Video: Souls of Mischief’s Opio x Free the Robots – “Let the Bass Go”
The Hieroglyphics MC Teams Up With the L.A. Beat Scene Pioneer For A Forthcoming EP, Releasing March 3rd, First Visual Premiered by Okayplayer
2.20.2015
Critical Praise for Opio x Free the Robots:
“Free the Robots…taps a dark, psychedelic vein while boasting highly technical hip-hop production prowess.” – SPIN
“Opio’s strengths are found in his flow and wordplay. His cadence is married to each rhythm.” – Okayplayer
“Opio’s ability to utilize intricate wordplay and vivid imagery as a means of putting him ahead of the pack.” – HipHopDX
“Somewhere between the neck-snapping, gritty hip-hop of the FatBeats era, the fuzzy, distorted psychedelia of the 60s & 70s, cool jazz, and the woozy beats scene of the last decade lies the music of Free the Robots.” – Okayfuture
The Video:
Sit back, relax, and let your subconscious mind unravel. Hieroglyphics/Souls of Mischief rapper Opio and veteran L.A. beat scene producer Free the Robots have released the visual for their single, “Let the Bass Go,” via Okayplayer, who referred to the music as “akin to Dilla’s Kraftwerk phase,” adding that the video directed by Unjust delivers a “kaleidoscopic visual treament.” “Let the Bass Go” is the second single of their upcoming The Subconscious Mind EP, following “Blow Sum Smoke,” which premiered with IMPOSE Magazine, who stated “try as you might, you probably could not get more West Coast than Opio and Free the Robots’s new California coast-spanning collaboration.”
Featuring the EP’s artwork and a collage of obscure vintage cartoons and movie scenes, the video is a therapeutic treat for the eyes. “Let the Bass Go” features a rumbling bassline with a series of torpedoing synths as Opio contributes his confident, nasally flow, utilizing the production to explore his inner thoughts and his devotion to music through intricate rhymes. “My direction was very bass heavy, with slower hip-hop rhythms,” explains Free the Robots of “Let the Bass Go.” “I let my subconscious drive this song lyrically,” adds Opio, “I remembered the time I was first introduced to heavy bass, a time when all my big brothers had dope old schools with big systems.”
As one of the pioneering artists to come out of L.A.’s beat scene, Free the Robots continues to expand minds around the world with his lineup of original recordings and energetic live performances, with a knack for producing psychedelic, jazzy hip-hop soundscapes. Teaming up with Hiero rapper Opio, the duo is ready to release their new project, which pushes a forward-thinking, progressive sound. Opio and Free the Robots’ The Subconscious Mind EP releases March 3rd, and is available for pre-order on iTunes.
Watch “Let the Bass Go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS2jeShrhmI
Listen to “Let the Bass Go”: https://soundcloud.com/opiohierosom/let-the-bass-go/
Check out the Okayplayer premiere: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/opio-free-the-robots-let-the-bass-go-video.html
Pre-order The Subconscious Mind EP on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-subconscious-mind-ep/id965939542?ls=1
Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Opio x Free the Robots.
The Background:
Upon being introduced to Free The Robots’ music while on tour for Souls of Mischief, Opio gravitated towards FTR’s bass-heavy vibe and added his catalogue to his daily music rotation. While reading up on FTR, Opio learned that he not only is he a beatmaker but a food maker as well and when the tour roared through his hometown of Santa Ana, Opio made a point of having dinner at FTR’s restaurant, the Crosby. While at dinner with his tour-mates, producer and composer Adrian Younge and Souls of Mischief-mate, Phesto, Opio and Free The Robots got a chance to know one another. As is turns out, a lot of Free The Robots’ hip hop background had been greatly influenced by Opio, and Opio, wanting to take his solo work in a more futuristic progressive direction, found inspiration in FTR. They immediately clicked. By the end of dinner, they had plans to make a record and here it is, The Subconscious Mind EP.
Links:
twitter | facebook | soundcloud
“Let the Bass Go”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS2jeShrhmI / https://soundcloud.com/opiohierosom/let-the-bass-go/
“Blow Sum Smoke”: https://soundcloud.com/free-the-robots/opio-x-free-the-robots-blown-sum-smoke
Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/opio-x-free-robots/