Kora is the project of Québec-born producer, DJ and live performer Mikael B. Robillard. For close to two decades, his work has been rooted in the foundations of house music: the groove, the long arc of an extended set, the patience of a dancefloor. Alongside that sits a classical piano training and years spent on drums and percussion, playing rock and developing a deep sense of rhythm.

A mentorship with Toronto producer Adam K marked his move into electronic production. His music has since been released on John Digweed’s Bedrock Records with the Soleil EP, as well as on Anjunadeep, Kindisch, Sol Selectas and Decca. His remix work includes Ludovico Einaudi (with Mercan Dede), Poranguí, Husa & Zeyada and Hraach.

Over the past decade, music has taken Kora on adventures through more than 30 countries, from New York to Mumbai, Istanbul to Buenos Aires, Amman to Atitlán. At home, he holds a residency at Stereo Montréal, where he recently played the club’s 24-hour marathon alongside Patrice Bäumel and Hernán Cattáneo.

His performances take three forms. Extended late-night DJ sets draw on his years in the booth and his roots in house music. A live set brings keys, percussion and flute into an electronic framework, most recently in a shared performance with multi-instrumentalist Poranguí. Ambient sessions, shaped by his debut album Azimuth, offer space for integration and inner journeys.

As co-founder of the Montréal label Saisons Musique, he has helped bring more than 100 songs into the world across 50+ releases, and hosted showcases in Montréal, Berlin, New York and Amsterdam. Community sits at the heart of this work: he co-founded Terre à Terre, a reforestation festival in Québec, has taken part in collaborative fundraiser releases for animal causes, and teaches electronic music production online and in person, in Montréal and on the road.

Driven by passion, whether in a club at 4 a.m. or a quiet listening room, the intention stays the same: to bring people together, in harmony, at a time when that kind of hope is needed.