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Blue: The Color of Noise
The music. The mix. His life.
"[A] passionate, introspective memoir." ― Publishers Weekly
"Sometimes I think my whole life can be seen through shades of blue..." ―Steve Aoki
Blue is the remarkable story―in pictures and words―of Steve Aoki, the superstar DJ/producer who started his career as a vegan straightedge hardcore music kid hellbent on defying his millionaire father, whose unquenchable thirst to entertain―inherited from his dad, Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana―led him to global success and two Grammy nominations.
Ranked among the top ten DJs in the world today, Grammy-nominated artist, producer, label head, fashion designer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Steve Aoki is an authentic global trendsetter and tastemaker who has been instrumental in defining contemporary youth culture. Known for his outrageous stage antics (cake throwing, champagne spraying, and the ‘Aoki Jump’) and his endearing personality, Steve is also the brains behind indie record label Dim Mak, which broke acts such as The Kills, Bloc Party, and The Gossip. Dim Mak also put out the first releases by breakout EDM stars The Chainsmokers and The Bloody Beetroots, as well as the early releases for Grammy-nominated artist Iggy Azalea, in addition to EDM star Zedd and electro duo MSTRKFT.
In Blue , Aoki recounts the epic highs of music festivals, clubs and pool parties around the world, as well as the lows of friendships lost to drugs and alcohol, and his relationship with his flamboyant father. Illustrated with candid photos gathered throughout his life, the book reveals how Aoki became a force of nature as an early social media adopter, helping to turn dance music into the phenomenon it is today. All this, while remaining true to his DIY punk rock principles, which value spontaneity, fun and friendship above all else―demonstrable by the countless cakes he has flung across cities worldwide.
"[A] passionate, introspective memoir." ― Publishers Weekly
"Sometimes I think my whole life can be seen through shades of blue..." ―Steve Aoki
Blue is the remarkable story―in pictures and words―of Steve Aoki, the superstar DJ/producer who started his career as a vegan straightedge hardcore music kid hellbent on defying his millionaire father, whose unquenchable thirst to entertain―inherited from his dad, Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana―led him to global success and two Grammy nominations.
Ranked among the top ten DJs in the world today, Grammy-nominated artist, producer, label head, fashion designer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Steve Aoki is an authentic global trendsetter and tastemaker who has been instrumental in defining contemporary youth culture. Known for his outrageous stage antics (cake throwing, champagne spraying, and the ‘Aoki Jump’) and his endearing personality, Steve is also the brains behind indie record label Dim Mak, which broke acts such as The Kills, Bloc Party, and The Gossip. Dim Mak also put out the first releases by breakout EDM stars The Chainsmokers and The Bloody Beetroots, as well as the early releases for Grammy-nominated artist Iggy Azalea, in addition to EDM star Zedd and electro duo MSTRKFT.
In Blue , Aoki recounts the epic highs of music festivals, clubs and pool parties around the world, as well as the lows of friendships lost to drugs and alcohol, and his relationship with his flamboyant father. Illustrated with candid photos gathered throughout his life, the book reveals how Aoki became a force of nature as an early social media adopter, helping to turn dance music into the phenomenon it is today. All this, while remaining true to his DIY punk rock principles, which value spontaneity, fun and friendship above all else―demonstrable by the countless cakes he has flung across cities worldwide.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2019
38 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Steve Aoki
9 books8 followersSteven Hiroyuki "Steve" Aoki is an American DJ and music producer. In 2012, Pollstar designated Aoki as the highest-grossing electronic dance music artist in North America from tours.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 2, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book by a musician much younger than I, with a completely different upbringing. We share common interests, not just in music, but also brain science. My biggest take away though is persistance. Never giving up. Looking at all experiences as an opportunity to learn. It's written in a breezy conversational style that's refreshing.
