Taking cues from the works of Detroit’s late great J Dilla / Jay Dee, Onra’s beats bring together funky, organic, heart-pumping hip-hop laced with the finer elements of boogie.

Onra is Charles Arnaud, beat composer. He performs live with Charles Dao using 2 Akai MPC 1000s, a microkorg, the Kaos Pad 3 & Kaoscillator plus a mixer.

Aether, another abstract instrumental hip-hop beat composer constructs his dreamy, soulful songs via Ableton Live and MPC.

Nick Speed’s multifaceted approach to music translates to his live performances: he raps and drops his beats live also rocking an Akai MPC 1000.

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BIO – ONRA (All City Records | RBMA | Circulations | Bo Bun Records)
Onra released his first album with producer and friend Quetzal (Al Quetz) in 2006, A Hip-Hop Tribute to Soul Music, which was played several times by Gilles Peterson and Benji B and covered on Okayplayer.com.

At the same time, he started collaborating with American keyboard player Byron the Aquarius and released an album under the name The Big Payback in 2007 on Japanese label Circulations. This project draws from various influences such as futuristic hip hop and spaced-out and jazzy broken beats. They also appeared on highly praised compilations such as Beat Dimensions and New Worlds.

In 2006, Onra went to Vietnam, where his grandparents are from, and managed to bring back some 30 old Chinese and Vietnamese vinyl records. He then made a full album with this material, Chinoiseries, which is his most critically acclaimed album. Album cut “The Anthem” was chosen for a Coca-Cola commercial for the Beijing Olympics.

In 2008, he was selected to attend the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona. He is also part of the 7×7 series by Irish label All City. His “1.0.8,” project was inspired by Bollywood music and has been elected as album of the week by many record shops across Europe. In 2010, Onra released his latest LP Long Distance on All City. The album features tracks with Oliver DaySoul, fellow French beatmaker Walter Mecca, and T3 from Slum Village.

Onra has performed in Japan, China, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, England, Austria, New Zealand, Vietnam, Switzerland, Netherlands and France.
Onra Soundcloud | Myspace | Twitter

BIO – AETHER (Antipop | Exponential | Cookshop)
Aether is the alias of Diego Chavez, a graphic designer and music producer based out of San Antonio, TX. Chavez also records under the monikers; Otic Angst and A.M. Architect in addition to producing tracks for the conscious based hip hop group Lotus Tribe and rock band The Panic Division. And yes you are right…he doesn’t sleep.

As a child, Diego spent the scorching Texas summer days at his father’s art studio conversing with painters, surfing the internet, and daydreaming. While in high school, Chavez began skipping school to host jam sessions in his garage with his friends. Then came along Wu-Tang and Fruityloops and Chavez began making beats for his friends to freestyle to. It wasn’t long before Chavez’s sound began to mature and find a life of its own.

Chavez is a diverse producer capable of making rock, downtempo, hip hop, electro and experimental music but there is definitely a signature sound that carries throughout. Most of Chavez’s music is structured around the gritty boom bap sound of East Coast hip hop but there is also a dreamy and romantic soulfulness that inhabits each song. “Artifacts”, Chavez’s first full length solo album, is no different. Each song on the album is lovingly sculpted and an expression of beauty, love, tragedy, hope and everything else that makes us human.

Chavez is quickly making a name for himself, having already released a handful of tracks on Exponential compilations as well as remixing and producing for various artists. His remix of Lykke Li’s, “Little Bit” has already garnered much love from critics and listeners alike. It’s no wonder that Chavez is considered to be one of the new producers to look out for.
Aether Soundcloud | Antipop | Twitter

BIO – NICK SPEED (Libido Sounds | Underground Resistance | Money Management/G-Unit)
Nick Speed is a Hip hop producer who has produced tracks for 50 Cent, Tupac Shakur, Lloyd Banks, M.O.P., Talib Kweli, Phat Kat and Musiq Soulchild.

In August 2007, Nick Speed released the D-Tour Mixtape which showcases his versatility as a producer as well as an emcee. The double CD features many of Speed’s collaborations with mainstream stars like 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks, but also displays the talents of other Detroit artists such as 87 and Fes Roc.

Recently, Speed has developed a living musical history between hip-hop and electronic music in Detroit. Starting with Hot Soup, an album he solely produced for rapper Danny Brown, he took a sample from Model 500′s Cosmic Cars to create a new club anthem, “What Up Doe.” He headlined the 2010 Movement Festival with Juan Atkins and Model 500 and has recently joined forces with legendary Detroit Techno label Submerge Records/Underground Resistance to release Speed of Sound on vinyl (2010). Speed also contributed to Danny Brown’s seminal 2010 album The Hybrid as well as Talib Kweli’s upcoming Gutter Rainbows and Obie Trice’s Bottom’s Up. The Detroit based rapper/singer/writer/producer is poised to launch his solo career with his first single, “Fast Lane” from his forthcoming CD, This Side of the Speaker on The Orchard Music.
Discography | Tumblr | Twitter