ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER – The Trouble With Being Born

Daniel Lopatin (born July 25, 1982), best known as Oneohtrix Point Never or OPN, is an American experimental electronic music producer, composer, singer, and songwriter. His music has utilized tropes from various musical genres and eras, sample-based composition, and complex MIDI production.

Lopatin began releasing synth-based recordings in the mid-2000s and received initial acclaim for the 2009 compilation Rifts, as well as the influential vaporwave release Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol. 1 (2010). He subsequently signed with Warp in 2013, and has since released studio albums on the label to positive critical reception. He has also composed scores for films such as Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019); the former won him the Soundtrack Award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

Crediting the range of music that his parents introduced him to, Lopatin has stated various musical influences including “all the strange moments from Beatles songs”, the jazz fusion groups Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, and progressive soul musician Stevie Wonder, as well as later influences such as electronic composer Vangelis, hip hop producer DJ Premier, and shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine. He has also cited literary influences, including Romanian pessimist philosopher Emil Cioran, and science fiction authors Stanisław Lem and Philip K. Dick.