OPOPO

Best of 2011 wrap up, January 2012 - Aux TV

“We’ve been an extremely theatrical Cirque de Soleil-style OPOPO for a bit. But now we’re ready to make our gritty blues/rock album. Without the light suits and digital production.”


MARTYR:
Like the two-man band’s name, OPOPO, its new album, Lightwork, is built of more than a cleverly conjured title.
“We’re very aware that our use of lights tied in to us calling it Lightwork,” said lead guitarist/vocalist Bryan Sutherland, recently over a pint at a Paddock pub in downtown Toronto.
“That definitely was intentional. But the characters in the album are representations of our higher selves – the inner light overwhelming the outer body. That’s why we made light suits and armor for them.”
Much like the interview under a fading Southern Ontario sun that warm summer evening, the electro-house rock duo’s first full-length invites listeners on an introspective journey into the ‘universal school of thought’ of OPOPO. Lightwork can be interpreted as a 1984-style Orwellian metaphor, symbolically stating that the world is being taken over by ‘Big Brother,’ – computers, robotics and biometrics – as people lose human touch at an exponential rate. However, it’s best to not let the in-depth narrative and trippy electro blues on disc fool you into thinking that these guys spin tracks on stage. OPOPO describe its live shows as the equivalent not of a DJ remixing a song, but as a rock band remixing their own songs with the instruments they imitate digitally.Having come full-circle to a band of two (now minus bass player Craig Macgregor and drummer Sean Dunal, who still make occasional live appearances), the duo’s live performances are enhanced instrumental representations of its album works.
“It was nice to be off the clock when we have all four members,” said the other half of OPOPO, drummer Corey Poole. “Up till then, we were always on timers and tracks. It was nice to ditch the beats and have that freedom.”
Being that Lightwork is mostly digitally produced – with synthesizers, beat machines and effectual guitar licks – playing live, Poole and Sutherland intensify their instrumental energy.“It’s not like anyone’s lost,” Sutherland added. “The four of us are the brethren of OPOPO. We’re really able to push it out live with all four members, but we wanted to make this project as efficient as possible, which Corey and I do well without instruments – only using electronics and vocals.
“We’re not a ‘cool’ band, but we’ve been an extremely theatrical Cirque de Soleil-style OPOPO for a bit. But now (next), we’re ready to make our gritty blues/rock album. Without the light suits and digital production.”
- MARTYR MAGAZINE

"The night kicked off with Opopo's raw synth stabs exploding into an unorthodox concoction of raw modern rock and post-rave dance music. The trio confidently unleashed a set of songs that got progressively more aggressive and exciting, and both the lead vocalist's and key boardist's witty banter and compelling stage presence engaged the curious and growing Opera House crowd" - NOW Magazing, October 18 2007

CITY TV REVIEW:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


If you were at Wrongbar Thursday night and managed to hang around to the very end of the first ever ROBOTS////US, you likely saw two things.

One: that Opopo has some die hard fans and two, that the Toronto-based disco punk four-piece has cleverly reworked their style and sound in preparation for the release of a full-length album and continued assent up the ladder of dance-party rocking buzz bands.
Coming off a hype-filled late 2007-08 when Opopo released a self-titled EP and went from opening for The Klaxons to playing V-Fest and signing to local imprint URBNET, the band moved to the background, choosing instead to deliberately rebuild its rhythm section and shift from unpolished hype act to guitar-wielding, synth-pumping mad men bent on making fans shake rather than merely dance.

Not sold? See for yourself when Opopo plays The Mod Club December 1, opening for Nitzer Ebb.

AND check out some photos and video from ROBOTS////US including awesome Waterloo-based sibling trio Kidstreet’s equally impressive performance!
Note: Kidstreet also returns to Wrongbar Nov. 18 with Little Dragon.

- City TV

Don’t be intimidated by their menacing masked MySpace photos. Local robot-rockers Opopo just want you to jump around.

“We want to have crazy fun. And we want to see people get really rowdy,” says vocalist and guitarist Bryan Sutherland.

