Steve Aoki made some music
Words by Kristen Cochrane
“I just want him to pour Grey Goose in my mouth!” shouts a rather interesting female to my right, obvious hipster and slave to trends, hair imitating Billy Idol perfectly in the early ’80s, with the re-grown blonde locks somehow managing to maintain their heavily-hairsprayed position. Most are aware of such interactive tendencies, whether it be the near-toxic quantities of Grey Goose that Steve Aoki so generously pours into the thirsty mouths of fanboys and fangirls alike. Some are also aware that he has an incredibly attractive sister, who happens to be the world’s shortest supermodel.
These mundane details really don‘t matter though, when juxtaposed with Steve Aoki’s skills at mixing. His fanatical live performances are among the best in the electro-punk following. Many argue that the new generation of programmed backtracks is a sacrilege to music (instead of scratching), but Aoki compensates by pleasing his fans via stage diving, spraying expensive champagne into the crowd’s eyes and hair, and by simple gestured contact to fervent fans.
By the end of the set, he’s got his shirt off. His long, past-the-shoulder length hair flying wildly, he screams the best sequence of “Warp”, work of The Bloody Beetroots. He then moves on to possibly his most renowned track, the Weird Science remix of Bloc Party’s “Helicopter”, featuring the notorious Peaches. The crowd becomes turbulent and forms a mosh pit. The fervour in question could have been the result of the gig being on the same day as Canada’s national holiday, or it could equally have been the practiced talent of creating a well-intentioned riot amongst a copius group of people.
This Los Angeles dweller is not only musically gifted, but friends with a large clan of mainstream celebrities and obscure socialites. Most notably, him and Lindsay Lohan are tight. But before anyone can begin judging Steve for perhaps, living vicariously off of a wealthy family, it must be noted that he has not only founded Dim Mak records, and subsequently gathered a roster featuring Armand Van Helden, MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, SHITDISCO, and Scanners, among others, but he holds a degree in Sociology and an additional degree in Women’s Studies from the University of California. Oh, and don’t forget his co-ownership of Korean BBQ restaurant Shin with Mark Ronson and Julian Casablancas of the Strokes fame. Entrepreneurial objectives aside, the guy throws a wicked party. But please, cover your eyes when you see him pull out the champagne : it, among any other liquid, is a stinging torpedo when it hits your retina. You have been warned.
Posted Mon, October 19, 2009