Meet DJ Sekiya of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ Sekiya.

Hi DJ, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey yall, my name is akio. I am 28 years old from Kealakekua, HI (Big Island). I am an only child and a Gemini for those who it may concern. I grew up with a lot of music in my life, wether it be my dad playing James Taylor on his guitar, in the grocery store listening to Nothing to Hide by Rebel Souljahz (flawless album btw) for the 100th time, or going to KMart and buying 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Trying when I was 7. From a young age I liked what I like and once I discovered Limewire (allegedly) music started to consume my life in a good way. I was burning cd’s, throwing as many songs as I could fit on my iPod shuffle/nano and listened to all of it obsessively. I started making music my freshman year of college, so almost 10 years now. Initially I was just straight up rapping. I was obsessed with remixes and having the wittiest bars and just going crazy. But I took a music production class my junior year of college and started learning how to record and produce. From there, I gradually shifted towards more singing/melodic ideas. I think it gave me the control I was looking for in terms of translating what I heard in my head to a physical product. As of late, I have been making music with the intention of channeling my current headspace in my art. Not too many expectations, just alot of trying.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Most definitely not a smooth road. A lot of self-doubt and overthinking stopped me from releasing music for years. I think I’ve taken a few years between releases twice now. Mainly due to the pressure I’ve put on myself to release something I thought was perfect. Which is impossible and a very unhealthy perspective to have when creating. To add insult to injury, on New Year’s 2024, my house was broken into. They stole my laptop, hard drive, and everything, so all my music from the last year was gone. I lost all the music I had made throughout 2023 and the last few months of 2022. That was really difficult to come back from. Especially since I felt like I was making the best music of my life during that time. But eventually I got over it and started to build my confidence back up song by song.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an artist/producer/songwriter who spans across a variety of genres from rap to indie. I enjoy combining elements of hip-hop with indie/electronic elements to create something that fits my own style. I also love using my voice as an instrument to create ambiance and texture in my music.

As of right now, I am most proud of “tonguetied” because it was a song that I never thought was good enough for me to release. Yet, it was the song that catapulted my return to music. Through that process, I’ve learned that sometimes you need to relinquish control of your art to truly appreciate it.

What are your plans for the future?
I am planning to release one single a month for the rest of the year. Which is a huge change for me, but I am trying to push myself to be consistent. I’m also working with more artists and producers, which is very new for me, but I’m having a lot of fun as well.

On top of these monthly releases, I do have a project I’m working on. I would like to finish it this year, but I’m really not putting any pressure on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/akio.xyz
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@akio.xyz