Opia

The electronic group Opia crafts atmospheric pop with R&B elements, drawing from their affinity for EDM, folk by singer/songwriters, and a cappella singing. Opia came together in Los Angeles during 2016, showcasing the abilities of Yale alumni including Cole Citrenbaum on vocals and guitar, DJ Stanfill handling vocals and keyboards, and Jacob Reske, also known as colorthought, who contributes vocals and production. Their initial encounter occurred at Yale University; there, Reske participated in the electronic a cappella ensemble A.Squared, while Citrenbaum directed the a cappella group known as the Spizzwinks. Post-graduation, the three maintained contact and later reunited in Los Angeles to start composing and tracking songs inside Reske's apartment, which lacked furnishings at the time. Their first single "Falling" achieved viral status in January 2016 once it appeared on the blog aggregator Hype Machine. During 2017, they put out the Faded EP containing "Falling" and five additional songs such as "Heart of Gold." In the same year, their touring schedule included dates alongside Marian Hill and Whethan.