Vinyl Review: Opus Science Collective - Girls On Bikes (Sofa King Vinyl)

Opus Science Collective
Album: Girls On Bikes (2018)
Sofa King Vinyl SKV-1004-2
Release Date: October 12, 2018

I have to admit until I received this album from Sofa King Vinyl, I had never heard of Opus Science Collective.  Synthwave or Vaporwave music isn't typically something I listen to.  It isn't because I don't like the genre, but I just don't typically think to look for music from that genre.  I was approached by Sofa King Vinyl about my willingness to listen to and give my thoughts on a couple of their releases.  After picking myself up off the floor, I graciously accepted.  Sofa King Vinyl was generous enough to send me two albums they recently put out to review.  I made sure not to listen to either album before the vinyl came so I had a clean slate to go off once it arrived.  So let's get into my thoughts on Opus Science Collective's Girls On Bikes from Sofa King Vinyl.

Right off the bat, the cover is stunning.  Mizucat is credited as the artist and she did a fantastic job with the colors.  They pop and are very eye-catching.  I love the Japanese OBI look on the cover as well.  Its a great touch for sure.  The artwork is crisp with no pixelation, and it extends to the back cover which lists the standard track names and album credits.  Overall the cover is visually stunning and definitely attracts attention.

Another thing that I truly appreciate about Sofa King Vinyl's packaging is the use of a poly-lined sleeve.  It's so easy to cut out some expense and put a simple paper sleeve in the packaging, or God forbid those filmy plastic sleeves, but Sofa King Vinyl steps it up and uses a premium sleeve which shows that they care about the record inside and the longevity of their product.  That also saves me from having to replace the sleeve and I definitely appreciate that, so thank you.

After cheering out loud for the poly-lined sleeve, I couldn't help but see the gorgeous translucent purple vinyl record inside said sleeve.  The picture on the left doesn't really do it justice as it makes it look almost red instead of the lovely plum purple that it really is.  I am one that enjoys colored vinyl as long as it doesn't take away from the sound of the audio I'm buying the album for.  In this case, I can happily report that the audio is brilliant.

Once I put the record on the turntable and started playing the album, I was very happy with the quality of the press.  The bass is thumping, the highs are crisp, and the instruments are well mixed.  Sofa King Vinyl prides themselves on putting a lot of effort into the mastering of the album for vinyl and you can tell.  It sounds amazing sonically.  As for the music, I have to admit I was really enjoying it even if I started the first song on 33 rpm instead of the intended 45 rpm.  Once I figured out I was playing it too slowly, it made more sense to my ears.  I do have to admit, playing the album at 33 rpm is also a very enjoyable experience on some of these songs.  The album is all instrumental and has a very nice vibe to it.  It would make excellent background music for a house or office party.  It's good music to sit down and enjoy the beverage of your choosing to as well.  It isn't too techno or dance for my tastes.  The music has enough beat to groove to and dance too, but you don't need to be moving 100 miles per hour when dancing.  That's the kind of synth-pop I enjoy.  As I listened to the songs while working, I found myself moving in my chair to the sounds.  That's a sign of good music.

Overall, the packaging and sonic quality presented by Sofa King Vinyl for this album are top notch and I look forward to hearing the other release they sent me.  If I had any complaints at all, I would have recommended that somewhere on the packaging it told me the album was 45 rpm.  It does list it on the record label, but I completely missed it.  That's a small issue that didn't take away from the overall experience.  Instead, it kind of enhanced it when by accident I listened at the slower speed on the first song.

If you are a fan of instrumentals or synth pop, I would recommend grabbing a copy of Girls On Bikes from Opus Science Collective on vinyl.  I think you will enjoy it much as I do.  Big thanks to Sofa King Vinyl for sending me this copy. It will definitely find the way to the turntable over and over again.

For more information on Sofa King Vinyl, including all of their available releases, visit http://www.sofakingvinyl.com.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest news and release information.

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