Onra

Born Arnaud Bernard, the Paris-based beatmaker Onra constructs tracks from a wide-ranging collection of samples while maintaining a keen sensitivity to global musical traditions. His approach echoes that of crate-diggers such as Madlib and DJ Shadow, along with fellow Sinophile countrymen Chinese Man, by weaving in distinctive elements drawn from Vietnam and India to lend his productions a worldly character. The French producer issued his first full-length effort, Tribute, in 2006 through Bo Bun Records, then delivered the widely praised Chinoiseries the following year via Favorite Recordings on LP and Bo Bun on CD. He maintained his output with 1.0.8, which appeared on Bo Bun in 2009, before moving to All City Records for the 2010 release Long Distance. Chinoiseries, Vol. 2 followed in 2011. After issuing the Deep in the Night EP on Fool's Gold, Onra teamed with Buddy Sativa to establish the Yatha Bhuta Jazz Combo, whose self-titled debut emerged in 2013. Fundamentals surfaced two years afterward. That album, shaped by '90s R&B and rap aesthetics, included contributions from Chuck Inglish, Daz Dillinger, Do or Die, the Doppelgangaz, and Black Milk. Onra completed the Chinoiseries series in 2017 with its third and concluding installment. He revisited his "future funk" aesthetic in 2018 on the album Nobody Has to Know.