by OnraI picked up Onra's Long Distance album over a year ago, and while I liked it, I didn't quite get what all the fuss was about this up-and-coming Parisian beatmaker. Then I started hearing people talk about his Chinoiseries Part 2 (I've never listened to Part 1, which is probably a mistake), and now I completely get it.
This is a thirty-two track instrumental hip-hop album that is pretty reminiscent of some of the best of J Dilla and Madlib. Actually, what it reminds me of more than anything is Oh No's Dr. No's Oxperiment album, where he sampled Turkish funk to create a contemporary hip-hop album.
Onra did not travel to Turkey for his loops and samples though, instead channeling the best of the Orient into his beats. This album plays with a traditional Eastern sound, but also picks up on some Asian funk and jazz, all which which has been blended together to create a very memorable mix of Asian-inflected hip-hop.
Most of this album is way too lovely to have an emcee spit over it; like Dilla's Donuts, this is a classic album that encompasses a particular musical milieu, rendering it fresh and exciting for new audiences.
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