LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� For the , the next frontier is the final one.
Last year, it was announced he was on the manifest the first planned civilian mission to the moon. A trip to outer space makes a lot of sense for the forward-thinking creator, who's releasing 鈥淗iROQUEST 2: Double Helix鈥� on Friday.
The first installment of the conceptual series, 2022鈥檚 pop-punk-infused 鈥淗iROQUEST: Genesis,鈥� introduced the protagonist Hiro, tasked with collecting magical rings to save the world. On 鈥淗iROQUEST 2: Double Helix,鈥� his story continues, and a new antagonist is introduced. The project has a collectible card component, and Aoki is writing a graphic novel 鈥� slated for release early next year 鈥� to tie the albums' narratives together.
Beyond the lore, of course, are the songs. Sonically, 鈥淗iROQUEST 2: Double Helix鈥� is a detour from the first release.
鈥淚鈥檓 inspired by the world around me, and the world around me has changed quite a lot. 鈥楬iROQUEST 1鈥� was made during the pandemic, so I was going and picking up my guitar,鈥� he says, 鈥渓istening to more punk and hardcore.鈥�
The new release, on the other hand, is inspired by his life on the road: It鈥檚 an eclectic ride that finds cohesion in unrelenting energy, one that's 鈥渇ar more dance, far more electronic, far more club banger,鈥� Aoki says.
It also includes more Latin rhythms, with features from , Mexican singers Danna Paola and 脕ngela Aguilar and Argentine singers Tini and La Joaqui. Each featured artist (including on a breathy dance single) is connected to a character in the concept record鈥檚 plot.
鈥淟atin culture is now, endemically and fundamentally part of my musical trajectory. It is always going to be a part of every album and project that I do,鈥� he says, adding that 鈥�70-80%鈥� of the artists that come through his studio in Las Vegas are Latin artists.
There are also a few reimaginations of nostalgic classics, with Aoki working with to update 鈥淟ocked Up,鈥� or adding a hard drop to MGMT's 鈥淜ids.鈥� The latter is how Aoki closes his live sets now, 鈥渒icked up, like, 40 BPMs,鈥� he says.
Those are the results of studio experimentations, thinking across different genres, cultures and languages. As Aoki sees it, an artist 鈥渉as to innovate, because music and culture is unforgiving and it will leave you in the dust,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e're all expendable."
As for his journey into space, he's undergone many physical and medical examinations but hasn't yet begin the 鈥減retty intensive鈥� astronaut training protocol. A date has yet to be set for the launch, but he'll be prepared.
鈥淚n my schedule, I'm doing 203 shows a year. I was willing to drop a ton of shows to do that, plus a seven-day voyage,鈥� he says.
In the meantime, Aoki says he knows how the 鈥淗iROQUEST鈥� saga will end, but he's not telling more. It's about the journey, after all.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
