Agazero, Audiophysicist
This is a raw excerpt of a conversation with Eric, also known as Agazero and several other artistic monikers. Eric is based in Brazil and has collaborated with luxury fashion brand, MUGLER, and international music collectives such as Genome 6.66 Mbp.
ASO: Hi Eric, could you give us an intro on your work?
Eric: I have an incredibly diverse portfolio with 14 subgenres and 6 music projects, each offering a unique experience. DJ LHC brings club music, jungle, and footwork together, while 177th is all about ambient music. "Particulas Ocultas" is a monthly mix program. And Vó1d, though currently not active, revolves around IDM blended with phonk and wave music. The most experimental project is Agazero, which blends all my stuff. And finally we have ICQ BABY, my latest project where I make music in a more 4fun way, exploring jersey club, donk, happy hardcore and stuff like that. All these projects are part of an expansive universe that I work on simultaneously.
ASO: How did you get into making music?
Eric: I ventured into the underground Soundcloud scene in 2014 and found inspiration from Call of Duty music edits, AMVS, and Frag movies. I started producing phonk, influenced by artists like DJ Smokey, Yung Sherman, Misogi, and DJ Yung Vamp. Through public Skype groups, I connected with many artists like OKLOU, Fifty Grand, and members of TeamSESH. Learning FL Studio from a friend via Skype, I explored various genres such as phonk and wave. My first project was Vó1d, followed by DJ LHC.
ASO: Haha, it’s interesting that you mentioned Call of Duty and Skype. Those things have come up in conversations with other artists as well, mostly people who started around the SoundCloud Golden Age. Anyways, where do you draw inspiration from?
Eric: Physics.
ASO: Physics? What sparked your interest in physics?
Eric: My fascination with physics began with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which initially scared me as a kid. At 11 years old, I was addicted to conspiracy theories and started researching LHC, which completely captivated me. This fascination with particle theory and the LHC later influenced my music projects.
ASO: What's your creative process like?
Eric: My process is quite organic. It often starts with composing melodies that give me a direction, like, "This is for 177th." I can quickly create ambient pieces, while others like Agazero's experimental Jersey Club style may take more time. My music-making is a daily ritual, where I let my creativity flow. For example, I woke up today and spent an hour creating a jungle track for DJ LHC.
ASO: How long do you spend working on a project?
Eric: The longest I've spent on a project is about a week. I take pride in being able to mix, master, and even create cover art for my music, so I can handle the entire process myself.
Eric helped score Mugler’s Fall Winter 2022/23 Show. Track: “Agazero - M-Walk”
ASO: What role does technology play in your art?
Eric: With a background in IT and cloud architecture, technology has always been an integral part of my music. From my early days in IT to using connection theories from CISCO networks to organize my projects, technology has shaped my artistic approach. I even hold a certification from CISCO in networks and cloud. In the future, I aspire to develop music AI with Agazero, replicating my style through machine learning. I hope that AI will continue making music in my style even after I'm gone.
Though generated music may sometimes feel too random, I believe that machine learning can elevate production. While some VSTs offer AI mix/master, I firmly believe that the human touch still holds its own unique magic.
ASO: Word. Well Eric, thanks for chatting with us today! Very interesting stuff.
Eric: Thanks!