Joe DOE

joe DOE is a hybrid music artist from the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York, USA. He is the creator of a genre called sykophunk, which is often described as underground rap/hip hop influenced by metal, gothic, and electronic music. Originally, he began his solo career under the name D-O-E. In 2009, he officially changed his stage name to joe DOE. He is a member of Project D.O.T.A. and has often recorded collaborations with other indie artists from all over the world. Under his birth name, Joseph VanBuren, he makes instrumental music and runs the indie label Sykophunk Productions.

For history and discography before October 2009, see D-O-E.

2009 - Who the Hell is joe DOE?![]

joe DOE started a promo campaign in October 2009, to raise awareness of his new stage name. On November 13, 2009 (which was Friday the 13th), he released the mixtape EP entitled Who the Hell is joe DOE?! for free download on sykophunk.com. The promo pics and video on Youtube presented the joe DOE persona as a masked entity with its eyes and mouth blocked out, along with the tagline: "They tried to censor me and limit my vision... they created a monster." DOE later stated that he uses the mask to represent him having "no preset identity or image for the industry to label and package me up with."

2010 - Democalypse, mixtapes, Seximer[]

Democoplyse10front-2 — joe DOE - Democalypse CD artwork

In January 2010, joe DOE began writing and recording material for a new album entitled Democalypse. According to DOE, it was his "most musically challenging album ever. Though the songs are mostly built around banging beats and intricate rhymes, there's a lot more emphasis on melody and mood now too." The concept behind Democalypse (a combination of the words democracy and apocalypse) is a depiction of a near-future world in which an apocalypse occurs because of mankind's own selfishness and greed, and the revolution needed to save the human species from itself. Preview tracks were posted on Sykophunk Weekly for five weeks before the album's release on March 30, 2010.

joe DOE's song "Sick Shit" was featured on the mixtape Mic Check Vol. 10, placing DOE along side such established underground emcees as Joell Ortiz, Doitall (from Lords of the Underground) and members of The Wu-Tang Clan. His song "Still Ain't No Commercial Rap" was featured on the Coast 2 Coast mixtape The Showcase Vol. 150, containing tracks from mainstream superstars like Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, and Drake.

In August 2010, DOE released his own complete mixtape, entitled Phuk Your Idea of a Mixtape. The 21 tracks consist of the original Who the Hell is joe DOE?! songs, plus songs that were released on Sykophunk Weekly and previously unheard remixes. This release was made available under a set-your-own-price model, allowing fans to pay whatever they think is appropriate or download it for free if they choose.

An EP of joe DOE remixes was released on December 21, 2010. Entitled Seximer, the EP contains remixed versions of songs from Democalypse and Be Middle Class or Die Trying, including a rare unplugged version of "Shitting in the Lap of Luxury" and a new version of "Battle Scars" with frequent collaborator Christel South.

2011 - Mostly Recycled, Tripolar, collabs[]

MR-front-sm — joe DOE - Mostly Recycled cover art

joe DOE began working on material for a new album in early 2011. Not wanting to rush the album, but also not wanting to keep his fans waiting, he ended up splitting the album into two volumes. Mostly Recycled Vol. 1 was given a limited release on March 29, 2011, including rare bonus tracks. Mostly Recycled vol. 2 followed on the date of the album's official release: June 24, 2011.

Mostly Recycled has more of a straight forward rap/hip hop sound compared to DOE's other recent releases, though with a definite punk/metal/gothic attitude in some of his vocal delivery and lyrical content. The album features beats from acclaimed underground producers from Shadowville Productions and Anno Domini (who have worked with established indie artists such as Jedi Mind Tricks, DZK, Canibus, etc).

In September 2011, joe DOE began releasing weekly tracks from his latest EP entitled Tripolar. A new song was

posted every Friday on DOE's Facebook page. According to the DIO blog, "Tripolar consists of all the genre-bending artcore and epic awesomeness DOE is known for, with hard-hitting & heartfelt hip hop mixing with dark soundscapes and morbid content, just as the warmth of summer starts to make room for the witching season." The complete nine-song EP was released for free download in December 2011.

Also in December 2011, joe DOE released a collection of collaborations and remixes called Collaboremixtape 2011. This was also available for free download, featuring tracks with Jahg (a.k.a. Black-Jack), Tosha Lynn, Triple Vision, Epitaph, Belle Seraphin, Christel South, Jutty P, and remixes of two songs by MC Lars featuring KRS-One and Sage Francis.

2012 - Democalypse Trilogy, mixtape and collabs[]

In January 2012, joe DOE and Christel South (under the moniker Uther) released a single entitled "99%," deemed as an anthem for the Occupy movement.

After multiple references to making a trilogy out of the 2010 album Democalypse, Sykophunk Productions released a sequel, Nocternal, on April 13, 2012 (Friday the 13th). As described on the DIO blog, the album "paints a very dark picture – a future world of destruction and death caused by mankind’s failure to correct its own mistakes. Through eerily atmospheric and disturbingly gritty tracks of urban gothic soundscapes, the Sykophunk "team" unites to bring the final chapter of the trilogy with the proper amount of both mood and message." joe DOE is credited as the "persona," contributing "vocals, lyrics & images." DOE has announced that the upcoming prequel (the last release in the trilogy but the first chapter of the concept) will be called Happocrisy. It is slated as being "the Yin to Nocternal's Yang."

In July and August 2012, joe DOE uploaded two digital releases. The first was a solo mixtape entitled You and Your Friends Are Dead. Game Over. The title is a reference to the game over screen on the Friday the 13th game on NES; the mixtape was released on Friday the 13th, July 2012. In August, VERSEatility was released, a collection of collaborations between DOE and Jahg. This release contained tracks featuring Triple Vision members Kwik the Misfit and Hoosier Boy.

Also in August, before relocating to Fort Wayne, IN to rejoin with Triple Vision, DOE released a single from his upcoming album Happocrisy. The song, entitled "Go Out With a Bang," was only available for streaming on the site indaba.com. As Triple Vision quickly gained momentum, however, DOE became busy and put the production of Happocrisy on hold once again.

In December 2012, DOE's collection of GrimWitcH collaboration tracks was finally released as an album entitled Creative Chaos.

2013 - 2015[]

For the majority of 2013, joe DOE remained mostly focused on Triple Vision. He performed at live shows sporadically throughout the year, but only made recorded appearances on one release, as the featured artist on several tracks off of BL8's EP Believe No Evil. DOE was also featured on the compilation Tales from the Dark Domain, released on Halloween, but only on previously released tracks.

In early 2014, after parting ways with Triple Vision co-founder Tha Misfit, joe DOE returned to writing and recording new solo material. A total of nine new songs surfaced in various forms - some as demos on Sykophunk Weekly, others as Youtube videos. DOE also performed some of these songs live, as well as new material from Project D.O.T.A. with his label mate BL8. The duo opened up for Anybody Killa in May. In June, DOE released a digital album entitled Random Acts of Epic Awesomeness. As described on the Sykophunk Productions Bandcamp page: "This relentless onslaught of lyrical insanity is 69 minutes, 24 tracks, spanning the last 6 years of the Sykophunk madman’s career, including some previously unreleased alternate versions." The album is currently available for free download. In October, DOE made television appearances on two local shows, Outlandish and Entertain Fort Wayne.

The official release date for the Project D.O.T.A. mixtape EP The End Is Near is Febuary 13, 2015 (Friday the 13th).

Influences and themes[]

According to his official Facebook page, joe DOE's influences are "Mike Patton (#1!), Tech N9ne, Midnight Syndicate, Immortal Technique, Trent Reznor, Die Antwoord, Twiztid, System of a Down, Rza/Wu Tang, Saul Williams, Switchblade Symphony, The Crystal Method, Marilyn Manson, Corporate Avenger, DZK, Rhyme Asylum, KMFDM, Portishead, Dope D.O.D. etc... Also horror movies, tai chi philosophy, the stupidity of everyday people, bands and rappers that suck & the beauty and bullshit of life." Also listed are a number of interests including many academic subjects.

Recurring themes in DOE's songs include the "rEvolution Underground," opening up one's Third Eye, a disliking for the mainstream music industry, social issues, personal struggles, frequent horror movie references, and (especially in his more current material) apocalyptic scenarios.

Discography[]

Random Acts of Epic Awesomeness (LP collection, 2014)
You and Your Friends are Dead. Game Over (mixtape, 2012)
Nocternal (LP, 2012)
Tripolar (EP, 2011)
Mostly Recycled (LP, 2011)
Seximer (EP, 2010)
Phuk Your Idea of a Mixtape (mixtape, 2010)
Democalypse (LP, 2010)
Who the Hell is joe DOE?! (mixtape, 2009)

Collaborations[]

Creative Chaos (collab with GrimWitcH, LP, 2012)
VERSEatility (collab with Jahg, LP, 2012)
Collaboremixtape 2011 (various artists, mixtape, 2011)