September 26, 2019
Beautiful biography. This has a really flowing writing style and I think mr. Aoki is an interesting person. I did not know a lot about him besides his music, so I'm glad to have read this. Definately recommended and you can also read and enjoy it if you're not familiar with Steve Aoki.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
October 13, 2019
I received this book through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book, but id didn't have as much depth as I expected.
The book is largely about the loss of Aoki's father and how his father shaped his childhood and that loss shaped his adulthood. I liked that there were 'drops' between chapters that were often airy and poetic but started becoming more concrete and related to the rest of the book as they want on.
However, the pacing of this book was odd and slow. There's very little actual dialogue and a lot of jumping around. There's also references to certain events and songs, like Aoki expects people who read this book to already know those things. He also spends time praising Michael Jackson and Kanye West, which felt like a weird take for 2019. He spends a few pages talking about the loss of other famous artists like Avicii and his descent into drinking, but even then seems to gloss over the details.
Largely I suppose I'm not the demographic for this book, but it wasn't what I expected.
I wanted to like this book, but id didn't have as much depth as I expected.
The book is largely about the loss of Aoki's father and how his father shaped his childhood and that loss shaped his adulthood. I liked that there were 'drops' between chapters that were often airy and poetic but started becoming more concrete and related to the rest of the book as they want on.
However, the pacing of this book was odd and slow. There's very little actual dialogue and a lot of jumping around. There's also references to certain events and songs, like Aoki expects people who read this book to already know those things. He also spends time praising Michael Jackson and Kanye West, which felt like a weird take for 2019. He spends a few pages talking about the loss of other famous artists like Avicii and his descent into drinking, but even then seems to gloss over the details.
Largely I suppose I'm not the demographic for this book, but it wasn't what I expected.
August 3, 2019
The bio to end all other bios. So good. So satisfying. Addicted to Steve's voice shining throughout the book. My cup runneth over with praises for this book. It's probably been my fav bio that I've read all year. It's an amazing experience that will leave people speechless in a good way. Mega star gets mega personal and I loved every minute of it. I ugly cried while reading a few parts, I admit. The feelings were real and raw and there. And I'm definitely going to be buying a hardcover copy when it comes out just to put on my shelf and display because the covers gorgeous. 5/5 stars. If I could give it more like 10 stars, I would.
June 2, 2020
As I have said in many reviews, just because you are famous, doesn't mean you should write a book.
I wanted this to better and it probably deserved to be better.
It seemed there were a lot of repeating phrases and paragraphs. A lot of rambling.
Such a waste Mr Aoki. Stick to music.
I wanted this to better and it probably deserved to be better.
It seemed there were a lot of repeating phrases and paragraphs. A lot of rambling.
Such a waste Mr Aoki. Stick to music.
August 15, 2022
This was really interesting. I loved getting to know Steve better.
September 12, 2023
Steve Aoki is a monumental figure in EDM, one of the first people you think of when you think of the genre, and one of the pioneers of this field. As someone who dabbles in raving, I read this book as a way to understand this industry giant more, especially since he is one of the few prominent Asians on the scene (the only other big ones I know are Tokimonsta, Zhu, and Elephante - none as big), a scene consumed so heavily by an Asian audience.
Overall, this book did not surprise me or blow me away. It is not overly salacious or personal and feels fully PR vetted. Though there are definitely moments of vulnerability, I still felt a distance from Aoki throughout the book. There was a lot of focus on how he created his major hits and the artists he worked with; stories on how he went from event management to record label executive to producing to eventually DJing, and while I appreciated the inside scoop - that is a big part of why I picked up this book - I wish the book were long enough to also include more on his personal life. Given his family’s glittering legacy - his father was the founder of Benihana and one of his sisters was Devon Aoki, a global supermodel - I expected more emotional turbulence in their relationships that I wish he had delved more into, not for entertainment but more to humanize him. It must have been hard to work with the pressures of legacy, but there must have also been a level of privilege and help involved. The rare moments of vulnerability in the book were few but really shown through - his tribute to his dad through the best traits he passed on to each of his siblings was extremely touching, and his brief explanation of his relationship with Tiernan showed the untapped potential of the stories untold. The theme of the color blue might’ve felt more like a thematic through line if there were more emotional vulnerability throughout.
