Those attending Tunnel Visions at this year’s Strøm Festival got to experience the clubby polyrhythms of Opica, Anders Bo Eriksen’s solo project. While his main instruments are the cimbalom and the helicon – a type of stringed percussion instrument and a type of tuba respectively – he’s also a trained percussionist and a wizard behind the knobs.
Just like his genre-defiant debut The Other End Of The Circle on Perfumery Recordings, he’s a multifaceted musician. He performs with Astrid Engberg, plays semi-improvised hybrid electronic music with saxophonist Sven Dam Meinild, and composes for theatre shows such as DATA DATA, Phobetor and F.U.C.K.D.
This edition of Fast Lytter exemplifies that breadth, spanning all the way from Pearson Sound and Blawan, to Destiny’s Child and The Knife. Scroll down to listen, and read on for more on his current inspirations and projects.
What inspires you at the moment?
I try to find inspiration outside of music, and at the moment it’s very visual, like seeing a certain drum or a person. I’m also experimenting with zooming in on a sample, some type of micro listening. For example I listened to the sound of a foot stepping out of the shower, slowed down and stretched and then explored the rhythmic patterns that emerged.
What else are you up to musically?
I’m currently working on the last mix and co-production with Perfumery Recordings on my forthcoming record with Opica, refining my sonic palette for upcoming gigs. After finishing my summer & fall tour with with Astrid Engberg I’m also writing a book about music education, and playing around with micro listening and shifting reverbs.
What was your last big musical experience?
Aphex Twin at Syd For Solen.
If you want to stay up to date on all things Opica, follow him on Instagram or find his music on Spotify.
Want more tracks, freshly hand picked by a human?
Check out the previous edition of Fast Lytter by Cynnamon.