We're all familiar with Steve Aoki — the electro wonder kid best known for hitting all the circuits, playing all major festivals, travelling relentlessly and producing EDM that has, at one point or another, appealed to just about everyone. His latest album, Neon Future I (which, as the title suggests, delves into "future-themed music" — cue robot beeps and splashes of space dust) finds Aoki attempting to appeal to a demographic who find acts like Fall Out Boy still relevant (as evidenced by "Back To Earth," a glitchy, repetitive track with Patrick Stump's musings dribbled across it).
The album production is great, sure, but would you expect less from a large-scale DJ who caters to a crowd content with mainstream electro sautéed with the likes of Waka Flocka, Chris Lake and Afrojack? Aoki initially carved a niche with this sound, but we have to wonder when a progression from the safety of this oversaturated market will eventually occur. A redeemable track is always something to hold out for, but when the drop on "Born To Get Wild" (ft. will.i.am) is something you might expect from a beefed up, experimental Black Eyed Peas song, all hope goes by the wayside. There's always part II of Neon Future, expected out in the coming months, to look forward to, but with announced collaborators like Linkin Park? Well, enough said.
(Dim Mak)The album production is great, sure, but would you expect less from a large-scale DJ who caters to a crowd content with mainstream electro sautéed with the likes of Waka Flocka, Chris Lake and Afrojack? Aoki initially carved a niche with this sound, but we have to wonder when a progression from the safety of this oversaturated market will eventually occur. A redeemable track is always something to hold out for, but when the drop on "Born To Get Wild" (ft. will.i.am) is something you might expect from a beefed up, experimental Black Eyed Peas song, all hope goes by the wayside. There's always part II of Neon Future, expected out in the coming months, to look forward to, but with announced collaborators like Linkin Park? Well, enough said.