Ericdoa
Ericdoa’s rise to fame has been nothing short of spectacular. Two years ago, the Panamanian-Puerto Rican artist and producer, from a small town in Connecticut, was just uploading his music online and now has been making waves in the music industry with his unique sound and style. Despite growing up in a small town that was not known for its artistic output, Eric was surrounded by music from a young age. His family was music-oriented, and he was exposed to various genres such as R&B, funk, and pop at a young age. This exposure would later shape his musical style and influence his future projects.
In his teenage years, Eric spent most of his time online, connecting with like-minded individuals and building a network of friends and collaborators. Through platforms like Discord and Twitter, he met the majority of his closest friends, who would later become a major part of his music journey. Eric taught himself how to record and produce music, and started releasing his material on SoundCloud. His debut project, Public Target, released in 2020, caught the attention of the online community and sparked the buzz around the newly coined genre of "hyperpop".
Eric's coming-of-age project COA, which was released just after his 18th birthday, further solidified the attention on the genre. The project received positive reviews from music outlets such as Pitchfork and made an instant impact on digital streaming platforms. Eric's unique sound and style, combined with the success of COA, pushed the online community to new heights. In 2021, Eric continued to make experimental releases and received major support from various music outlets. He also collaborated with fellow artist Glaive, which received impressive praise and led to a sold-out US tour.
Eric’s music caught the attention of many influential musicians, and before long he had joined the ranks of the hyperpop and digicore community, alongside friends like midwxst, aldn, and angelus. In addition, one of his tracks "sad4whattt" was even featured on the Emmy®-winning HBO drama series Euphoria, showcasing his versatility and ability to reach a wider audience.
Despite his success, Eric remains humble and dedicated to his craft. He no longer has to record on an Xbox USB microphone in his bedroom and has finally met a few of his closest friends in real life, but his passion and drive to create music remain unchanged.
Eric is a huge fan of video games, and he cites Skyrim and Fallout as two of the games that have had the biggest impact on his life. He is also a fan of world-building, and he believes that this is one of the key elements of his music. For Eric, creating an immersive world beyond the music is crucial, as it allows fans to see and interact with something tangible, and helps to deepen their connection to his work. Eric’s single, ‘lifeline’, is an autobiographical track that reflects on his experiences of being signed to a major label. The song is about the role that big companies and conglomerates can play in our lives, and how they can act as a lifeline to people. The music video for ‘lifeline’ is a retro-style video game, which fans can play online. Eric designed the sound for the game himself, and it is another example of his love of world-building and his desire to create immersive and engaging experiences for his fans.
When asked about his feelings towards the label "hyper pop," Eric responded that he's happy to be a part of it. The genre was started by people of color and members of the LGBTQ community and is a spawn of internet culture. However, Eric feels that when it comes to his own music, he pulls inspiration from a variety of genres, including Indian music, rock, Soundcloud rap, and more. Not only does Eric draw inspiration from a wide range of musical styles, but his producers do as well, pulling from their own musical influences from their teenage and adult years.
His new project, things with wings, was promised to be a musical tour de force and was inspired by the experiences that he and his friends have had over the past two years. They have traveled and seen many beautiful cities, and all of these experiences have been distilled into 14 new songs. Eric’s excitement is palpable as he was talking about the upcoming release, and you can feel it in the music, in the beats, and in his voice. He says that the music is a celebration of the joy of discovery, and a reflection of the eagerness that he and his friends feel as they head out into the world.
In conclusion, Eric Doa is a talented artist who defies genre labels and pulls inspiration from a diverse range of musical styles to create his unique sound. Whether it's a song by Funkadelic or an old Call of Duty video, Eric's musical influences are as eclectic as they are impactful.