EDM party king Steve Aoki just touched down in Australia ahead of MTV’s Beats & Eats Festival, and has spoken about how the death of some of our biggest EDM festivals is preventing international acts from coming down under.
Speaking with Music Feeds, Aoki says, “I never get a chance, when I think about coming down here. It’s becoming less and less frequent, because the festivals are gone.
Aoki has been a regular fixture at festivals like Stereosonic and Future Music over the years, but both festivals have since faded into oblivion.
“I was asking a lot of questions yesterday,” Aoki says. “What happened? Stereosonic and Future have bowed out.
“Where do artists like myself, in the electronic space, go to play and to build our careers down here? People are still trying to figure it out.
“I remember when I first started coming out here, I always listed Australia as a country where pound-for-pound it was a festival culture country. It was a blessing to come down here, because it was just beautiful days and everyone out having the time of their lives.
“Now it’s even more special that I’m here, so I’m really happy to be down here.”
While he thinks that overseas EDM talent might struggle for places to perform down under, Aoki reckons there’s sure to be brighter things on the horizon, especially with the talent that Australia has to offer.
“I think maybe at the end of the day Australia needs some time, some breathing room to regrow again,” he says. “I mean, Flume has definitely taken the world by storm. Definitely building his own thing, I’m a huge fan of his for what he’s doing. I love a lot of the artists down here.”
Steve Aoki plays MTV Beats And Eats Festival this weekend. His full interview with Music Feeds is coming soon.
Watch: Steve Aoki, Marnik & Lil Jon – ‘Supernova (Interstellar)’
