Enigmatic Berlin-based producer, songwriter, and composer Raz Ohara continues to captivate with his genre-fluid electronic sound, blending vintage analogue synths and rich textures into a sonic tapestry that defies categorization. With over 30 million streams, collaborations with luminaries like Apparat, Chilly Gonzales, and Acid Pauli, and performances at iconic venues like Babel (Ibiza), where he holds a summer 2025 residency, Ohara’s influence spans decades and scenes. His latest single, ‘Beyond and Deep Down’, released June 13, 2025, via House Of Frequency, premiered on Electronic Groove and heralds his forthcoming album, Memories of Tomorrow.
Below, we dive into an exclusive interview with Raz Ohara to uncover the inspirations and philosophies behind his mesmerizing new work.
How would you describe your creative process when crafting a track like ‘Beyond and Deep Down’?
Realising things are getting tense, opening up the door for some fresh air and the sun to shine in. Asking: what could cheer up the hearts. Then starting to record instruments without a critical mindset, just letting it flow while tracking. Later I will be selecting what I like and the track will shape its form and become alive: an entity in a certain attire and style.
What’s a favorite memory from your summer residency at Babel (Ibiza)?
Starting with an empty floor, ending with a full house in trance
How do vintage analogue synths shape your sound compared to modern digital tools?
Working with Vintage gear is more manual. You work more with your hands on knobs and faders, instead of programming looking at a tiny display. The work-flow is therefore organic and the sound usually will not need treatment in post. The sound I like to hear is usually almost there after finding it before I record it. Working with digital gear I tend to edit until it almost sounds analogue or vintage.
Working with artists like Apparat and Chilly Gonzales, what’s one lesson you’ve carried forward?
Always aim to do the best music you can, without compromise, even if you’re the next big thing – doing boring music just because they start asking for it is not a solution.
What inspired the mystical, layered soundscape of ‘Beyond and Deep Down’?
The instruments we chose to record, in the studio of House of Frequency. A lot of them are from African descent. Besides, I am inspired by the fact that the great mysteries of life remain secrets. It lies in a certain kind of humor of the Gods, that we may think we know. Listen carefully and you will hear them laughing.
How does your Berlin environment influence the genre-fluid style of Memories of Tomorrow?
I started writing songs on guitar and piano at the age of 12. When I turned 14 I was rapping as a member of a hip hop crew. At the age of 16 I mixed the two genres and found trip hop all by myself. By the age of 18 I had moved to Berlin where I got introduced to electronic club music of all genres. This brought me to playing shows all across Latin America, where I also spent time in the rain forest. Now you do the math.
You’ve said ‘Beyond and Deep Down’ is about awareness; how do you tap into that philosophy personally?
When we walk the path of life, we realise, there are thorns and stones in our way, and we will start to hurt. We learn that we have to find out how to deal with it, to stop the bleeding. So we start to become aware of where the thorns show up, where they hurt in our body, and why they keep getting in our way. And through our emerging awareness that becomes wider as we move on, we realize that only at a certain point we cast no shadow darkening our trail. That is when we are aligned.
With influences from Nina Simone to ambient music, how do you balance such diverse inspirations?
It’s never about the genre – it is about the quality of the music and how much clarity, devotion, and honesty its creator was able to live up to.
What’s the most vulnerable moment you’ve experienced while creating or performing your music?
Dj’ing in Bombay at the terrace of a five star hotel while people behind me on the beach were begging for food.
If you could teleport to any venue or festival to perform next, where would you go and why?
I would play in the ruins of Gaza for charity alongside Israeli and Palestinian peace workers, building a human shield around the last existing habitats. While Benjamin is not getting tired of throwing bombs and Elon is high on K at Burning Man.
Stream ‘Beyond and Deep Down’
Follow Raz Ohara:
Instagram – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify
