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If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. Back in 2019, we asked DJ, producer, and designer Steve Aoki about the protein bars and sleep mask he can’t live without. Five years later, we asked him to revisit his list — which you can read here — and it turns out he’s still using some of it, along with a few new favorites.
What he still can’t live without
When I’m traveling, I need blackout and comfort on my eyes. I’m like a sleeping-mask guinea pig; I’ve tried so many. But out of all of the ones I’ve tested, this one’s still my favorite. It does the job, and I pass out right away.
I used to travel with three laptops, but I’ve consolidated. With the updates and everything, I can use one less MacBook. I travel with two for producing and DJ-ing. Apple’s the way to go when it comes to making music. Depending on if I’m on the road for a long time, I’ll also bring a gaming PC laptop. I only bring that on lengthy tours or bus tours when I’m going to be able to just have some fun recreational time.
And some new favorites
I hit up so many different time zones, and Neuro Gum helps me stay alert. It’s so effective. I just chew it, and it does what it’s supposed to do. It’s pretty fast-acting, and I try to gauge when to take it depending on what I’m doing. If I know I’m going to have a late night DJ-ing or have back-to-back shows, I’ll chew it right when I get off the plane and am headed to the show. It’s great for long DJ sets because it keeps me going without constantly drinking some sort of energy drink.
I don’t really drink too many carbonated beverages. I’m very selective with what I drink, but I really love these seltzers. To me, it’s like LaCroix but with Asian-inspired flavors, like lychee and yuzu. I think it’s really filling a pocket of people’s tastes that’s been overlooked. And they’re not too sweet. A lot of people in my household like calamansi, which is like a golden lime, but I think my favorite is lychee. I’m drinking one right now.
I mean, Rimowa luggage is durable. It can withstand a beating. It’s stylish, too. Because I’m a fashion guy, I want even my luggage to look good. But one of my favorite things about it is that it rolls super well. People don’t realize how important the actual rolling is. When you travel as much as I do, efficiency is super important. I don’t want to use more space or energy than I need. Their luggages have four wheels, so I barely have to pull it. I can glide through the airport. And, I can stack my backpack on top of it. I have a backpack and luggage every single time I travel. If the backpack doesn’t have one of those back sliders that slide on to the actual luggage, I’m not going to use it because I never wear a backpack on my back. I want to be free. I just plop it on top of the Rimowa and there we go.
I think the most important thing that people need to have is metrics on your body. When you have your baseline, then you can understand how to improve or where you’re deficient. From there, it’s really up to you and your mind-set in order to do better. I get sort of my baseline with this Whoop Watch. I’m very anal about tracking my resistance, seeing how my workouts are going, and my sleep data. And it’s got a good band. After working out and sweating through it or even swimming with it on, it dries quickly. You don’t want a band that’s stinky. And it’s pretty comfortable. I don’t even realize it’s on my arm most of the time.
I like to start the day off with some positive, healthy practices. This is an all-in-one little powder I can drop in some water and pound out. I know I’m getting all the minerals and vitamins for my digestion and everything. Out of all the other green drinks I’ve tried, this is my favorite in terms of taste. When you’re drinking that many greens, there are worse ones out there. I’m not saying like, “Oh my god, it tastes great.” But, it’s definitely doable.
These are important for cutting out all the noise, whether I’m on the plane, walking around, or working on tracks. It really gets me in the zone and creates a barrier around me, almost like I’m in a cocoon. If I’m listening to something for my set, I need that focus, and this locks me in the second I put the noise canceling on.
Hoodies are essential. I always wear my clothing line Dim Mak. Every week, we have a new collaboration and we work a lot in the anime world. We’ve done collections with One Piece, Dragon Ball, some more heady animes like Jujutsu Kaisen or My Hero Academia. I think the One Piece collab was the most successful because it blew up in the U.S. It’s been an anime for 20 years with over a thousand episodes, but the live-action Netflix show made that collaboration go crazy. It’s my favorite thing to pop on when I’m traveling and being more incognito. It’s cool to always switch up styles and support cool anime when I’m on the road.
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