Pink Opake – Matéria [Wave Records]

Pink Opake is a duo formed in 2022 by Tatiana Meyer and Paulo Beto. Both are members of Anvil FX, a Brazilian band with a career that dates back to the late 90s and whose sound has diversified over the years, as each album they have released is a totally different story from the rest of their releases. This musical plurality can be appreciated in Pink Opake, although their sound could be identified with a quite specific style, it can be appreciated that they have a considerable artistic heritage.

On 7 July Pink Opake released Matéria on Wave Records. According to the authors, the album is inspired by the love between Tatiana and Paulo, who are a couple, as well as by the dark electronic music with guitars of the eighties. Matéria’s influences come from post-punk, coldwave and minimal synth, and was recorded entirely in the band’s home studio, Anvil FX, located in São Paulo.

Matéria opens with BeforeToday Or After, a track of slow cadence, classic synth lines, with a simple half-tone harmonic conjugation, but with a good result and an imposing voice. Minha Voz Minha Vez, the next cut on the album, was released weeks before by Wave Records as a preview to show the public the direction the band was taking with this album, as their style can be elegantly oriented towards post-punk or coldwave.  A Luz Não Passa stays in a similar vein to the previous track, although the energy is increased due in large part to the synthetic punch of the kick. Pronta, the fourth track on Matéria, takes a different turn to the previous tracks in that its intensity is increasing, as is Tatianan’s voice, which is becoming more and more unnerving.

Matéria (do que eu sou feita) is possibly, along with Ilha Urbana, the track that best defines the post-punk sound of this band, from the rhythm to the sound of the drums, the bass, the synths and the vocalist’s impetus. A Pátria é Nada is a kind of dystopian synthwave that immediately grabs the listener. Ilha Urbana is a defiant and dynamic cover of the band Muzak, included in the iconic Brazilian post punk compilation “Não São Paulo”, released in 1985. Joy Delirium is a perfect closing track, and is also a cover of a song from Silverblood’s 1995 album “Imperfection”.

The lyrics address indigestible but urgent themes, such as sexism, authoritarianism, as well as reflections on inner human conflicts, themes such as feminism and the search for an understanding of what it means to be civilised and human in today’s world, challenging patriarchal structures.

Release date: July 7^th, 2023.