Here’s another great interview with MYMAG cofounder Magnus Greaves.
Conducted by Magtastic Blogsplosion, it’s slightly less business-oriented than some of Magnus’s recent interviews, focusing more on the magazines themselves. The interview is the final portion of four Magtastic posts about MYMAG. The first three are in-depth reviews of each MYMAG currently available, so if you’d like to know a little more about what’s in each magazine before you buy, check out the reviews below.
Check out Steve Aoki’s interview with MYMAG. So not too long ago, MYMAG went to the Barracuda store in Los Angeles for a DIMMAK launch (regular readers know I’m a fan) and pinned Steve down to take us behind the inspirations for his MYMAG, AOKI.
He explains his love of NYLON and Monster Children (unquestionably one of Australia’s coolest magazines, and a favorite of mine). He talks about BPM being the first magazine to put him on its cover — and, like all men, lets us in on his love for Gisele (you’ll get to see quite a lot of her in the V magazine section of AOKI!) He also pays tribute to his friend and mentor DJ AM, who passed away last year and to whom AOKI is dedicated.
The highlight is Steve’s insight into his personal section of AOKI — it’s filled with backstage/onstage/jumping offstage photos, all of which were taken by The Cobrasnake, whose star has risen alongside Steve’s; their careers have progressed in tandem over the years. Steve explains how they got started (dragging records through the streets of Tokyo!) and why his photos are so important to him. (more…)
If you’ve been to Los Angeles, you’ve seen his name plastered on floors, walls and pillars; if you’ve been to a fashion party anywhere in the world, he’s probably taken your photo. The Cobrasnake, a.k.a. Mark Hunter, has, at 24, become one of the hottest party photographers around. He’s a permanent fixture at every Fashion Week, and an entire section of Steve Aoki’s MYMAG is dedicated to his photos of the DJ backstage, onstage and all over the world (You can check these out on Aoki’s MYMAG preview!)
As energetic as Aoki’s sets, Hunter’s photos capture what it is to party today, whatever city you’re in (Tokyo, London and Paris are just a few of his favorites). In addition to his photography, the Cobrasnake has now released his own clothing brand. The highlight is unquestionably the printed tees, which feature Aoki cover art. In fact every graphic used is pretty fantastic. Imagine American Apparel, only far cooler (and more exclusive!)
There are currently more than 50,000 iPhone apps. Although many of these are brilliant, it seems as though people are getting a little carried away. There is, for example, an app that dials 911 for you if doing so yourself is too much effort in an emergency (it would, in fact, take longer to open the app than to dial the number). Or if you’re off to Vegas, maybe you should consider buying Roulette Helper? Yes, it tells you which numbers to bet on. No, it does not improve your chances of winning. If gambling isn’t your thing, then maybe SimStapler? If, like Milton Waddams, you’re lamenting the loss of your favorite stapler, you can soothe your soul by listening to the sound it makes over…and over…and over again.
These apps are a little absurd, yes — but the genuinely useful ones make up for that. Celebrities are slowly catching on to the app craze, and Steve Aoki’s is one of the best (the pope’s is also worth a look!). On Aoki’s app, you can see what one of the world’s best DJs is up to, and listen to some of his finest mixes and original tracks while browsing through his tour dates. The app offers exclusive videos and photos, but the highlight is surely the fan wall. Aoki’s fans flood the wall with tales of each of his manic gigs the morning after — or simply apologize for attempting to rush the stage! Apple is right: There is, indeed, an app for just about anything. Aoki’s is one of the select few that will find its way onto my iPhone.
Click above to download Aoki for your iPhone
When it comes to what makes a DJ great — not just great, but incredible — I’ve always found that there’s more than just technical skills to consider. It’s fine to be able to spin and mix with the best of them, but if you look bored doing it, what’s the point? I’ve seen DJs whose music could bring the house down, but their inability to crack a smile or even bother looking at the crowd while playing ruins it. Yes, sometimes us lowly listeners, dancing away, get little interaction. Well, in Australia recently, Steve Aoki proved once again that he can play some of the best sets in the world and have fun doing it. (more…)
Brands all too often think it would be a great idea to create a mass of merchandising. Useless merchandising. They plaster their images on T-shirts, mugs, keychains, anything that can be sold and packaged. Surely if you like Fanta you’d want an image of their can on a hoodie? So often this can go disastrously wrong. But then you get a brand like DIMMAK. (more…)