Lastly, I appreciated the audiobook experience as something truly unique. Daniel Paisner read most of this book, and at quite the breakneck speed - I usually listen to audiobooks at a 1.5-1.8x speed, but I listened to this one at 1.3x. Steve Aoki does jump in to narrate the more artistic parts of this book but the way he jumps in is quite jarring - he introduces his own narration as if he’s jumping on instagram live, saying phrases like ‘what’s up guys, just got done with a show in insert city and imma read you guys the new drop of my book.” I’m not sure if this way of presenting sections of the book is one that I enjoy or not, but it does feel true to this book and his character.
Overall, this book did not surprise me or blow me away. It is not overly salacious or personal and feels fully PR vetted. Though there are definitely moments of vulnerability, I still felt a distance from Aoki throughout the book. There was a lot of focus on how he created his major hits and the artists he worked with; stories on how he went from event management to record label executive to producing to eventually DJing, and while I appreciated the inside scoop - that is a big part of why I picked up this book - I wish the book were long enough to also include more on his personal life. Given his family’s glittering legacy - his father was the founder of Benihana and one of his sisters was Devon Aoki, a global supermodel - I expected more emotional turbulence in their relationships that I wish he had delved more into, not for entertainment but more to humanize him. It must have been hard to work with the pressures of legacy, but there must have also been a level of privilege and help involved. The rare moments of vulnerability in the book were few but really shown through - his tribute to his dad through the best traits he passed on to each of his siblings was extremely touching, and his brief explanation of his relationship with Tiernan showed the untapped potential of the stories untold. The theme of the color blue might’ve felt more like a thematic through line if there were more emotional vulnerability throughout.
Lastly, I appreciated the audiobook experience as something truly unique. Daniel Paisner read most of this book, and at quite the breakneck speed - I usually listen to audiobooks at a 1.5-1.8x speed, but I listened to this one at 1.3x. Steve Aoki does jump in to narrate the more artistic parts of this book but the way he jumps in is quite jarring - he introduces his own narration as if he’s jumping on instagram live, saying phrases like ‘what’s up guys, just got done with a show in insert city and imma read you guys the new drop of my book.” I’m not sure if this way of presenting sections of the book is one that I enjoy or not, but it does feel true to this book and his character.
April 5, 2024
It was so interesting to learn more about DJ Steve Aoki's personal story of developing his own sense of identity and establishing himself in the global scene. Identity, family, culture, and belonging are key themes throughout the book and Aoki shares anecdotes that provide reflective details and questions about his experiences. I first hear Aoki discuss the book on the Gabby Reece podcast and I was drawn to his explanation of how music was a vehicle to access belonging and community many times throughout his life. The last chapter provided details about Aoki's current side quests: being curious about brain health research as well as supporting researchers' quest to open their research to a broader audience.
My favorite quotes include:
"Think about it: when things are calm and peaceful, when there's an overwhelming presence of blue in your environment, it stimulates deeper abstract thinking. When our defenses are down, there's no need to feel agitated or up against it, or to put ourselves on high alert. It allows us to turn our thoughts and our energies inward, in a purely positive way... maybe that's way artists and poets and visionaries have always been drawn to the sea, where that blue that reflects off the ocean helps to free our minds and ignite creativity."
"That's something I've been passionate about since the early days of Dim Mak. You could see it in a small way with those "Hearts and Minds" motivational quotes I included in linear notes, putting out all these healing, hopeful messages....now it was also about making some kind of difference. End of the day, that's why we're here-- to make the world a better place."
"One of the other shape-shifting lessons that found me as I began to collaborate with artists is that there is a wellspring of power to be found in the ways we take care of each other and lift each other up."
