[AS PUBLISHED IN MALAY MAIL]
More alive than ever
By Jordan BarnesTHERE is renewed perspective to Steve Aoki.
It has been two years since fans in the region have met with the maniacal cake-throwing DJ who is slated to appear as a headline act at Ultra Singapore in June.
Stage antics aside, the Los Angeles-based star is set on new horizons:
► Latest single with Just Hold On Louis Tomlinson biggest to date — more than 25 million hits on YouTube and 210 million streams on Spotify.
► Fresh sound on hip-hop “collaborative” album which will feature rappers Gucci Mane, T-Pain and 2 Chainz expected out in May.
“I’m excited to drop my new stuff out there (in Singapore),” said Aoki, speaking from Las Vegas last week.
“The music is something you can really turn up and party to.”
He said the show is for all fans in Southeast Asia, notably those who are from Malaysia and Indonesia.
“I love coming out there.”
Not all has changed, however:
Aoki’s set three weeks ago at Ultra Miami where the festival was founded in 1999 was explosive as ever.
Cakes were thrown, guests entered the stage and the tunes were steeped in latest hardcore sound.
Last August:
► Netflix aired I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, an insight into the artiste’s extensive travel, various projects and extensive work schedule playing more than 300 shows a year.
“For the first time I opened up a lot about my personal life and experiences. I can’t watch it myself.”
The big reveal?
► Aoki said he has watched the film once though, at its Tribeca Film Festival premiere in New York a year ago.
“It’s not for me, it’s for everyone else.”
Most compelling?
► The 89-minute flick shows how his father Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki — celebrity, wrestler, eccentric globe-trotting founder of Japanese restaurant chain Benihana who loved to race boats and cars — drove his son to be such a workhorse.
“Growing up, it was always, ‘How do I impress my father?’” Aoki said in the film.
“How can I show him I’m going to be successful?’”
Thanks to his label Dim Mak Records, Aoki rocked in at fifth on the Forbes’ Highest Paid DJs list with earnings of US$24 million (RM106 million), making him one of the most financially successful electronic musicians.
Lauded for his ambition and ability to generate huge monetary sums, the superstar DJ is not without his critics. Somewhat equally admirable is the ability to take it in his stride.
Social media warriors have branded Aoki a “sell-out” in the past for his audacious live performance style, which used to include a customary ride atop his audience in a paddleboat.
“What I’ve learned through being a target for criticism is I don’t really care.
“Critics argue I’m unorthodox or inappropriate on stage. The best thing I do is be myself.”
However, he:
► Denied it was necessary to show his hardworking side through documentary that captured three years’ worth of his life.
“I didn’t dictate or guide this narrative. The story unfolded through the director’s vision.”
► Hoped people would be similarly inspired to pursue their dreams with as much determination.
How does he turn off?
“Reset and meditate.
“That’s the most important part when you’re riding on a high and trying to plan your schedule.”
x
Comments
Post a Comment