As the sails of the Opera House ignite under the luminescent glow of technicolour light, Sydney knows it’s that time of year again. Vivid is here, and what better way to usher in such a festival than with a bit of a party.

We were invited by RedBull on Friday night to sit in on an intimate studio conversation with the Parisian producer and beat-maker Onra before he melted hearts and minds together with his eclectically brilliant performance in the depths of the Opera House.

The man knows how to jam, if you haven’t heard any of his produce before, you’re either deaf (in which case sorry) or you’ve just listened to too much David Guetta to care about good music. The French/Vietnamese, German born beat-maker’s sound is so unique it has to be heard to be understood. In ’08 Onra attended RedBull’s Music Academy where he refined and developed his sound further, proving his professionalism and impressing all that heard his beats. He has collaborated with names like Daz Dillinger, Chuck Inglish and Olivier DaySoul, and when names like these get behind an artist you know it’s big news.

He draws his inspiration from a wide array of cultures, most notably American RnB, Chinese early folk, Vietnamese and some contemporary sounds too. He collects samples off records that have long been forgotten by the mortal ears and are probably too old to even be understood in a modern context. The result? Hour long mixes (Chinoiseries pt.1 & 2) and tracks that maintain a timeless feel and a smooth groove, emulating what true RnB is all about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxM_sgMM2rQ

Even our own flume sponged some creative fluid from this guy, remixing Onra’s “The Anthem” back in 2012 (we like the less screwed, smoother original better). There’s something hypnotic and original about his Oriental RnB blend that restores faith in modern beat-makers and proves that there is still so much untouched material out there tucked away in dingy record stores, ripe for the sampling.

Understanding Onra’s multiple muses has made us want more from this lovely Parisian producer who is forging his own path and planting his own roots in the contemporary RnB and Electro scene. His newest album ‘Fundamentals’ is out now and we’re thinking you should get your sweaty little fingers on it as soon as your parents pay your pocket money. Kudos to RedBull for a tight as hell night, it truly was an honour to chill with Onra.

Onra – Fundamentals