Hiroquest: Genesis

Hiroquest: Genesis is the seventh studio album by American DJ and producer Steve Aoki, succeeding his 2020 album Neon Future IV. The album is a result of Aoki's partnership with collectible card game company MetaZoo Games,  with whom he released an accompanying trading card game pack where one random card shipped with every CD sold. The album was released on September 16, 2022.

Background
According to Aoki, "the music is a connecting tissue to this universe that I'm creating. This album tells a fantastical story, but it's also about freedom from restraint. I went right back to my roots—that raw, rock energy and that became the basis of it. From there, I began to explore everything and it sprouted into so many different genres."

Hiroquest: Genesis was released on September 16, 2022, through DJ Kid Millionaire and Dim Mak Records. It contains collaborations with Jasiah, Grandson, Mod Sun, Global Dan, Kane Brown, Ricky Retro, Taking Back Sunday, Bryce Vine, Goody Grace, Sueco, No Love for the Middle Child, Santa Fe Klan, Snow Tha Product, Guaynaa, Natanael Cano, KAAZE, John Martin, HRVY, Marnik, Leony, Timmy Trumpet, DJ Aligator, PollyAnna, Georgia Ku, Lil Xan, PnB Rock, and 24hrs.

Concept and structure
Hiroquest: Genesis can be described as a concept album, as it follows a main character named Hiro, who exists as a dramatization of Aoki, who embarks on an introspective journey to collect magical rings described in the Black Pullet grimoire, which he must use to save the world.

The album is divided into factions by five interludes called "melodias". The characters in the trading card game each correspond to one of the five factions.

The album is the first in Aoki's Hiroquest series of albums. The second installment, Hiroquest 2: Double Helix, was released on November 17, 2023.

Remix album
Aoki later released a twenty-seven track remixed version of the album, entitled Hiroquest: Genesis Remixed, on November 11, 2022. The remixed version of the songs were produced mainly by artists that did not appear on the original project, though it did feature production by Aoki (on the remix of "Just Us Two") and by Timmy Trumpet (on the remix of "Hiroquest Anthem").

Tour
The album spawned a tour, the Hiroquest: Genesis Tour, which begun on February 22, 2023, in Montreal, Canada, and ended on March 16 in New York City.

Artwork
The album cover was illustrated by MetaZoo artist Poncho.

Track listing
Notes
 * "Russian Roulette" contains an interpolation of "Funeral" by Sueco.
 * "Perfect" was silently removed from streaming services shortly after the album’s release, though it is still present on physical copies. Later, it was reissued as part of Aoki's album Hiroquest 2: Double Helix (2023).
 * "Black Pullet" runs for 3:29 on streaming services, compared to the standard 4:03 on physical editions.