Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Steve Aoki today debuts on Monstercat alongside leading award-winning Drum & Bass outfit Koven for their massive debut collaboration, “Nervous System.”
When Koven joined Steve Aoki on stage at the iconic Tomorrowland festival to debut “Nervous System,” the crowd erupted in a frenzy. The unexpected collaboration marks a monumental moment in the dance music landscape poised to redefine mainstream EDM, as two tastemakers in their respective genres join forces. With Drum & Bass experiencing a surge in popularity across North America, there is no better crossover than Steve Aoki and Koven to bridge the gap and make the genre receive the recognition it deserves. The track’s pedal-to-the-floor bassline and infectious lyrics cement the rising genre’s place as a driving force in the dance realm and is bound to leave a long lasting impact.
Steve Aoki shares, “Collaborating with Koven on “Nervous System” was an incredible experience. I’ve been a fan of their work for a while, so when the chance came up to work together, it was a no-brainer. They brought such a unique energy to the track, and I think we really created something special that both our fan bases are going to vibe with. This is a track that represents the best of both our worlds.”
Koven adds, “Doing a collaboration with Steve had been a goal of ours for quite a few years. We finally got to meet him at Tomorrowland 2023, and at this point we had already done a remix of one of his tracks. He said he’d love to work with us again which made us absolutely giddy so we took our opportunity to send some ideas his way, and the rest is history. We are so proud of the final track and working with Steve was such a lovely experience!”
What’s the story behind Nervous System?
The story of “Nervous System” is less about the story of the lyrics and more about the story of two sounds from two different artists coming together. Lyrically it is a catchy heartbreak song, but production-wise it’s the story of a huge EDM legend taking a punt of a DnB act from the UK…. And it turns out it had a happy ending.
How did you get together with Steve Aoki for this collab?
We were super lucky to have bumped into Steve quite a few times over the years at Tomorrowland. He was always super approachable and friendly and complimented us on our music, and what we were doing. It was on one of these occasions Steve said, we should make a tune together sometime. So we decided to take the opportunity and send him over a demo to see if he wanted to work on it with us, which he did, and the rest is history.
What was the creative process between you all like?
The initial demo and idea was ours, which was a track written by some incredibly talented songwriters that we’d been working on. We sent Steve a very early demo, which he loved. Then it was just the usual production process of sending updates back-and-forth. Steve would make some updates. Send it back to Max alongside a voice note on WhatsApp, explaining what changes he made, and why, then Max will do the same back, and it just went on like that until we had the finished product
What’s the message behind this project?
We wouldn’t say there’s a particular message behind the project. It’s probably one of our less serious tracks and is less about the meaning of the lyrics and more about the strength in the production. The sound of two acts coming together. I’d almost describe it as a catchy pop track meets drum and bass.
What makes drums and bass so special in your opinion?
One of the things I love about Drum and Bass is that there are so many subgenres. And you can like all these subgenres, even though they sound so different. You can go to a drum and Bass event, and hear completely different sets, and styles of mixing from all the DJs on that event, but still enjoy every set. I think there is so much room for creativity in drum and bass, and there’s a really strong feeling of community within the fans.
Who is your favorite drum and bass artist of all time?
Camo & Krooked have always been very ahead of the times with their releases, they never follow a trend, but they always deliver incredible music. They are very talented producers as well as their live sets being amazing.
How did you and Max approach the production and sonic aspect of your music?
We always like to approach each piece having a balance of organic elements amongst electronic sounds. Whether that’s strings, piano etc, just to add some depth and make a less ‘plastic’ sound and more rough/raw around the edges
What can we expect from Koven after this track?
Lots more music, covering a wide spectrum of feelings and styles.
