For Ear Sake

Onra - Long Distance (2010)

Genres: Disco, Electro, Soul

By judging the album cover alone, the average person might think Long Distance was material from the show Miami Vice, or maybe even from the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. But that's not the case. Long Distance is the most recent album by Onra; and besides the album cover, it's apparent the Parisian producer took a trip to the 80's to grab inspiration for this album. Onra gives listeners more than enough electric content to enjoy. Long Distance consists of 21 tracks, and the duration is a few seconds shy of an hour. What more could one ask for? Not only is the album chock-full of satisfactory songs, but the artists featured help bring the album in unison as well. Artists such as Oliver DaySoul, T3 from Slum Village, Reggie B, and Walter Mecca can be heard on the album getting funky in their own right.

Some critics say the material featured within this release is simple and unimaginative. I beg to differ. Unimaginative and simple do not best describe this album. However, I can see why some critics might feel that way. Onra replicated S.O.S. Band's "High Hopes" and Carol Williams' "Have You For My Love". I don't see his replication as being unimaginative, but as breathing life back into old favorites.

Long Distance overflows with electro-funk tunes that have the power to move even the most arthritic individuals. "My Comet" and "High Hopes" are personal highlights from the album. "My Comet" is a cosmic face-scrunching, futuristic head-nodding, exotic shoulder-bopping instrumental that's out of this world! I was first introduced to "My Comet" in 2008 on All City's 7x7 series, and I loved it then the way I love it now. "High Hopes" featuring Reggie B is another hard-hitting track I personally enjoy. This track would be fitting for grooving at a club, eating BBQ and swatting flies at a cookout, skating in a crowded skating rink, or doing the Electric Slide at a wedding.

I wouldn't label Long Distance as a masterpiece, but it's most definitely an album that should be a part of an individual's music collection if they enjoy artists such as Dam-Funk, Funkineven, and Hudson Mohawke. So, if I just described you and you have yet to purchase Long Distance, Turntable Lab has both the CD and vinyl on sale (here). Lastly, both tracks "My Comet" and "High Hopes" are located below for anyone that's searching for a sample of the album. Enjoy!

Onra - My Comet

Onra - High Hopes feat. Reggie B