From hardcore rock to electro, from the deep underground to Hollywood celebrities, be it as DJ, producer, fashion designer or label owner, multitasking Steve Aoki, aka Kid Millionaire, does it all. He manages to squeeze in a few words for us, too…
Wrestling
"My dad was an Olympic wrestler, so I tried to be like him. But I weighed just 90lbs [40kg] when I was in ninth grade and everyone picked on me – it was horrible. So, I tried to copy my dad in basically everything he did. I even smoked cigars when I was a little kid because he did. But my first memory of wrestling? I almost broke my neck and I went to hospital."
Women's studies
"This had nothing to do with my dad, actually [laughs]. When I was at college, I was an activist and involved with student politics. Women's studies was by far the most radical department on the campus and, yes, it was my favourite time in school! My favourite writer at that time was Judith Butler; in terms of poetry, I loved Audre Lorde. And a lot of those women came to my school to speak, so it was just great!"
Bruce Lee
"My favourite Bruce Lee movie is Game Of Death. It’s Lee’s last film. It’s like this old Nintendo game called Kung Fu, where you walk through these floors over five stages – amazing!"
Indie Rock v Electro
"My roots are in rock – I am a hardcore kid and used to be in hardcore bands. So, house and electronic music were always second for me. I’ve been doing Dim Mak Records for 13 years – we've put out over 145 records – and until 2007, it was entirely rock bands I had on my label. This year is the first where we have almost entirely dance music. Coming up are the Bloody Beetroots album and my own new single. But if you follow the label, you'll see that I’m signing artists in all different kinds of genres, just whatever I like – from Gossip and Bloc Party to Japanther, my favourite hardcore band."
The Bloody Beetroots feat. Steve Aoki - Warp
Fashion
"A year and a half ago, I decided to start fashion designing [Dim Mak Fashion] with my sister Devon, as we’re always working together. I helped her with her modelling stuff and she sings in my studio. She’s one of my best friends."
Los Angeles
"Best city in the world! I love it. I travel a lot at the moment, but it’s the best place to come back to. I don’t really care about playing shows in LA to be honest, but I just love living there. My favourite place there is definitely my own house. It’s in Loral Canyon, one of the most historic areas of the city. Jim Morrison and The Mamas and the Papas lived there, and there are still a lot of creative people in the area. It’s away in the hills but if you drive down, you’re in Hollywood."
Nothing personal
"I don’t have a personal life. My business is my life!"
Lindsay Lohan
"I love her – she’s a very good friend of mine. She’s funky, she’s clever and she’s got great musical taste. No matter what anyone says, she’s very deep in my heart. We used to hang out all the time – I DJ'd at her birthday party. And I love Samantha [Ronson, Lohan's girlfriend]."
http://home.dimmak.com/blog
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