GoKawiilis the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.
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Erick the Architect is a founding member of, and the primary producer for, the legendary Flatbush Zombies. He’s toured the world, performed on Kimmel and Fallon, played Coachella, and collaborated with everyone from Joey Bada$$ and the Rza to James Blake and hardcore punk band Trash Talk. But perhaps the most unexpected collab was with Apple, when Erick popped up following Tim Cook’s final WWDC presentation to rap about apps. That was just a precursor to him dropping his new disco and reggae-tinged single, “No Doubt (I’m In Love).”
The new track, produced by Yeti Beats and Federico Vindver, is definitely a shift in tone from the darker, grittier, more boom-bap-grounded sounds Erick is known for. But that’s part of what makes it so compelling. Erick is still looking to experiment and expand his palette this deep into his career. That sense of adventure doesn’t stop him from getting a bit nostalgic for physical phone keyboards and the GameCube, though. It also turns out that Erick was one of just a handful of unfortunate souls who spent their hard-earned money on the Nokia N-Gage.
What is your most indispensable tool?
A moleskine book and a pen.
What is the first app you install on a new phone or computer?
I usually go for Dropbox first so I can pull up the thousands of files I have stored floating around on the internet somewhere.
What is one thing you wish you could change about your phone?
I miss typing on my phone with a physical keyboard like I used to do using a BlackBerry.
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