Interview with Opus Arise

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

• Being exposed to Deep Purple, Rush, Pink Floyd as well as Beethoven was my gateway into all of this.

• I enjoyed drawing and martial arts when I was younger so I would've been doing that if I wasn't a musician.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• These days all it's been is work and music (I play in various other groups from orchestras to metal bands), just being busy all the time has been keeping the creative juices flowing.

• Comic Books, Hiking and Video Games are inspirations whenever there is time.

How long has your band been around?

• 2013 is when it became Opus Arise, there were previous incarnations before that.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

• Vancouver B.C.

• Being in a bigger city with a prominent music scene created the opportunity for the group to form.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

• Wanted to make something that would show both classical and metal elements.

• At one point it was called "Opus Infinite" but when I reformed it, I was going through an intense depression, hence "Arise" from the ashes of the old project.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

• Playing at a Vancouver Canucks gig covering Star Wars tunes.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

• For us it was always the Anvil Centre in New Westminster for Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo.

• The Fox Cabaret was a great venue also so we'd like to play there again if we ever do shows again.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

• Alchemy Chamber, Cydemind and The Night Watch for a night of all instrumental neo-classical metal.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

• Find a job to fund your vision and fly at it!

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

• Oh man, that's a list of itself...

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

• Probably "Aura of Revelation" of the first album, it was one of the first pieces I ever wrote for the group and an homage to RPG soundtracks I listen to over the years.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

• The video game suites we do always got a great reception, we played "Dancing Mad" from the "Final Fantasy" series and that was always a hit.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

• Nerding out in front of music notation software and scoring the music!

• Anything from movie to game soundtracks, classical symphonies...

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

• We hope our music can take someone on a journey and let their imagination see what the music is painting.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

• Nothing these days, just deciding what to record/release next.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

• After this album we got an album of video game arrangements suites with videos as well, we'll be planning to record more in the new year, 2023 is going to be a busy year!

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