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Dim Mak record founder/DJ Steve Aoki goes even deeper into the electro house scene
 

By Jasen T. Davis

 

Steve Aoki has been rocking L.A.’s electro house underground since his days as a student at UC Santa Bar

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Dim Mak record founder/DJ Steve Aoki goes even deeper into the electro house scene

 

By Jasen T. Davis

 

Steve Aoki has been rocking L.A.’s electro house underground since his days as a student at UC Santa Barbara. His first record, 2008’s Pillowface and his Airplane Chronicles, won the Best Mix Album of the Year Award from Billboard, establishing the young musician as a powerhouse in the scene.

Since then Aoki has continued to unleash a constant barrage of dance hits from his own label, Dim Mak Records. He’s worked with everyone from Travis Barker to Peaches, remixing everything from Weezer to Michael Jackson.

Aoki will be playing on the Dim Mak Stage at the Identity Festival this September in L.A. The artist took a short break from the national tour to talk to CULTURE about the business of making music the Aoki way.

 

How did Dim Mak Records begin?

I started it in 1996. There was no philosophy, business plan or anything. I just went to Kinko’s and started making copies. Then I got some labels, saved up $400 and sold records for $3 each. But taking money for music always felt wrong. I was always afraid of selling out. I wanted to be underground . . . to be punk rock. We still have that DIY aspect. That’s why the business has stayed around for so long. If you don’t get your hands dirty, you’re never going to survive. If you know what you want, and you are able to just go for it, you can be a 15-person workforce. But we also believe in DIT: Doing It Together.

 

Could you tell us about your next album?

It’s called Wonderland. We’ll be sending it out December of 2011. It’s been a long project . . . it’s taken almost three years to put together. The album has a variety of different vocalists and artists including Travis Barker, Lil John and will-i-am. I even did vocals on the album.

There are a lot of edgier tracks with catchy hooks that feature a rock influence. This album is all about the songs, not just the big club dance bangers. Every song is just a formula to fit the style of the vocalist.

 

What do you think about the cannabis scene in Southern California?

Well, California has a lot of surfing and skating. Wherever there’s surfing and skating, people are going to smoke weed. I’m totally for legalizing it, but I don’t smoke weed at all. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances out there. I feel that weed and mushrooms, of all the drugs out there, are the most harmless.

 

How do you feel about people using cannabis for their illnesses?

I totally condone it for patients. If you are in pain, and you should treat it any way you can. When my father was in pain for cancer, I tried to get him to smoke it. If I was in pain, I’d smoke weed, and I don’t even smoke cigarettes. [I have a] friend [who] had testicular cancer, and one thing he said was that the best thing he ever did was smoke weed. It helped him with the pain and nausea and everything. I think that everyone needs to realize cannabis needs to be legalized.

 

steveaoki.com.

 

 

 

DIM BULB

 

Never heard of Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records? Well, you’re probably familiar with some of the artists on the indie label’s roster. Atari Teenage Riot, The Bloody Beetroots, MSTRKRFT are all currently signed to Dim while past recording artists have included The Kills, The Icarus Line, Datarock The Von Bondies and Neon Blone. There—I just gave you some cool suggestions for your next playlist.

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