NYLON - November 2007 - (Page 97)

KING OF THE JET SET Steve Aoki’s name is practically synonymous with partying, but he still minds his own business. By Fiona Byrne. Photographed by Ruvan Wijesooriya It may be something of a surprise to learn that, when he was growing up in the swanky suburban conﬁnes of Newport Beach, CA, Steve Aoki—a.k.a. DJ Kid Millionaire—had few friends. The only Asian in a class of 20 girls and three boys, he was, he says “absolutely alienated.” “Newport Beach is one of the most privileged suburban areas I can think of,” he says, clearly in a reﬂective mood when we meet at New York’s Hudson Hotel. “People there are so sheltered that that’s all they know, and if they don’t get a taste of the real world they just remain one-dimensional characters. I dealt with a lot of racist shit." How things change. Twenty years later, and Aoki likely doesn’t have space in his BlackBerry for all the buddies he has now. “He is rad!” Danny Masterson (his sometime DJ partner) exclaims. “He’s one of the warmest human beings I’ve ever met,” says Hot Hot Heat drummer Paul Hawley. Sitting with Aoki on this hot September afternoon during New York fashion week, it’s clear why he’s so popular. Despite being one of the world’s most sought-after DJs and the head of Dim Mak records and clothing brand, he’s remarkably chilled out and down-to-earth. Emanating a distinct humility, Aoki is the kind of person that makes everyone feel at home, be it at his unpretentious Dim Mak ofﬁce in L.A. or at one of the countless parties he DJs at as he zig-zags across the globe. It’s this jet-setting lifestyle that inspired Aoki’s new album, Pillowface And His Airplane Chronicles. Aoki describes the record—a mix album with guest appearances—as “a version of myself just ﬂowing, meeting up with all these amazing people doing different things. It’s a continuous party.” (The kind of party, in his case, that doesn’t involve drugs, about which he says, “I never dabble in drugs. Of course I want to be high all the fucking time, regardless of whether it’s drugs or music or dancing. But I need to wake up early to have meetings. I do my shit”). On Pillowface…, Aoki ventures through a diverse set of genres, bringing together hard-core Swedes Refused with French dance duo du jour Justice, and moving from U.K. power-poppers Mystery Jets to indie heroes Bloc Party, connecting all of them via his personal favorite sound—electro. “The music that really hits me hard is electro, and the way electro is going I feel like it’s becoming more rock ’n’ roll, more punk rock.” He also drafted in a string of guest vocalists including Har Mar Superstar, Ufﬁe, Hot Hot Heat singer Steve Bays, and Santo Gold; their vocals add extra layers to the mix. “Sometimes we would collaborate on the ideas on what they would sing,” he says, “and sometimes they would just knock it out.” And, as if promoting a debut album (along with everything else) wasn’t enough to reduce his sleeping hours, Dim Mak Collection have just partnered with Ksubi to expand their clothing brand. “My sister [model Devon Aoki] is going to design the women’s line,” he says. “It’s going to become a real line instead of just a streetwear-T-shirt-sweaters line. There are things that are bigger than music. That’s why we created this fashion line, because we wanted to create art and put it on your body.” With his innate radar for what the world’s hippest want to wear and hear, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Aoki is in some way aware of being the center of what both corporate ‘cool-hunters’ and club kids look to for the next big thing. But he insists that really, it's just been a matter of being in the right place at the right time. “I don’t know…” he says, thoughtfully. “I look to other people to see what’s cool. If they inspire me, if they’re consistently producing quality music, clothing, whatever it is, I want to see the next thing they do. I want to hear the next thing they do.”

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of NYLON - November 2007

Contents Editor's Letter Par Avion Behind the Scenes Contributors Stars and Stripes Forever Mass Appeal: Los Angeles Mass Appeal: Austin Mass Appeal: New York Mass Appeal: Sneakers Haute Stuff Private Icon: Slums of Beverly Hills Cult Of: Ralph Lauren Blue Label Memory Lane Nesting: Top of the Block Factory Girl: Road Rules Fashion Road Trip Fashion News Mania: The Price is Right Canned Heat Counter Culture: Universal Picture Private Icon: Jane Fonda Beauty News The Future is Now Smoke And Mirrors King of the Jet Set Rock America Country Death Songs A Fond Farewell Personal Investment Stranger Than Fiction Film Strips Culture Club En Route: The Grapes of our Content Miller's Crossing I'm Too Sexy The Perks of Being a Wallflower Tourist Attraction Star Maps: Fair Isle Shopping List Bag Check: Roam If You Want To

NYLON - November 2007

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