Steve Aoki – Wonderland (Review)

January 10, 2012 4 comments


Discover Steve Aoki’s Wonderland for yourself on iTunes

Unfazed by the knife-flipping wizardry of Benihanna, and after majoring in Women’s Studies at UCSB Steve Aoki took his restaurant gelt to found DIM MAK RECORDS (named after Bruce Lee) in 1996.

‘Wonderland’ is only his first official studio album despite a slew of remixes from artists like Michael Jackson, Good Charlotte and yes, Drake.

On ‘Earthquakey People’ & ‘Earthquakey People (The Sequel)’ Weezer frontman Rivers Cumo sings with the newfound exuberance of a man who has just abandoned celibacy after 14 shots of Amber Rose vodka in the club. ‘Hey Steve, do you have any half-Japanese cousins?’

‘Come With Me’ featuring Polina sounds like the songs on the ‘Garden State’ soundtrack that made hipster girls the most wet. The same Thievery Corporation & Zero 7 vibes that have recently united savants like Soulja Boy & Lil B with future pharmacologist Clams Casino.

What is this? ‘Dangerous’ features a ‘zuper blahq,’ but I’ve played this game of Dance Dance Revolution before. A Bing search confirms that zuper blahq is an alter ego of Black Eyed Peas producer and skinny jeans champion Will.I.Am. The song is ripe for intergalactic breakdancing hamsters selling automobiles.

Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang offer a segue of a song built for Taco Bell and/or stadium licensing with ‘Emergency.’ I mean that in the best way possible. The song sounds like I’m about to start the gnarliest game of Madden ’08 ever.

‘Control Freak’ is a nice duet of sorts between Blaqstarr & My Name Is Kay, sounding like modern day Prince & Appolonia (or is it Spank Rock & Azealia Banks?).

‘Steve Jobs’ with Indonesian Anger Dimmas picks up the BPM and returns ‘Wonderland’ to its most lush and magical wardrobe. The 16 bit Nintendo sounds come paired with one of those classic lead synths that made everyone freak out over songs from Benny Bennassi & that Deadmau5 guy.

Another standout is ‘Cudi The Kid,’ featuring appearances from Travis Barker & Kid Cudi (pre highatus). Cudder is back if only in spirit, riding this frenetic Aoki production bolstered by Travis on the drum fills.

‘Wonderland’ is a fun pop album that encapsulates all genres from punk and hip hop to every EDM buzzword (dubstep, drum & bass, house, so-on and soforth). The album is equal parts designed to keep the clerks at H&M smiling in their knit khakis through the wee hours of the night and the Urchins snowboarding the mountains of Vermont all day (norf norf).

A few months ago when I saw a shirtless Aoki stab my friend with a broken piece of glass at a Flying Lotus show, I was shocked to find out he doesn’t drink or smoke. I’ve since realized Steve’s attention defecit-fueled drunk on life approach and his latent desire to stir-fry the status quo is what makes him fun to be around. It’s these qualities that make people want to see a Steve Aoki show and it’s these qualities that bring the best out of his collaborators here.

Definitely a good album to test drive a car to.

7.8/10