Although he’s never one to call attention to himself, John Oparyk is one of the most important movers and shakers in the music industry. Preferring to stay in the background and from the confines of his home-based studio, Technical Difficulties Productions, John has been responsible for some of the most significant releases coming from Edmonton since the 1990s, carving a reputation that still stands today.
Local luminaries he’s been behind the production panel with include Tommy Bank, Idyl Tea, Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra, Tanyss Nixi and the Wheat Chiefs. He was at the helm of ground-breaking releases like Less Art More Pop, an album that helped garner national acclaim for country rockers Jr. Gone Wild. John also engineered Last of the Big-Time Suspenders, a compilation release by international hardcore punkers SNFU as well as the breakout single Yukon Buddy by traditional country act The Dusty Chaps, a group he would later play guitar for. He also did a number of tracks for the emerging electronic group, Psyche, an act that would make big waves in the industrial synth scene in their relocated home of Germany.
But John has also made his name of late in the underground electronic experimental scene worldwide, thanks to his modular synth work. His first offering was back in 1988 when he recorded I Wish I’d Never Read Franz Kafka to the Edmonton compilation Driven Element, recognized as one of the first electroacoustic projects to emerge in the city.
John’s output continued several years later when he contributed Klump Av Kull to Norwegian label Petroglyph’s annual Yuletide compilation project, Lovebird to Spain’s self-hypnosis label Mute Sound, Sanctuary to the now-defunct British label digitalDIZZY, and the melodic Endorphins to Germany’s Midnight Radio series of digital releases. John also took part in the two Canadian compilation projects released on Sudden Moment: Just A Second as well as Henwood to the Edmonton collection Dispatches From the Cultural Deprivation Tank. He’s been very prolific in the musique concrete motif with at least three pieces recorded for the IFAR label in England.
John was far more visible in the city’s live scene back in the 1980s drumming for synth rock act This Fear, before switching to guitar playing traditional country with The Dusty Chaps. He also had a project called TwinTox with various luminaries of This Fear, yielding a piece called Joyride which received controversial and consistent airplay on campus radio.
Today, he doesn’t perform live, but is happy in the studio creating works for others as well as himself. While he still records for digital labels worldwide, his latest focus is on the festival circuit to get his works heard around the globe. To that end, he’s already succeeded in landing spots in the Sound of Matter competition facilitated by the University of Vienna and the MUSLAB festival in Mexico City.

Artwork by Dana Miller
Guitar and voice by Tex Bovine
Classical guitar by Tom Roschkov
Electronics and field recordings by John Oparyk