I remember it was 2012 – the first year I became familiar with DJs and their genre of music; it escalated rather quickly. First show ever was to see Trance artist Dash Berlin. It was crazy – the show ended at 4:00 am, but I left at 3:30 am only to head back home because I had work at 4:30am. It was wild. I felt connected to the music and the vibe of the crowd. I wasn’t judged. The next music festival that was coming up was Beyond Wonderland, and when friends asked, I was quick to say yes. I wanted more of the music and the vibe. I was hooked.
At Beyond Wonderland 2012, I had so much fun stage hopping and listening to all the other artists. I was new to the scene, so I had no idea who anyone was. I went with the crowd and followed them to every stage, enjoying every moment of it. We ended the night with Steve Aoki. His set was in a enclosed room, but it was crowded. I remember everyone around me being so stoked to be at his stage, so full of life; ecstatic. I started listening to his music too and I quickly became his #1 fan. His style of electronic is a little bit all over the place, but that’s also what set him apart from others. It’s rock, it’s alternative, it’s house, it’s indie, it’s dance: it’s electronic dance music.
So, when he came out with a memoir, duh I rushed to Barnes & Noble on its release date. I just have an overflowing amount of books to read that … it took me a few years to get around to it haha. I admit, the memoir was a little bit all over the place, but it gave me a chance to understand him on a more personal level – not just a DJ. He opened up about his childhood, growing up, his family, how he went about starting his own gig at a young age, and eventually his record label, failed marriage, friendships along the way, musical influences, the whole shebang.
I’m glad I got my hands on this book, and also that I finally got around to reading it. I may be biased since I’m a huge fan of his, but I am unapologetic in saying that I throughly enjoyed this book. It’s not often we get to see the vulnerable, honest side of famous people – the side that’s not shown just for fans. This book isn’t just about Steve Aoki and his electronic music endeavors – he touches on many other genres and artists too. So, if you take an interest to music or have even just heard of Steve Aoki, I think it’s worth picking up this book and going on the ride.
Enjoy!
Love,
Anita
Love, Anita 