My favorite quotes include:
"Think about it: when things are calm and peaceful, when there's an overwhelming presence of blue in your environment, it stimulates deeper abstract thinking. When our defenses are down, there's no need to feel agitated or up against it, or to put ourselves on high alert. It allows us to turn our thoughts and our energies inward, in a purely positive way... maybe that's way artists and poets and visionaries have always been drawn to the sea, where that blue that reflects off the ocean helps to free our minds and ignite creativity."
"That's something I've been passionate about since the early days of Dim Mak. You could see it in a small way with those "Hearts and Minds" motivational quotes I included in linear notes, putting out all these healing, hopeful messages....now it was also about making some kind of difference. End of the day, that's why we're here-- to make the world a better place."
"One of the other shape-shifting lessons that found me as I began to collaborate with artists is that there is a wellspring of power to be found in the ways we take care of each other and lift each other up."
September 12, 2019
I really liked this book. I'm a fan of Aoki's music and thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit more about his background. Well, I got what I wanted. Aoki tells a fascinating tale of growing up in his father's shadow (the founder of Benihana) and learning how to forge his own path forward. Side note--it's insane that Aoki's father was roommates with Seiji Ozawa.
What struck me most about the book is how genuine Aoki is in his writing. You could read this book and think it's all bullshit, a quick money grab, and you would probably not enjoy it. But if you take what he's saying as Aoki truly opening up, genuine, then it is enjoyable and heartfelt. His story is remarkable in that, despite his father's fortunes, Aoki essentially grew up with little to nothing, never asked for handouts, and tried for decades to make it on his own. He struggled through failure before really taking off, and I really admire that.
The chapter I enjoyed the most is his discussion about the LA Dodgers and being invited to throw out the first pitch at a game. Despite the chapter being relatively short, Aoki really captures the Dodgers' pathos and highlights how important the team is to Southern California's culture--even for non-baseball fans.
His discussions of 9/11 and the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas were jarring and raw.
Finally, his reflections of his own life and success--in particular how lonely it can be--was revealing. I think "normal" people often forget that people with Aoki's level of success achieve it at great costs. I'm definitely going to listen to his music through a new lens as a result of this book. I'm looking forward to it.
What struck me most about the book is how genuine Aoki is in his writing. You could read this book and think it's all bullshit, a quick money grab, and you would probably not enjoy it. But if you take what he's saying as Aoki truly opening up, genuine, then it is enjoyable and heartfelt. His story is remarkable in that, despite his father's fortunes, Aoki essentially grew up with little to nothing, never asked for handouts, and tried for decades to make it on his own. He struggled through failure before really taking off, and I really admire that.
The chapter I enjoyed the most is his discussion about the LA Dodgers and being invited to throw out the first pitch at a game. Despite the chapter being relatively short, Aoki really captures the Dodgers' pathos and highlights how important the team is to Southern California's culture--even for non-baseball fans.
His discussions of 9/11 and the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas were jarring and raw.
Finally, his reflections of his own life and success--in particular how lonely it can be--was revealing. I think "normal" people often forget that people with Aoki's level of success achieve it at great costs. I'm definitely going to listen to his music through a new lens as a result of this book. I'm looking forward to it.
December 6, 2019
I found out about this book through listening to Joe Rogan's podcast and Steve Aoki was on it. Listening to him talk it got me interested in reading his book.
I was not aware that Steve Aoki's father was the owner/founder of Benihana's. So that was a fact I learned about him. I also was not aware that Devon was his half sister.
This book had such a chill vibe to it. I enjoyed reading and learning all about Steve. I totally understood how he felt growing up living in a pre-dominantly caucasian area and being one of the only Asians. Living through the racism and ignorance of people not understanding that while Asians looks different the bottom line is we are all still people. It was tough growing and going to school with people who made fun of you or alienated you because of ethnicity.