While their shows have always been spastic and hyperactive affairs, the trio actually have a lot to be excited about. Signed to Toronto’s up-and-coming Urbnet imprint (OK Cobra, Eternia), Opopo dropped their self-titled debut EP less than a month ago, and already big things are starting to happen. After being featured on both the Canadian and American MySpace Music pages, the band’s player has been buzzing non-?stop, racking up as many as 20,000 plays per day.

“It’s amazing,” says bassist Craig Macgregor, “but time-consuming because we like to respond to every message.”

“And it’s nice to get positive feedback, because we’ve been working on the songs for so long,” says synth player Corey Poole.

Sutherland agrees, adding that “even the criticisms we’ve received we’ve taken really well.”

“We’ve actually agreed with most of them,” Macgregor laughs.

While the trio are definitely proud of their debut effort, which sounds like a short, catchy blast of club-?inspired­ electro in the vein of Klaxons-meets-Daft Punk, they’re already looking ahead to their next recording session.

“We have so many ideas, all we want to do is start on the full-?length,” says the enthusiastic Sutherland.

The band’s touring schedule is about to kick into high gear, so recording might have to wait.

“It’s hilarious,” says Macgregor, “We’ve only ever played two out-of-town shows, both in Guelph, and we just got booked to play in Århus, Denmark.”

He’s talking about a showcase the band recently scored at the ultra-hip SPOT Music Festival, a nexus for cutting-edge Scandinavian (and international) indie talent since 1994.

“On the way back, we’ve got a stopover in London from midnight until 11 am, so we’re going to drink and dance for a few hours and then get back on a plane,” says Sutherland mischievously.

Check in to see if the boys survive their Scandinavian adventure when they tear the roof off the Supermarket at NXNE. And don’t forget to dance!
NOW | June 12-19, 2008 | VOL 27 NO 41
- NOW Magazine

Electro punk band OPOPO are not your average local indie group. They are equal parts electronic production team and live band. This interesting approach to indie rock has helped them take things to the next level. They've had an amazing year so: getting signed to Toronto-based label URBNET, releasing their debut EP, and even playing overseas.

In addition to their main Myspace page (which also currently serves as their official website), the guys also have a remix page called OPOPO R M X which features work they've done with other people's songs. And proving they aren't playing by the rules, they also have a third page up for their minimal electronic productions called OPOPO MNML.

OPOPO play The Boat this Friday. You should go. Want to know why they're called OPOPO? Want to know what it's like partying in Denmark? What about their favourite thing to order at Sneaky Dee's?

Keep reading for the complete interview.

blogTO: Why are you called OPOPO?

OPOPO: See question 2.

How would you describe your sound using only a noun?

OPOPO.

How did the band form?

The four of us (yes there's four now) originally played back in high school, but we split in 2002. Eventually, one by one, the members crept back in and we evolved from a docile lizard to a four headed electro thrash menace called OPOPO.

How did you hook up with Urbnet Records?

The Steamwhistle Brewery sealed the deal. They have this UNSIGNED series which has done lots for unsigned artists... like getting them signed. Everything aligned that night too- we played one of our best sets and URBNET had plenty of drinks (which may have helped our cause). We met Darryl (manager) backstage talking about club music while eating sandwiches with The Carps. We originally got the gig cause a friend named Matt Weed bought one of our hand painted hats, and he saw others wearing them at Daft Punk's Alive tour... By November 16th we were in the brewery. I had taken my robot costume off by then.

You recently played Denmark. How did that go? Any crazy stories you feel like sharing?

Yes, we played SPOT festival, and Aarhus is an amazing place. They have free bikes that you can take anywhere in the city. Also, bouncers let you bring your drinks on the road in a plastic cup...I bet they're even biodegradable. Toronto bars should take a lesson: less muscle, more hospitality. As for crazy stories? Jumping off tables into piles of sod. The security enjoyed watching, and a large group of us eventually started drumming with bottles/objects to make the DJ keep playing music. Then we went swimming.

