Today is a good day because today is the day we bring you Dim Mak, the ubiquitous juggernaut of EDM that’ll be gracing Austin Party Weekend with their brand bone-chattering bass and live show sorcery at SXSW next week.
Dim Mak is an independent, LA-based record label, events company, and lifestyle brand founded by Steve Aoki in 1996. Although they’re most well-known today for their titanic EDM acts, Dim Mak has released records for bands from all genres including punk, indie rock, hardcore, and rap. The label garners their notorious drive from Aoki’s “Do It Yourself” ethos and the company’s “By Any Means Necessary” mantra, which may or may not have something to do with why they’ve been unstoppable since their inception.
Aoki started Dim Mak when he was just a wee boy in a college dorm at the UCSB (you probably weren’t born yet). His first major release was a debut EP from Pretty Girls Make Graves in 2001, and with subsequent releases from The Kills and The Black Rooster, Dim Mak officially made a name for itself.
In 2009, Dim Mak Records entered the world of EDM with the release of “Warp” from The Bloody Beetroots featuring Steve Aoki. The song became a worldwide club anthem, establishing Dim Mak as a major player in the dance scene. Hot off the success of “Warp” and Steve Aoki’s own DJ career, Dim Mak continued to sign and break numerous electronic dance music producers like Azari & III, Datsik, Felix Cartal, and several others.
You have Dim Mak to thank for breaking acts like The Bloody Beetroots, Bloc Party, The Kills, Battles, The Gossip, Andy’s iLL, Klaxons, MSTRKRFT, Felix Cartal, Datsik, and others. Their current roster is packed with talent including Clockwork, Angger Dimas, Azari & III, Keys N Krates, Dirtyphonics, and many more. You’re welcome.
Dim Mak also puts on several killer parties around LA (see Dim Mak Tuesdays), operates a touring department and hosts Dim Mak-branded stages across numerous music festivals around the world. They’re in every corner of the earth killing it right now.
Dim Mak’s Austin Party Weekend showcase is gonna be insane; it’s the first show we’ve done with them since 2006 so it should be something to remember. Check out their lineup, then scroll down for some of our favorite tracks from their SXSW artists.