I wasn't aware just how hard Steve had to work to get where he was today, nor the many hats he wore before he became a big name in the DJ world. Reading through this book really made me just how hard some of these celebrities worked to get where they are today.
What really had me interested was Steve's fascination with learning how the brain and body all works together and how he has such a huge interest in trying to combat cancer. He touched upon it in the podcast and he spoke a bit about it in his book.
Overall very enjoyable read. I loved reading his "drops" which were placed in between chapters. I now have a new outlook on the color of blue.
I was not aware that Steve Aoki's father was the owner/founder of Benihana's. So that was a fact I learned about him. I also was not aware that Devon was his half sister.
This book had such a chill vibe to it. I enjoyed reading and learning all about Steve. I totally understood how he felt growing up living in a pre-dominantly caucasian area and being one of the only Asians. Living through the racism and ignorance of people not understanding that while Asians looks different the bottom line is we are all still people. It was tough growing and going to school with people who made fun of you or alienated you because of ethnicity.
I wasn't aware just how hard Steve had to work to get where he was today, nor the many hats he wore before he became a big name in the DJ world. Reading through this book really made me just how hard some of these celebrities worked to get where they are today.
What really had me interested was Steve's fascination with learning how the brain and body all works together and how he has such a huge interest in trying to combat cancer. He touched upon it in the podcast and he spoke a bit about it in his book.
Overall very enjoyable read. I loved reading his "drops" which were placed in between chapters. I now have a new outlook on the color of blue.
October 9, 2021
Despite having a collab/author helping him write this book it's terrible.
Hard to read. Hard to follow.
Not a true autobiography.
Where he came from? How he got here?
This books falls into those preachy almost self help category.
Starts each chapter with a thought. Then rest of the chapter supports it.
Statement > Support. Statement > Support....zzzzzzzzzzzzz
BTW, I'm glad I got the book for free from the library.
It's one of those books where you start from the end or just read the first page of each chapters. I really tried to read this book, because I grew up hearing stories about his dad Rocky Aoki(benihana guy). Steve goes into great length to explain his dad's sleeping around and step families, but it's all love/peace....seriously?
I really tried. I really tried.
Maybe if I liked his music better? Well, he ain't no Crystal Method or Moby...for sure.
CLUNK!!!
That's the sound of the book dropping down the return box after 2 days.
Hard to read. Hard to follow.
Not a true autobiography.
Where he came from? How he got here?
This books falls into those preachy almost self help category.
Starts each chapter with a thought. Then rest of the chapter supports it.
Statement > Support. Statement > Support....zzzzzzzzzzzzz
BTW, I'm glad I got the book for free from the library.
It's one of those books where you start from the end or just read the first page of each chapters. I really tried to read this book, because I grew up hearing stories about his dad Rocky Aoki(benihana guy). Steve goes into great length to explain his dad's sleeping around and step families, but it's all love/peace....seriously?
I really tried. I really tried.
Maybe if I liked his music better? Well, he ain't no Crystal Method or Moby...for sure.
CLUNK!!!
That's the sound of the book dropping down the return box after 2 days.
March 23, 2020
I read this based on a recommendation by a fan of his. I actually really enjoyed what he had to say in terms of music and the life of DJing. It was odd to hear him talk so blunt about being straight-edge or religious just to turn around and be like, but not anymore, suckers. However, I kind of understood it? He was explaining how we all change courses in life and that is okay. He's definitely an interesting character and I do like that it is an autobiography that wasn't super repetitive (which seems hard to find these days).
December 27, 2020
This was such an unexpected gem. I figured it would be interesting but it was so much more. So often we have an opinion on someone famous based on a few snippets of information about the person’s life. It’s so much more interesting to dig in and really learn about a person from the person directly. I had seen the documentary on him and this added so much more depth and breadth to his life, his career, his beliefs and his music. I highly recommend this book - whether you are a fan or not, it’s a great book.
