Eric Sharp is the LA-based DJ with a 16-year career behind him, who specialises in the established sound of unrestrained, melodic, indie-leaning house music. Broke Magazine chats with Eric as he promotes his most recent tune “Like Water” which has just been unleashed to the public.
“Like Water,” quickly demonstrates his affinity for intricate, powerful dance instrumentals. Subverting the traditional build-up and drop, the track demonstrates exquisite restraint with its rising, hypnotic music that gradually releases into a wave of sound—an technique that mimics the song’s major water metaphor by effortlessly adjusting and morphing with each new part.
This established artist mixes a diligent attitude with unwavering musical devotion. Eric has delivered his cerebral, nuanced, somatic house music to private parties, club nights, and major festivals and most recently being hand-selected for a residency at LA’s acclaimed Sound Nightclub.
Eric’s music has elevated him beyond the status of mere tastemaker to that of actual creative. The new-age aesthetics of “Like Water” meld flawlessly with his life values and lifestyle. With a dedication to sobriety, health, veganism, Jewish heritage, surrealism, and, of course, his trademark facial hair, he imbues the song with buoyancy, spiritualism, and an acute sense of freedom. “Like Water” wants its listener to let go—both on the dancefloor and in the mind.
Eric is an incredibly talented artist with a story and sound that can inspire the masses, he says “throughout my life I’ve sought serenity heavily – serenity is calm within the storm, not absence of a storm. Water has the ability to be still and deep, or adapt to the fast pace of rushing rapids, and everything in between.”
In a chat with Broke Magazine below, Eric uncovers his life as an LA-based DJ, talks on the upcoming, highly-anticipated track “Like Water” and goes into details about how his healthy lifestyle is the drive behind his music.
How are you finding being a producer/DJ in LA at the moment?
LA is a great place to be DJing and producing! We have a lot of forward-thinking venues and promoters who organize really fun shows, and it’s a huge city so there is enough audience to go around. The creative community here is vibrant. There are a fair amount of soul-sucking social climbers, but when you get past them there are also a lot of really talented people who are down to collaborate and help each other succeed. The weather here makes for incredible open-air events, which are always a blast.
Tell us about your back story, how did you gain entry into the world of music?
I’d always had a passion for dancing and music, and my entry point into the music business was in 2005 when I left a non-profit job I’d been working. I saw a poster in a record store window advertising a job handing out flyers (get paid to go clubbing!) and responded to it. Handing out flyers I got to know a lot of people, and shortly thereafter organized my first warehouse party and made my debut DJ set. A lot of my come-up was from hustling flyers for my parties, something that is less relevant now with social media. From the beginning, though I took promotion seriously, learned everything I could, and tried to outwork other people. This is still the case today, although the tools have changed.
Where do you usually pull your music inspiration from?
My approach to making music borrows from the surrealist art movement, in which the painters tried to allow their subconscious to dictate their work. I try to not judge what comes out, and just play around with sounds, chords and melodies until I’ve found something I like. In terms of track structure, lately, I’m taking more inspiration from what is working on my dance floors. I was heavily focused on composition and songwriting for the past few years, and now my goal is to inject that into more DJ-minded releases.
Your 16-year career has seen you perform at Coachella, SXSW, and Outside Lands as well as securing a coveted residency at LA’s Sound Nightclub, what are some of the best moments in your journey?
The first thing to come to mind is the Solid Gold Jacuzzi float at SF Lovevolution that was produced by Om Records and Flavor Group. I opened up for Groove Armada to about 30,000 people, in a DJ booth that was on a 40-foot scissor lift atop a flatbed truck in the heart of Civic Center plaza. That was an incredible moment. I’ve had many amazing nights at Sound here in LA. Some of my favourites there have included sharing the decks with Moon Boots, Kidnap, and Hot Since 82 respectively. Those were all sophisticated crowds who were up for a journey. LA pool parties have a special place in my heart, from Skybar to The Roosevelt to Hotel Figueroa. Also, throwing warehouse parties in SF was an absolute gem! There is a huge risk involved in that, but the rewards were tremendous in being able to completely build my crowd focused around music and dancing as opposed to being seen.
You also have a huge interest in health, spiritualism, veganism, surrealism, and freedom alongside living a sober lifestyle, how does this interact with your music?
First and foremost, if I wasn’t sober there is no way I’d be making music. Addictions crowded out everything else in my life before I got into recovery. Beyond that, my passions outside of music all play a part in the process. My pursuit of health and wellness keeps me balanced. Eating well, and working out consistently, has taught me the discipline that I apply to my music production and my marketing. I mentioned how my approach to creating is informed by the surrealist movement, and I am also inspired by surreal imagery to develop soundscapes that can feel fantastical and other-worldly. My pursuit of spirituality dovetails well with writing music. As I discover more about myself, I mine my inner world to find bits of gold to share with others. In terms of freedom, that is a huge part of what put me on the path to being an artist full time. It allowed for the possibility to put freedom and flexibility ahead of comfort and security.
Your latest track combines all of the above interests, can you tell us a little more about the concept of “Like Water”?
Like Water speaks to the desire to be vast, expansive, and malleable. The title and hook are inspired by a Bruce Lee quote about being water. He spoke about being flexible in body and mind, as opposed to being rigid. While writing it we were thinking of the beauty of the imagery that comes to mind when thinking of the ocean, and also the myriad of metaphors that can be made from it. There are references to philosophical concepts like impermanence, loving-kindness, and mindfulness.
How do you want your audience to feel when listening to “Like Water”?
My goal when anyone listens to my music is for them to feel connected and understood. If one person hears my song and feels less alone in the world, I am happy! For anyone focusing on the lyrics of Like Water, I’d love for them to feel inspired to seek serenity and openness in life. For someone hearing it in a club, I want them to feel a euphoric spiritual release that takes them away from their troubles and into their body, moving as one with the beat.
Are you going to perform the single live? Have you got any shows lined up, can you tell us a bit about them?
I’d love to bring Doe Paoro out to sing the track live! I’ve done this in the past with collaborators and it’s been really fun. Currently, however, she’s in Costa Rica so there are no plans at present to do so. I play it in all of my DJ sets though without fail, so I will keep my fingers crossed that we can create a moment for that in the near future. My next show is New Years’ Eve at Skybar here in LA. It’s a well-loved venue in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, with great views. The space holds about 600 people and will likely sell out. (I played there on our Independence Day and on Halloween and both were totally full.) I’ll be spinning a 6 hour set from open to close, which is really fun because I have time to share a lot of music and express different sides of myself sonically. I’m also back at Sound Nightclub on January 22nd alongside Dirty South, which is sure to be an absolute banger.
How would you like your music to develop even more over the next couple of years?
I’m currently putting a lot of work into becoming a better producer. I’m taking sound design courses at IO Academy, to brush up on what I feel is the weakest aspect of my production to this point. As I mentioned earlier, my focus right now is marrying the work I’ve done to become a good composer and songwriter with the crowd-rocking sensibility that I’ve developed over my DJ career. I hope that the music I’m making resonates with people and that I can impact them positively – through the songs themselves and through the perspectives I share via social media and interviews like this!