You also produce straight-up electronic tracks and remixes. What came first...the band or the producing?

OPOPO itself was definitely based around producing first. We heard these amazing tracks in clubs and tried to match it on stage. We are still getting there, but have only explored the tip of the iceberg. The inclusion of live drums over top will add a whole new dynamic to the sound. There will be more...

Have you guys always lived in Toronto? What do you like best about it?

Some of us were born here, some of us moved here and stayed longer than the others but we're all within biking distance now. What do we like best? Sneaky Dee's. Veggie nachos.

We all know the weather this summer has been pretty shitty. Where do you guys prefer to be when it rains?

At the venue - it always rains on show day. You could fill a pool with the water our gear has absorbed.

Have you started working on your debut full-length yet? Will any EP tracks be on the full-length?

It will be entirely new material. We have lots in the vault, lots to get down. We're pushing for a solid gold pressed record too, but haven't mined enough Ore yet.

What can people expect to see/hear/feel at your show this Friday?

Red carpets, with sea flair on the walls. This should be the last show with the original 3...


Friends Explode presents: "Room Party"
Feat. OPOPO w/ DJs Hi Mom and Tom Croozbeh
Friday, August 1
The Boat
158 Augusta Ave
Doors 9pm
$5 cover

Call & Response is a series of weekly Q&A's with artists from or playing in Toronto. Photo: David Waldman. - BlogTO

There’s something to be said about a band whose drummer plays a show decked in tribal paint while the rest of the group chants “I don’t feel like dancing” to possibly some of the most fun, electro beats I’ve heard all summer, and that something is Opopo.

Opo-what? You may ask yourself. Opopo. If they were a bag of Doritos Collisions they would be four flavours: dance, house, disco and punk. The Toronto four-piece had one of the best sets of the weekend at this year’s Virgin Festival with music so energetic, loud and electrifying, even the photographers couldn’t help but to dance.

It’s a long leap from their ska roots, the type of band original members vocalist/guitarist Bryan Sutherland, synthesizer Corey Poole and bassist Craig MacGregor played in back when they were in high school. Their band broke up, but thankfully a love of partying helped bring the musicians back together.

Opopo at Virgin Festival 2008“With ska, you have to be wired a little differently I guess,” Sutherland said. “We were a little bit younger and had that type of enthusiasm, but when we were old enough to drink and go to these amazing clubs throughout the city, you hear beats differently and we just didn’t have that in ska. The whole ska thing ended when we were sixteen or seventeen. Then the band disbanded and then I guess when we hit 21 or 22 we started going to these clubs and hearing the stuff they were playing and we thought lets do that but be a band about it.”

Thus the recent edition of tribal drummer Sean Dunal who may or may not have been dug up from the bottom of a pool, found frozen in a block of ice, but able to play dance music on the drums once thawed.

Opopo Live“You can only go with a machine for so long it turns out. We’re going to keep the electronic beats in there, but if we really want to rock out then yeah [we need a drummer],” Sutherland said.

The band is currently in the writing process of their upcoming full-length album, a record they intend to produce entirely on their own exactly to their liking.

“We know what we want and so much studio time is wasted on little tiny things,” Sutherland said. “We know how to make the magic happen ourselves and we have the gear, we don’t have the cases but we have the gear. We all believe we can take it into our own hands. I guess [we might] get the levels mixed by someone professional, but we know how to get what we want out of our songs. Those first takes have the real magic in them and you don’t want to try to recreate those when you’re on the clock in some studio somewhere.”

Toronto Band Opopo LiveTheir next scheduled Toronto show isn’t until November 14 at the Rivoli. Until then, this should tide you over: www.myspace.com/opopotunes. - TorontoMusicScene.ca

My first stop was over to the second stage to catch a few songs from Paper Lions. However, I was soon drawn away to the nearby Oh Henry indie stage where I saw a band called OPOPO. Now the thing is, I had checked out these guys’ music on MySpace before arriving at V Fest, and I was less than impressed by their rather overworked and over mixed electro synth tunes. Yet it was a completely different story when I saw these guys play live. OPOPO were magic!