July 26, 2019
** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
En seguida que vi la posibilidad de leer la biografía de Aoki, y más con él involucrado en el libro, necesitaba leerlo. Me encanto leerlo. La lectura es muy amena, y sentí como si fuera el propio artista quien me contaba su historia. Si les gusta la música del artista, recomiendo ampliamente la lectura de este libro.
En seguida que vi la posibilidad de leer la biografía de Aoki, y más con él involucrado en el libro, necesitaba leerlo. Me encanto leerlo. La lectura es muy amena, y sentí como si fuera el propio artista quien me contaba su historia. Si les gusta la música del artista, recomiendo ampliamente la lectura de este libro.
July 31, 2019
The Color of Noise by Steve Aoki is a really great memoir. I’m a fan of his music and have been to his shows twice (they’re super fun!) but I didn’t know much about his background or personal life so I was really excited to read this book and learn more about him. It was really interesting how he saw his life through the lens of color. It was a great through line for the book. I especially liked the parts where he talked about his early teenage connection to music and then his experiences with big name collaborators later in his career.
February 10, 2025
More about the struggles of a minority kid that doesn’t fit in working to find success, than it is about EDM. Although there’s plenty of cool stories of the early scene.
Great to show that there are a lot of ways to succeed, but they all take hard work, even sometimes when you have a rich and famous dad.
Great to show that there are a lot of ways to succeed, but they all take hard work, even sometimes when you have a rich and famous dad.
June 6, 2022
I enjoyed the opportunity to create a more complete picture of Steve Aoki. There are a few confusing chapters in the middle and the "F-word" is used all over the place, but I enjoyed learning about him and his creative process.
October 19, 2022
By no means a Pulitzer candidate, but still a very unique story of how Steven became Steve Aoki. Clearly written by himself it’s a very good history of his life and how he dealt with familial relations that shaped both his music production style and construction of self. Recommend to all Aoki fans
October 15, 2019
Fun perspective into the mind of a creative.
December 27, 2019
Memoir of Steve Aoki. I thought the theme of blue throughout the book were interesting, but this was not my favorite memoir.
January 14, 2020
Steve got this eastern poetic soul and western adventurous spirit
Besides his cool piece of pop art, there’s warm heart, grounded attitude and hardworking resilience.
Besides his cool piece of pop art, there’s warm heart, grounded attitude and hardworking resilience.
March 18, 2021
I can't say i was entirely unmoved but overall, lackluster writing and flow.
January 26, 2022
I probably enjoyed this more than normal because it was about someone I listen to. That’s what got me started reading it but I did like the storytelling. And lessons learned. How things circled back to an important moment and the color.
May 14, 2023
Namedropping waffle that jumps around
August 7, 2023
It was interesting, and I learned a lot, but the need to incorporate blue into every chapter started to feel a little forced after a while.
December 23, 2019
The story of a gentle soul navigating his way through a ferocious sub culture whilst discovering the realization of his visions. This is a fast read that feels a little dumbed down in places. Aoki understands the intangible, but falls a tad short in his attempt to share it with us all. Still, a fascinating book worth reading and sharing with music loving friends and family. A true pioneer for the youth of this generation.
May 11, 2020
I've always been a huge fan of Steve Aoki's, and this book further cemented that love and respect for him as an artist, as a human, and now as a writer. Aoki's prose was beautiful, and the pacing of the book made this one so easy to read. He made me cry for real a couple of times with his insight on some really nightmarish moments in our recent history. Even if you're not a fan of his music, give this book a chance. You will not regret it.
September 1, 2023
This book is three stars only bc I listened on audible and for some reason the “s” sounds were so sharp that it would hurt my ears and i’d have to turn it down, but then it was hard to hear. That truly colored my experience with the book, but it was a great life story and i’m sure i’d like the physical copy better!
October 6, 2019
I knew nothing about this man and then heard about his dad who was the Benihana guy. Crazy!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews