Live Review: Onra, Elroy, 4.0, Yumo

It's a small crowd that greets Brisbane's Yumo – Juan Moon – at Coniston Lane tonight, and Moon wastes no time initiating proceedings with his stylish, chilled-out beats. There's a visual element to his set that comes in the form of a rhinoceros beetle creeping and crawling around on the projected screen, and you find yourself getting caught up in the plights of the little guy while grooving away to Mr Moon – it's quite a serene experience. While this crowd is slow to warm up, Moon does manage to get a small few up and dancing by the end of his set. Yumo's performance is minimal and chic, an elegant way to kick-start this party.

Next up it's Elroy 4.0, or Ross Bird. Hailing from the north coast of New South Wales, this man is obviously no stranger to Brisbane audiences, the crowd rapidly increasing in numbers as his set transpires. It's not hard to see why either, as he's laying down some incredibly smooth and seductive sounds. With tracks like Nemo's New Shimmery Coat and Not Too Distant, Bird teaches the audience how to get down and funky, and it feels alright.

There's an incredible build in tension in the interlude between Bird's set and that of headlining Parisian beat master Onra, which is explosively released in what can only be described as collective euphoria from this now packed-out crowd once he starts laying down his trademark blend of Asian-infused hip hop beats. This guy is flyer than an ostrich – even the way he moves around his sound equipment is suave, and this confidence translates into his set. As soon as the bold beat from his hugely popular hit, The Anthem, comes bursting through the speakers, a flock of hands immediately fly into the air, accompanied by squeals of delight. From this point forward, the crowd's commitment to dancing is amplified tenfold and carries through the remainder of the night. We're treated to a great mix of tracks, including It's All Memories, Cold Blooded, High Hopes and Send Me Your Love – all of which are lapped up enthusiastically by this adoring audience.

When it's time for Onra's set to wrap up the crowd pleads with him to stay on stage a little longer. Ever the gentleman, he asks, “What do you want me to play? Do you want to hear more Chinese beats?” which of course earns a riotous response from the crowd as he swiftly proceeds to charm us with more tracks from his Chinoiseries albums, including Raw Shit, Hide And Seek and Stay With Me. While it's more than likely most of us in the crowd won't be part of the Splendour In The Grass festivities taking place over the weekend, it's equally likely we've experienced thrills that could rival those of any Splendour punter – here's hoping it's not too long before the ever-talented Onra graces our city once more.