Concert Review: Opiuo at Soundcheck
Review & photos by Sally Watanabe
Opiuo in Washington D.C. 6/13/24
On a balmy Thursday summer night, Opiuo came to Washington D.C. and indoctrinated his listeners with a space funk and galactic dance experience. Originally from New Zealand, the globally traveling DJ and producer uses sounds inspired by nature to create a rich texture through his quirky hybrid funk, soul and psychedelia music. It makes you feel as though you are flying among the clouds and rainbows, dipping down, and diving through the vast ancient canyons. It’s almost as if the entirety of one song could speak to the journey of a lifetime, and he brought his music out through dance beats and mood lights in the intimate setting of the venue.
The microcosm captured in his projects represents a wide spectrum of emotion tied into our innate nature of being human. Featuring deep electronic bass and liquid synthesizer sounds that come from his computer based production, there is still a light and playful energy that brings out the urge to dance and connect more deeply to yourself.
Positivity and expression through movement are emphasized in this inclusive space. It’s where off the cuff, wiggly dance moves are encouraged as you let the frequencies wash through your body. The whole texture of the night felt like a dreamscape where you could get lost in the sound, letting it guide your body’s moves.
Opiuo was responsive to the energy of his audience, raising his hands up and having the crowd mirror him into heavy drops that had everyone jumping on their feet. In this set, he kept his performance dynamic, DJing and also using a drum pad and stick to drive the rhythm.
Organic tones of saxophone and horns pierced through the floating melodies that swept across the room. The crowd swayed back and forth to the rhythm as some people took up space on the floor to breakdance, which inspired others to let loose even more. Throughout the performance, Opiuo used skilled transitions to weave in changes of tempo that had the energy of the room melting like butter as the night unfolded.
Opiou is wrapping up his Moonwave tour, which started on April 8th at the Texas Eclipse festival and continued on throughout North America. You can stay connected with him and steam his 5 albums and 10 EP’s by following the links below.
