Excerpt from Snakecharmers: An Ooluu Interview: Q: Let’s talk about the album a bit. How would you describe Ophus to someone who’s not familiar with the band? A: I wrote this album for myself, as did the other guys in the band. It’s a form of meditation, or a tribal mantra, and when I say tribal, it’s not just in the sense of the sound, but also in that it’s a spiritual and shamanic experience for us to lead people into the album, both in Ophus and playing shows live. Coming into it, the music is really heavy, but it has a meaning that’s deeper than the music itself. The songs stand on their own, but it’s a story and a concept that works together as a whole, so the sequence of the songs is really critical. Q: I understand that there’s a concept behind Ophus. How did you decide to write a concept album? A: When this whole thing started, it was born in a meeting after rehearsal one day. Our former drummer, Peter, was about to leave the band, and we had jammed alternate, slower versions of some of our Mannequin EP stuff. It was really sombre, but also one of the more intense jams I’ve had in my life. Something about the impending change awakened something in Asa, Wychdoktor, and myself. [Tumblers are freshly lined with whisky.] Thanks. Q: So you had this jam with your drummer, and he’s leaving the band. Half the rhythm section is missing, and this new dynamic emerges; how does this change the intent going into the album, particularly the storytelling aspect? A: With the story came motivation. I think the best writing comes from experience, and we all drew on our individual experiences to make this album. Ophus is a declaration of power, but it’s also understanding your weakness, and growing to fulfill your true potential. Ultimately though, existence is cyclical, and time isn’t an object. Ophus is a character rising to power, and falling, before its rise to power again. The concept changes and develops in specific ways throughout the songs on the album; putting it together, we talked a lot about how each song fit into the concept, and how the emotional progression occurs throughout the album from song to song. Q: How does the idea of altered states figure into the album, and the sound of the instruments and vocals? Does that maybe change the way a listener who’s not in an altered state might perceive it — if so, how? A: So many shamanic cultures base their rituals around percussion — a steady, hypnotic beat that entrances people. A lot of our songs have that vibe, and you can definitely get lost in the songs. I think music can produce a form of altered consciousness, even without taking or doing anything. The steady beat in our music is there so you can lose yourself in what you’re listening to; it’s kind of sonic hypnotism.