Steve Aoki and KAAZE
Following a massive debut at Australia’s Hypersonic Festival, the duo’s first collaborative EP delivers a high-impact fusion of industrial weight and big-room euphoria.
There is a specific kind of alchemy that occurs when two mainstage titans stop trading remixes and finally lock themselves in a studio to chase a singular, high-octane vision. For two-time Grammy nominee Steve Aoki and Swedish powerhouse KAAZE, that moment has arrived with the release of their collaborative EP, Head Rush. Out now via Dim Mak Records, the three-track project is less of a polite introduction and more of a sonic assault designed for the sweat-drenched front rows of the world’s biggest festivals. While the project officially marks their first joint EP, the creative DNA between the two producers runs deep. Fans have long recognized their chemistry from recent hits like “Won’t Forget This Time” and “Whole Again,” both featuring the soaring vocals of John Martin, which anchored Aoki’s sprawling HiROQUEST album cycle. KAAZE’s fingerprints were also visible on the HiROQUEST 2: Double Helix remix package, where his rework of “Kyro” hinted at the heavier, club-oriented direction the pair would eventually take.
On Head Rush, the duo successfully bridges the gap between Aoki’s legendary electro-house grit and the signature “Hōt Teknō” style that KAAZE has been pioneering across the European club circuit. This sound, characterized by driving techno rhythms that flirt with melodic big-room sensibilities, finds its purest expression in the EP’s title track. Featuring the ethereal vocals of British singer-songwriter Sarah De Warren, “Head Rush” is a masterclass in tension and release. De Warren, who has recently become a go-to collaborator for elite electronic acts like Curbi and Gareth Emery, provides a haunting, emotive counterpoint to the track’s industrial-sized drops. It is a song built for the “5 A.M. moment,” where the euphoria of the crowd meets the physical weight of the bass.
The project is rounded out by “Give It To Me” and “Self Control,” two adrenaline-fueled cuts that double down on the high-energy ethos of the collaboration. These tracks weren’t just born in a vacuum; they were forged in the fire of live performance. Earlier this month, the duo took their shared vision to the southern hemisphere, appearing together at the Hypersonic Festival in Sydney and Melbourne. Standing before thousands of fans, they debuted the new material to immediate effect, proving that these songs are engineered for maximum physical impact. Aoki himself notes that the EP captures a shared vision of music that is high-energy, emotional, and euphoric. He describes the collection as big-room energy with heart—the kind of music that serves as a visceral reminder of why he stepped behind the decks in the first place.
KAAZE echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that the goal from the start was to create something that would “absolutely destroy the festival stage.” With every drop and melody across the EP meticulously designed to make listeners lose themselves in the moment, Head Rush arrives as a definitive statement from two artists who understand the pulse of the crowd better than almost anyone else in the industry. As Aoki continues to expand his HiROQUEST universe and KAAZE cements his status as a leader of the new techno-progressive hybrid sound, this EP stands as a testament to what happens when longtime friends finally stop talking about a collaboration and start living it.
About the Author
