French music producer Onra is bringing his much needed funky vibes to Shanghai's underground music scene, which is predominantly ruled by electronic and house. His critically acclaimed 2010 release Long-Distance solidified him as a bonafide beat-maker that could make even the stiffest hips sway. Oui (see what we did there?) caught up with the multi-faceted produced before his much-anticipated appearance on New Year's Eve at Arkham, brought to you by S.T.D. See event listing here.
Your latest album, Fundamentals, has been praised as some of your best work. Why do you think that is?
Really? I'm surprised... I actually thought the album didn't get much attention and haven't really read much reviews. I think that's an album that people will maybe look back upon in a few years, but I can't say it has been well critically acclaimed so far.
You’re originally from Paris, yet your influences are clearly 80s and 90s American hip-hop. What draws you to those sounds?
This is simply the sound that I grew up with. Until I was 20 years old, that's the only type of music I have been listening to, I have never really been into any kind of electronic music.
I grew up half in France, half in Ivory Coast, and it has always been really popular amongst the people I hung out with. There is definetely a special connection between me and those types of music, I have been very fortunate to understand its codes in depth, even though I'm not American.
Pitchfork has criticized your album for lacking a “soul.” Why do you think that is? Do you agree or disagree?
I disagree to the utmost. If you like my music or you don't, I have no problem with it either way. But lack of Soul is simply impossible. Anything I do has Soul and will always have Soul. Simply because of my influences, my multi-cultural background and how I make music... My craft... Everything I do is analog and comes from sampling soulful music... I'm one of the only ones left making music that way, by hand, not with a computer, so this review is very paradoxal.
On this album I worked with super talented people on every tracks, I don't understand how it could lack soul. You got to keep in mind that this review came from a guy who usually writes for a video game magazine. Draw your own conclusions.
You’ve released seven albums with EPs in between, which is a really impressive discography. How has your sound changed?
I released about ten projects and they're all very different. I'm not sure if I have a particular sound, I like to explore and take risks, do different things than others... I'm still building my sound, but it mostly depends on my inspiration and the concept I want to work on, I can be a true chameleon too.
Judging from Chinoiseries, it seems like you’re familiar with Asia. Have you been to Shanghai before?
Actually that Chinoiseries project is more popular in Europe and the US, but I'm trying to play in Asia as much as I can to spread the vibes. I have been playing in Shanghai before, that was in 2009. It was part of one of my first tours. I was very unexperienced and very nervous. It went well and it was packed. Lots of French people attending the gig, which is cool but I would have prefered to see more Chinese people attending.
Fundamentals gives some baby-making vibes. What do you think is the best environment to listen to your music to?
I actually made that album to play it in the car. It's not a very romantic album you want to play in the bedroom, but a lot of people misunderstood it because of all that hard shit everybody's into these days, it changed people's perception. It's just a different tempo and a different vibe but I don't really see it as a baby-making music album.
What’s the craziest show you’ve played? What happened?
Craziest show could be at that festival in Japan where I got drunk before my set and I inserted the memory card in my equipment the wrong way. It broke while I was playing and I couldn't keep on. Fortunately, before I stepped on stage, I saw the band playing after me setting up, and one of the guys had the exact same machine (mpc1000). So I interrupted my set, spoke the three words of japanese I knew and asked my friend to go get the machine. I excused myself in japanese as well and kept on playing after a few minutes and everybody got really excited.
What’s currently on your playlist?
The same old hip-hop and r&b I have always played. I have just finished my latest album Chinoiseries pt. 3 and I have been playing it a lot to hear all the little details and figure out if there were mistakes, or things I wanted to change. This is not a time where I play many other stuff, I have been focusing on it for the last 4/5 months.
Since it’s the holidays, what is the number one thing on your wish list?
Staying healthy.
> Dec 31, 10pm-late, RMB80-100. Arkham, see event listing.
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