| ray okpara:
An artist whose roots lie half in Nigeria represents today for what we understand as House: Percussions, drifty hypnotic beats, a touch of soul and marvellously deep.........house is a feeling and Ray Okpara has his finger firmly on the pulse, leading the way. Whilst his own roots are in Nigeria, it is actually Mannheim, Germany that Ray has helped put on the electronic music map, with a string of stellar productions on hot labels like Cécille, Oslo, Get Physical and Area Remote and an indomitable DJ style that has seen him rock out the world’s great modern clubbing arenas. With Ray’s distinctive style, it’s no surprise to learn that his early influences were hip-hop, funk and soul before the nightlife escapades of he and long-time friend Johnny D truly awoke his strong interest in electronic music. Impressed by the many different genres, the first attempt on the turntables was actually using Johnny's UK Garage Records. But the passion was sparked and Ray and Johnny began their own party, RAJO, which was hugely popular throughout the Rhein Necker Delta. Another friend, Nick Curly, joined RAJO in 2001 and 'The Loft’ residency began in Mannheim, where the first seeds of something monumental were unwittingly being sown. The Mannheim influence, and the time Ray has spent living there, is tangible; during these years the technical elements of Ray’s sets developed and the groove began to take shape, thankfully encompassing all the early influences like soul and funk. Berlin was calling in 2005 and beginning 4 years living in the city, Ray really started to blossom musically. The heralded DJ performances were soon accompanied by productions, such as remixes for Johnny D on Oslo and 8-bit or the Italoboyz on Get Physical. His first EP, ‘Fumnaya’ on Lomidhigh Lmtd and releases like ‘Frozen on Yellow Ice’ (Arearemote) and ‘Loving Moonbauh’ (Drumpoet Community) were instrumental in Mannheim’s explosion in 2008.
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