Ever wanted some extra funk in your life? What about some warm syrupy bass sauce to compliment your daily adventure? Well now you can have all that and more within the perfectly crafted sonic soundscape that is Opiuo.
A Kiwi who now calls Australia home, OPIUO is a chief sufferer of intense musical addiction, spending every spare second creating audible treats and selling out venues throughout the entire world.
Check out our interview with OPIUO where he talks about his latest single, plans for 2018 and more.
T.H.E – You go by the stage name, OPIUO, when you’re performing. How did you decide on the name?
OPIUO – I’ve had that name for around 17 years now. I used to DJ a lot when I was a kid at festivals around the area I grew up and on my parents land. But the promoters kept listing me as “Oska” and I hated it… So one day while in graphics class at school I decided to make something up & “Opiuo” came by total mistake. I liked how it looked aesthetically & it stuck.
T.H.E – You’re back with a new single – Ginger Lizard. How did it come about?
OPIUO – After I finished my last album Omniversal in 2016 I went a bought some new studio equipment to reward myself. The first piece was a Dave Smith Prophet 6 Synth. It was so inspiring to use, reminded me of so much funk music I’ve loved over the years. Nearly 100% of the synth sounds in Ginger Lizard then came from it! I was then in New Orleans later that year and got in the studio with some good friends to record horns & guitars on some songs. I had a horn line in my mind for this song, but I had no idea we’d end up with something like this! Benny Bloom, Russ Liquid, & TJ absolutely smashed playing the horns, super amazing players all of them. Plus Andrew Block & Muzzy Beear added their guitars over time to it too. I then worked on it for months, perfecting all the flows and pieces after playing it live so many times. I finally got to a point where I was completely happy with it. It’s been such a journey to make & I’ve loved every moment of it.
T.H.E – Speaking of Ginger Lizard, it is also the second single on your upcoming Syzygy 01 EP. What can we expect from the EP?
OPIUO – Five very varied, colourful and adventurous examples of enticing electronic sonic manipulations… As I mentioned I spent some time in New Orleans last year recording, and a lot of those fruitful sessions will be on this EP. I’ve been hard at it working on a lot of music since my last album Omniversal came out, and this is the start of whats to come throughout this year.
T.H.E – How was 2017 for you? And what are your plans for 2018?
OPIUO – 2017 was my favourite year on this giant flying rock yet. I felt like I was able to display who I am and what I’m about musically to so many. There’s constantly new places to play, and beautiful people to meet, and I feel I met a lot of inspiring humans in 2017… 2018 is hopefully only going to get even better. I’m throwing my all into everything I do, releasing a lot of music, and I’m fortunate enough to have the support of fans and promoters alike to show my wears to so many this year already! I’m trying new things all the time for my live solo shows. I’m diving in head first, let’s hope it works!
T.H.E – You’re all set to play at Red Rock Amphitheater in Colorado in April. We are sure you must be pretty excited! What was your reaction when you found out?
OPIUO – I’m soooooo excited! Red Rocks is for me easily the best venue on the planet. It’s a place where the visual and physical enjoyment is equal for performer and attendee alike. You can see every single person in the venue when you look up. It has such a special history. I’m so fucking honoured to be able to perform there again, this time taking it to a completely new level with a show like nothing I’ve ever done before.
T.H.E – Your top 4 tunes at the moment.
OPIUO – In no particular order, this is what I listened the most this week:
Parisi – No Refuge ft RZA
Anomalie – No Way
Weval – Years To Build
Oliver – Ottomatic
