Within minutes of the opening song, the varied hipster/tripper crowd found it impossible not to dance to the bass-laden glitch-hop tunes Opiuo has become known for, amassing into a heaving, sweaty mess of love for the Melbourne-based-yet-Kiwi-born artist.
Testing a wonderful sounding PA and room with heavy sub-bass and crisp high frequencies was a testament to the sonic perfection Opiuo brings as a producer. Throwing in his own remixes of Kimbra’s Come Into My Head and The Upbeats’ Diffused made it clear that this guy knows how to vary his set to work the crowd. Coming off the back of a series of sold-out dates on his latest American tour, a openly jetlagged Opiuo also brought a stellar mix of crowd participation and fondness for his hometown declaring, “Feeling the love from my home fucking town and although I’m from New Zealand, this place is home so fuck yeah Australia!”
A dedicated laser show was integrated superbly along with an animated Opiuo intermittently playing an electronic drum pad and iPad mini adding a human element often neglected by many DJs in their live show. His hip-hop influence was evident when he included Dangerdoom’s Benzie Box and The Pharcyde’s Ya Mama to change up the set along with his banging tune Robo Booty convincing a group of scrawny guys (and girls!) to take their shirts off.
Usually treating punters to new tunes sparks simultaneous emotions of unfamiliarity and gratefulness but this was no ordinary crowd. Like old favourites, at least two new songs were met with wide smiles supplying the confident feedback any artist needs to know that putting that song out on the next record is the right move.
“I make music for people like you” were Opiuo’s heart-warming words to finish off the extended double encore set and as the lights came on, a newly formed happy horde of soaked friends stormed the water table for some sorely needed hydration.
BY DEAN BERLINGERI WITH BRYCE SPRATLING
LOVED: Thumping bass.
HATED: Hairy sweat.
DRANK: Hairy sweat particles.
