Sound Advice: Steve Aoki

The legendary DJ, producer and label owner recaps partnering with SoundCloud on the #AokiChallenge, details his A&R philosophies and offers advice for up-and-coming artists.

‍

Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything Next Pro offers to elevate their sound, reach the right audience and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile. 

On this episode of Sound Advice, we’re catching up with one of the best known names in electronic dance music: DJ, producer and label owner Steve Aoki. Back in October, we partnered with Steve to launch the #AokiChallenge, where thousands of artists submitted their SoundCloud demos for a chance at releasing on Steve’s chart-topping Dim Mak Records label. On November 20, we announced the winner – a young Portland, Oregon producer named K3ONI, who came through with a tech house meets rap track called “Want More,” featuring original vocals from Zach Settle and Vasili Varlamos.

We got Steve on the phone from Germany to explain more about how the challenge helped him connect with new communities on SoundCloud. He also talked about his creative and A&R philosophies, and he also gave us some really great advice for up-and-coming DJs and producers.

When you’re done listening to Sound Advice, don’t forget to check out our Dim Mak and SoundCloud merch collab in the new SoundCloud Store, and also check out Steve Aoki’s Voice Notes, where he talks to us about collaborating with NE-YO, Linkin Park, Kid Cudi and many more. 

‍

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING STEVE AOKI

‍

LISTEN TO ‘PARAGON’ BY STEVE AOKI

‍

THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE

• Steve Aoki dials in from the road, calling in from Germany to discuss the #AokiChallenge, and why it was important for him to partner with SoundCloud to find new talent for his label, Dim Mak Records.
• As someone who wears multiple hats – including DJ, producer, A&R and label owner – Steve explains how SoundCloud is an “all-in-one” destination for discovering new sounds and up-and-coming artists, and how he wanted to do something different to connect with the producer community on SoundCloud.
• Steve explains how it’s one thing to dig for music on SoundCloud, but it’s another to launch a focused initiative for artists to submit their music to, reflecting how the inaugural #AokiChallenge netted over 3,000 submissions. 
• We hear more about how Steve and the Dim Mak Records label team approached going through submissions, including specifics about what they were looking for throughout the challenge. Steve offers insight into the importance of opening up the call for submissions to be genre inclusive, and how aspects such as sound design, melody, arrangement and vocals were among the key components they were on the lookout for.
• Steve shares how he kept going back to K3ONI’s track throughout the listening process, offering how he could see the potential in K3ONI as an artist, in addition to it being a standout banger.
• In addition to selecting K3ONI’s track as the winner, Steve also discussed how the challenge helped him and Dim Mak identify other artists they are interested in signing and developing, showcasing how you never know where your music can take you after you hit upload on SoundCloud.
• Steve opens up about the sounds he looks for specifically for Dim Mak, and how he really enjoyed the process of the #AokiChallenge because it allowed for him and his team to focus primarily on the music itself, as opposed to other indicators like an artist’s social media presence. 
• We learn more about Steve Aoki’s earliest uploads on SoundCloud, including the 2013 track “Boneless.” He also offers insight into how he continues to use SoundCloud today for Dim Mak Records, as well as how it’s a home for edits, remixes and releases in his own artist career. He also shares more about how the community on SoundCloud is incredibly engaged, and how that can help an artist find their audience from the very beginning of their careers.
• Opening up about the next chapter in Dim Mak Records’ storied history, Steve shares more about how the label has served as an extension of what he finds inspiring and how he doesn’t want to have any limitations or boundaries when it comes to championing creativity and amplifying different sounds.
• He goes into the label’s legacy being rooted in electronic dance music, discussing how they’ve gone on to foster communities in the underground Latin scene (such as with the sub-label Dim Mak En Fuego), as well as released records with punk, indie and hardcore influences. Steve also shares how the inspiration behind Dim Mak En Fuego was meant to be focused on new artists, but evolved into creating its own culture and becoming an incubator for talent to later release on Dim Mak Records.
• Steve dishes out his best advice for emerging artists, underscoring the importance of honing in on your own distinctive sound. He explains how it’s great to gather inspiration from other artists but ultimately stresses the importance of using that inspiration as a reference point in order to avoid simply duplicating what other artists are doing.
• Pointing out the role that confidence plays as an artist, Steve explains how SoundCloud is a perfect place to get your confidence up as an artist, as the audience on the platform is eager to discover new sounds. He notes how finding community on SoundCloud can help signal that you’re heading in the right direction creatively or it can showcase that it may be time to experiment with something else and innovate your sound as well. 
• He also offers advice to find labels on SoundCloud and send them demos, as labels are actively looking for new sounds on the platform (Dim Mak included).
• We learn more about the inspiration behind the phrase, “Everything’s Been Done,” which appears on a t-shirt Steve Aoki designed for a special collaboration with the SoundCloud Store. He details the irony behind the common saying, and how SoundCloud and Dim Mak both exemplify how, in fact, everything has not been done. He shares more about the importance of silencing the voice in your head that may discourage trying out new ideas, and how new inspiration is around every corner.
• We wrap up this conversation on Sound Advice with Steve reflecting on the overall success of the #AokiChallenge, and how it created a more democratic process for discovering new sounds.
  
  

‍

LINKS AND EXTRAS

Follow Steve Aoki on SoundCloud.

Stay up-to-date with Dim Mak Records.

Press play on the winning track of the 2024 #AokiChallenge here.

Follow the challenge winner, K3ONI, on SoundCloud.

Learn more about the 2024 #AokiChallenge.

Go back to one of Steve Aoki’s earliest SoundCloud uploads, 2013’s “Boneless.”

Shop exclusive merch from Steve Aoki in the official SoundCloud store.

Get the backstory on Steve Aoki’s top collaborations on SoundCloud’s Voice Notes.

Listen to the Buzzing: Electronic playlist on SoundCloud.

Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

‍

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF SOUNDCLOUD:

1. Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
2. Learn more about searching your own Likes on SoundCloud.
3. Learn more about using private tracks on SoundCloud.
4. Learn more about getting started with Insights on SoundCloud.
5. Learn more about Advanced Insights, available to Artist Pro subscribers.
6. Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with a Artist Pro subscription.
7. Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.

‍To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

‍

_{CREDITS: Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee}