Electronic music, or EDM as it is more commonly known, is not a genre in which it is easy to make it big. EDM is a lot like the pop scene, or even like the rock scene, where you have a lot of artists churning out very similar sounding material. It becomes increasingly difficult to cut out a niche for yourself, and when you do, you have to cling to that niche for your dear life and fend off anybody who could possibly threaten your claim to fame.
This is not a problem that Grammy-nominated Steve Aoki has had. With the release of his debut album Wonderland, Aoki staked out his claim to being one of the best, and most loved, DJs in the world. Five years down the line, he is ready to prove once again just why he is so brilliant with Neon Future I.
The last few months have boasted a fair amount of impressive album releases from various artists populating the EDM scene. From upcoming sensation Porter Robinson’s scintillating debut, “Worlds” to deadmau5’s marvellous, “While (1<2)", some of the most renowned names in the industry are filling up store shelves and iTunes carts with fresh new releases. Last week, raft-riding and cake-tossing DJ Steve Aoki’s two part studio album, Neon Future, sees its release. It’s tough to build flow in an album when there are only 10 songs. But Steve has managed to carve out an album which boasts of a masterpiece coming into the collections of listeners. Neon Future opens with a song entitled “Transcendence”, which sees Ray Kurzwiel, the director of engineering at Google, discussing the concept of transcendence and the positive results of it in the near future. It’s a perfect intro song for any album and embraces listeners to fall in love with Aoki’s music world and introduces the feel to the album with a message that we all strive for and hope for. After “Transcendence”, Aoki’s compilation presents two choppy efforts – Neon Future (featuring Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun) and Back to Earth (featuring Fall Out Boy) – that both seem disjointed. While different in tone, the vocals in each merely seem thrown onto a relatively standard Aoki big-room drop, resulting in little more than a mash-up. The subsequent two offerings, “Born to Get Wild” and “Rage the Night Away”, feature will.i.am and Waka Flocka Flame, respectively, and delve into a more rumbustious territory. They both are potential time-bombs that can destroy dancefloors across the world with their energy and madness. The sixth track on the album i.e Boneless marking Aoki’s collaboration with Kid Ink is his attempt to divulge into deep house beats peppered with beautiful lyrics sang by Kid Ink. This is definitely one of the best tracks featured on the album. ‘Free the Madness’ featuring Machine Gun Kelly is a pretty fun and bouncy tune, showcasing Aoki’s apparent ability to subtly flirt with different styles. The vocals take a back-seat to the song, while the drop itself has a pretty raucous kick. “Afroki”, featuring Afrojack and the harmonious voice of Bonnie McKee, is highlighted by strong vocals from the aforementioned singer, which are underscored by a light, yet powerful synth build that culminates with a similarly uplifting drop. The album’s final track, “Get Me Out of Here”, gets my nod for “Song of the Album.” Lending a hand is dubstep maestro, Flux Pavilion and the two craft a surprisingly interesting camaraderie on the song. A delicate introduction is quickly forgotten as a simple vocal sample is weaved through Flux’s trademark sound – resulting in by far the most interesting and smooth release on Neon Future. All in all, through ‘Neon Future I’, Steve Aoki has able to shift gears between genres, tinkering with different sounds and adapting to the sound of the moment. That being said, this album boasts some pretty party friendly material, highlighted by strong vocals and creative production, and for that alone I’d suggest checking it out if you’re into this particular DJ’s music. You can grab the album right here.
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– Review by Samir Goyal
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