear on Dim Mak. By the end of 2011, the early fruits of sessions for his debut artist album Wonderland had materialized as the singles “Earthquakey People” – a collaboration with Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo – and “Tornado”, on which Aoki combined forces with the multi-award winning Tiesto