Watching OPOPO live gives you a stripped down showcase of their music. The traditional rock instruments of guitar, drums and bass mix it up in frenetic harmony with some tasty synth beats, creating a live performance that is totally immersing. It’s a sound and show that is far from average. The band’s look was also less than typical; with a drummer adorned in war paint providing some comedy and intrigue, while the singer lures you in with his hopping, swaggering, fall-on-the-floor performance. Having a front man who is so genuinely into the music is something that the audience feeds off of and it’s what creates that fantastic atmosphere. OPOPO put on the best live show of Virgin Fest on Sunday. It was a trip. - www.musicvice.com

Opopo
By Cam Lindsay

Toronto’s Opopo can teach young bands a thing or two about getting noticed in the early stages of a career. Though they’re relatively new to the game, in less than two years the hyperactive trio have found themselves opening up for the like-minded Klaxons and releasing this fine-tuned debut for Urbnet. The key to Opopo is their unrivalled energy. Equal parts rave, electro, punk and new wave, over the eponymous EP’s six cuts they never allow the party to die — and I’m guessing if the cops were to show up they would be shot-gunning Old Milwaukees, with glow sticks and candy necklaces as part of their uniform. Instead of settling for the same old standard, stagnant synth pop or bombard us with any more electro house, Opopo come out playing a blithe version of Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR. The guitars are spiky, the bass lines stout, the synths oscillate without control and the beats come with an array of different patterns and off-kilter tempos to encourage dance floor abandon. That said, their playfulness and lack of inhibitions result in some terribly empty lyrics (“She’s freaky nasty,” “Disco! Chaos!”), which threaten to kill the high. But if you’re off your head, high on energy drinks, Opopo have more than enough in their arsenal to keep the momentum going.

You were all in a high school ska band before Opopo. How did you apply that to Opopo?
Guitarist Bryan Sutherland: All three of us were in that band but OPOPO was a fresh start. We tried to leave the raw enthusiasm behind but it stuck with us, so we rock out just as hard as we used to. That first run gave us a taste for playing shows and pursuing music together, but now we have more determination and focus. The tone has become much darker too, and a plot is beginning to unfold.

What made you choose not to bring in a live drummer for your gigs?
Electronic beats are very malleable and the consistency of a programmed kick can be very hypnotic. It’s an awesome rush hearing your own beats blast through a house system while ripping on synths, bass and guitar. We haven’t abandoned live percussion, and will eventually work some into the set. Ultimately, humans drum better than machines — no question. Any robots out there care to challenge?

Are Opopo a party band first and foremost? Well, art is at the centre of party, and there are many people in the world who take partying seriously. We have our fun but remain focused on the progression of the music. (Urbnet) - Exclaim! Magazine June 2008

OPOPO
Urbnet

BY Rob Duffy May 14, 2008 15:05
Editorial Rating:
OPOPO PLAY THE OPERA HOUSE (735 QUEEN E) MAY 17.

The beat never lets up throughout this 22-minute set from local disco-house trio Opopo, who aim to recreate their soon to be famously wild live show, launching a relentless attack of heavy, throbbing beats and yelping vocal hooks. Admittedly, atmosphere plays a role in the enjoyment of the genre, and while blasting the album from your bedroom boom box is not quite the same as hearing it in a sweaty club beneath seizure-inducing strobe lights, if barn-burning moments like the twitchy, stuttering vocals on “Clockstop” and the anthemic call-to-arms of “Blast Blast” fail to get your feet moving, it’s probably just because it’s the middle of the afternoon and you’re sober. - EYE Weekly

"Opopo sound like a bunch of robots crashing a garage rock band's late-night jam session—which, if you're not sure, is a good thing. Plus, they know how to party! At Nuit Blanche, they were the kids rocking the 24-hour car wash across the street from the Drake at six in the a.m. Awesome"

By Sarah Nicole Prickett - Torontoist.com

"Young British bands, take a leaf out of OPOPO’s book" - Ruscoe.net Blog