Mr. Echoes and The Isle of Weight make up The Opus, a tandem of beat making mavericks that first gained notoriety with their standout productions for Rubberoom and Thawfor. They have worked with many of today's most talented artists including I Self Devine, Aesop Rock, Murs, Dj Krush, Meatbeat Manifesto and Slug. Their first solo release "First Contact" was released by Tri-Eight and Ozone to universal acclaim and landed the duo an Urb's Next 100 spot and overwhelmingly positive reviews in The Source, SPIN, XXL, CMJ, XLR8R and The Wire. Emotional depth and moodiness are essential elements of their work. Dark without being abrasive, difficult yet engaging, their sound is reminiscent of dark drum and bass, yet firmly cemented into the hiphop annuls. After locking themselves in their Chicago studio with a mountain of dusty vinyl and two lifetimes worth of musical inspiration, The Opus have finally emerged to deliver Breathing Lessons, a mesmerizing collection of reflective, instrumental hiphop. Using their signature palette of chopped percussion and intricate drum programming as base materials, they expand their compositions adding layers of strings, untuned piano, analog synths, floor rumbling bass, and reverb to haunting effect. Although the all-too-brief vocal appearance of Lord 360 reminds listeners of their productions for emcees on Rubberoom's 'Architechnology' and their own 2002 debut 'First Contact', this release is clearly intent on establishing The Opus as a production duo capable of creating music that stands on its own.
DirtyLoop.com