aaamusic | On 22, Oct 2019

Steve Aoki is one of the most famous EDM DJs in the music world, but do you know how this famous caking stunt came to be? Caking may seem to be the act of Aoki throwing a baked good into someone’s face, but there is a lot of thought in this stunt.

If you want to know all about caking and how Aoki has perfected it, keep reading!

1. Who Is Steve Aoki?

Steve Aoki is a very popular EDM DJ. His music is associated with rave culture and is known for bringing Punk Rock to EDM music.  

He first started DJing at VICE parties and bars before his big break. Aoki soon moved to Los Angles to pursue a music career, starting with his record label. 

His record company is named Dim Mak Records. The company’s name is a reference to Bruce Lee’s Death Touch technique. So, now you know the dim mak meaning!

After starting the company he began to mess around with DJing. His music hit the market at the right time. It was new and drew the attention of those that wanted to listen to something unique. The timing was key and Aoki hit it, rising to fame.

People know him as the rockstar of DJs and for his concert stunts. One of the most popular stunts he does is caking. 

2. What Is Caking?

Caking is a stunt performed by Seve Aoki himself. It is when Aoki throws a cake at someone in the audience. This is usually while he is playing a set and sometimes is planned with a specific song. 

This may seem like a stunt that doesn’t require much thought, but the DJ puts a lot of time into perfecting it.

3. The History of Caking

In 2011 the band Autoerotique released a music video titled Turn up the Volume under Dim Mak Records. The music video shows colorful cakes exploding in people’s faces after blowing out candles.

When Aoki saw the video he was in awe. He loved the sequence and thought it was brilliant. 

Aoki has been caught saying that he thought there was something cinematic and beautiful to the exploding cakes. He wasn’t the only one, the video went viral pretty fast. Even people who didn’t listen to EDM knew about the exploding cake video.

Aoki began playing the Autoerotique song in his set. This was to help promote the music and his label. When the song came on, he would reveal a cake that said ‘Turn up the Volume’ with the Autoerotique’s name. The writing was included on the cake so the audience could understand.

Since the video went viral, Aoki didn’t need to do much explaining. The audience and long-time fans knew exactly what the cake was from. 

Eventually, Steve retired the song from his set. For about six months he dropped caking all together. Fans would be yelling for it and asking to be caked even though Aoki wasn’t playing the song.

He decided to put caking into all of his shows. So the song left the set, but the act of caking stayed. We mean, who doesn’t want a Steve Aoki cake in their face?

4. Does the Audience Like Having Cake Thrown at Them?

We know that when the Autoerotique song retired fans were begging to be caked. So, the audience is to thank for caking becoming as popular as it is today. If it wasn’t for these adoring fans, caking would have left with the song. 

Fans come to shows with signs asking to be caked. Some even stand at the stage and ask for a Steve Aoki cake throw.

According to Aoki, there is always one person that really wants the cake.

5. Why the Cake Is So Special

So, you’re probably thinking that the cake is just any cake Aoki can get his hands on. You’re wrong. There is a lot of planning that goes into caking.

Aoki has every cake locally sourced. Before a show, he will contact local bakers to make the cake. On top of paying for the cake, he will give the bakers backstage tickets to come to hang out at the show. 

Aoki stresses that supporting the local bakeries is important to him. This stunt is well-loved by fans and also helps to support local businesses at the same time.

Before every show, there is a cake-check that goes along with the regular soundcheck. A cake-check is very important to the stunt because Aoki doesn’t want the baked good to be rock hard. 

The cake-check helps Aoki to ensure no one will be hurt in the act of caking. It should be a soft and beautiful experience!

6. So, Now You Want to be Caked

You know the story behind caking and now want to be caked? Good, us too!

The only way to be caked by Steve Aoki is to buy a front stage ticket to one of his shows. Since this is pricy, you can hire a DJ for your next event and have them cake you.

DJs for hire will play Aoki songs and even give you the real caking experience. Yes, we know it’s not Aoki himself, but it would still be an awesome party!

Now It’s Time to Plan When You Will be Caked

We gave you a run-down on who Steve Aoki is and his record label. More importantly, we have gone through the history of caking and why it has become a staple to his shows. 

Now it’s time to decide when you will be caked. Will it be at the next Steve Aoki show or your next party with an awesome DJ?