JRE 1345 · September 5, 2019

Steve Aoki

musicbusinesstechnologyphilosophy

Who is Steve Aoki?

Steve Aoki is a musician, author, DJ, record producer and music executive. His new book called "Blue: The Color of Noise" is available now.

Topics and Timestamps

01Steve Aoki discusses his new book Blue: The Color of Noise and what inspired him to write it
02Conversation covers his journey from record executive to successful DJ and producer in electronic music
03Steve talks about the creative process behind making music and producing tracks
04Discussion about the music industry, record labels, and how the business has evolved
05Steve shares stories about major artists and collaborations throughout his career
06Conversation touches on his philosophy about music, art, and connecting with audiences
▶Steve introduces his book Blue: The Color of Noise0:00:45
▶Discussion of his transition from record executive to performing artist0:08:30
▶Steve talks about the creative process of making electronic music0:22:15
▶Conversation about how the music industry has changed with streaming0:38:00
▶Steve shares stories about major collaborations and artist relationships0:52:30

The Show

Joe sits down with Steve Aoki, one of electronic music's biggest names, to talk about his career trajectory from music executive to global DJ phenomenon and his new book Blue: The Color of Noise. The conversation spans Aoki's unique position in the industry having worked on both the executive and creative sides, giving him perspective most artists don't have.

Steve breaks down what drove him to write the book and what he wanted to convey about his experiences in the music world. They dig into the actual mechanics of production and what goes into creating electronic music at the level he operates. The discussion gets into how the industry has fundamentally changed over the years, from the old guard record label system to the streaming era and how artists now navigate getting their music heard.

Aoki shares some genuine stories about working with major artists and the collaborations that shaped his career. He's pretty open about the business side of things and doesn't shy away from talking about the challenges and realities of making it in music. The conversation has that natural flow where Joe and Steve riff on creativity, the importance of connecting with your audience, and what actually matters when you're making art versus just chasing numbers.