OPIUO

OPIUO is one of those artists who defies easy genre labels, and that’s exactly the point. Born in 1984 and raised in rural New Zealand, where his parents actually hosted music festivals on their property, he grew up surrounded by live music before he ever touched a laptop. These days he’s based in Australia, but his sound has always felt like it belongs everywhere and nowhere at once, a genre-blending mix of funk, soul, psychedelia, and heavy, booty-shaking bass that’s impossible to pin down and even harder to sit still to.

Over more than a decade in the game, OPIUO has put out four full-length albums and ten EPs, plus a steady stream of singles and remixes that keep his catalog feeling endless. His work isn’t just about the low end either, there’s a real musicality to it, funk-inspired grooves and psychedelic textures layered on top of that signature bass weight. In 2014 he took home the New Zealand Music Award for Best Electronic Album, cementing him as one of the country’s most respected exports in the scene.

What really sets OPIUO apart is his live show. He’s played Coachella, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza, and he’s sold out Red Rocks Amphitheatre, no small feat for an artist who built his career outside the mainstream festival circuit. His performances range from stripped-down solo audio-visual sets to full self-built live orchestras, proof that he treats every show as its own kind of production. He’s also collaborated with members of Lettuce and DeVotchKa, bringing in live musicianship that most bass producers wouldn’t even attempt.

His most recent studio album, “A Shape Of Sound,” pushed his sound even further, described as his most diverse and detailed record yet. It’s the kind of release that shows an artist who’s still evolving more than a decade in, rather than coasting on what already worked. Whether you catch him behind a laptop or fronting a full band on stage, OPIUO remains one of the most genuinely unique live acts in bass music, an artist who treats positivity and movement as the whole point.