The saxophone riff in ‘Careless Whispers’ is not only instantly recognizable due the popularity of the original song by George Michael but has since become an internet fixture — a classic meme.
Some of us might remember watching the viral video of Sergio Flores, the man behind the Sexy Sax Man persona, playing the saxophone shirtless in random public places, sporting a pony-tailed-mullet, aviator sunglasses, and a chevron-style mustache. This iconic riff is meant to be sexy, yet, it is kitsch and undeniably humorous at this point. So to hear the voice of Duy Mạnh following the riff, singing the lyrics of ‘Kiếp Đỏ Đen,’ a cautionary song on the dangers of gambling, is somewhat jarring. And just when we start to get used to this unanticipated match, George Michael’s voice echoes seamlessly, reminding us that “guilty feet have got no rhythm.”
The man behind this remix is 28-year-old Nguyễn Văn Nhất, better known by his internet persona Olivier Flora. You can find other remixes on his SoundCloud page, where Vietnamese songs representing different genres, even from more niche ones like folk and bolero, are mixed with the likes of Daft Punk and Delegation. An experienced graphic designer, Nhất started to take his remixes more seriously after his track ‘Something About Biển’ (Something About Us x Biển Tình) started getting traction online. He saw a possibility to pursue something more aligned with his passion for music, as graphic design was just a means to make a living.
A university course in sound design for films introduced him to a sound-mixing software intended for subtitling films. He started experimenting. Combined with a newfound interest in funk and disco, genres introduced to him by the hip-hop community he danced with, his focus veered towards finding unconventional matches with his Vietnamese music library. Like many beginnings, his first remixes were rough as he didn’t have proper control of the software that wasn’t really intended for music production. It was an initially bumpy ride. After a couple of years of experimenting, polishing his skills and investing in better tools, gems such as ‘Careless Đỏ Đen’ (Careless Whispers x Kiếp Đỏ Đen) were birthed. This remix is my personal favorite, and also the track Nhất is most proud of. Not only is it one of his smoothest works, but also because both songs blend well together thematically. George Michaels and Duy Mạnh are both expressing regrets and bitterness while recounting their actions, but it is the parallel between the themes of love and gambling that makes the track that much more comedic.
Nhất refers to himself as a music player and maker when asked to describe himself. His creative process is not linear, it is instinctive and playful; he gets inspired by browsing music and tests out different instruments and beats to enrich his work. Self-described as “not a perfectionist,” though one could argue this stance, he knows a track is finished when he can no longer listen to it. The most critically under-appreciated (by his SoundCloud followers) project up to date is his track ‘Waiting For Baby,’ a remix of Vietnamese artist MONO’s ‘Waiting For You’ and the widely known city pop remix ‘BABYBABY’ by Tanuki, originally performed by Mariya Takeuchi. This remix of a remix is clunky and overloaded, something Nhất admits, but he will not take it down, as it is still a labour of love and a testament to his ongoing progress.
A new universe of mashups
Other notable work includes ‘Honey Ở Đừng Về,’ a mix of the quan họ folk song ‘Người Ơi Người Ở Đừng Về’ performed by Hồng Vân, and ‘Oh Honey’ by Delegation, the 70’s funk, disco band. This successful homage to quan họ is brave, considering that the genre distinguishes itself from any western genre via its very distinctive yearning, if not mournful, vocals.
The previously mentioned track ‘Something About Biển,’ a mix of ‘Something About Us’ by Daft Punk and ‘Biển Tình’ by Quang Lê, deserves its popularity. “That’s the song that people know me from, they still mention it, and it’s a luck thing, it felt like a starting point,” he shared. The track was posted four years ago, yet still receives comments as more and more people learn about Olivier Flora. Perhaps not as polished as his recent songs, ‘Something About Biển’ remains strikingly catchy. There’s a sense of comfort and joy in revisiting songs we all have heard in the past; nostalgia has always been an effective way to create emotional connections after all. Yet the newness and ingenuity of these remixes are most likely the main reason for why Nhất's work is so popular. Right now, Nhất is focusing on producing his own original music in collaboration with a partner and friend, Tú. They connected through Olivier Flora’s social media pages, as he too appreciates the remixes. Nhất assured me that he will continue to make remixes.
As for the name, Olivier Flora, perhaps some football fan might have already made the connection: “I’m an Arsenal fan, and I find Olivier Giroud to be a very handsome man,” Nhất laughs. “As for Flora, that’s just because I like hoa hoè hoa sói [a Vietnamese expression referring to the quality of being extravagance, flamboyance].” Considering his rather dramatic and fun body of work, it is an apt name for this music maker.
