NEWS: Opt-outs – Ocean

Opt-outs is a musical duo from London, UK who make tunes from atmospheric beats and soulful vocals. Barry Straight makes the beats and music, Yinka Oyewole writes the songs and sings the words.  

The pair met and became friends at a notorious music studio complex in Bermondsey, South London, while playing pool in the studio common room between rehearsals with their own separate bands. Having found out they were both originally from the equally notorious Essex, they found they had common ground in their musical tastes.

Barry shared some beats with Yinka who was immediately impressed with what he heard and knew intuitively where his vocals could take the music, he asked Barry if he could try singing on top and the Opt-outs were born. 

Now with an album’s worth of material, Opt-outs have elected to lead with ’Ocean’, a downbeat, slinky groove with Yinka’s contemplative and uplifting vocals gliding over the top. They commissioned an animated video for the tune based on an evolutionary storyboard highlighting the interconnectedness of the living world. 

With influences like 4 Hero, Massive Attack, Parliament-Funkadelic and D’Angelo filtered through the mists of London’s big smoke, Opt-outs fuse the classic with the contemporary to produce some truly affecting electro soul. Get a dose…