To learn more about the process and inspiration behind this stunning new work, we asked Jason five questions—diving into his influences, creative approach, and the sonic evolution that led to Inherent.
A masterclass in cinematic minimalism
South African composer and producer Jason van Wyk unveils Inherent—his sixth and most striking release yet. A masterclass in cinematic minimalism, Inherent finds van Wyk paring his sound down to its most essential elements, where each note carries weight and intention. Lush ambient textures drift alongside ghostly piano, cinematic drones, and subtle melodic cues, only to be disrupted—in the best way—by distorted guitars, percolating synths, and carefully sculpted rhythms. It’s a bold step forward that seamlessly fuses van Wyk’s ambient mastery with echoes of his past in club music, neo-classical composition, and scoring for film.
To learn more about the process and inspiration behind this stunning new work, we asked Jason five questions—diving into his influences, creative approach, and the sonic evolution that led to Inherent.
Don / Igloo :: There’s a strong cinematic feel to the new album. Tell us a bit about your musical influences.
Jason van Wyk :: I grew up with classical, pop, and rock playing in the house thanks to my parents. When I later discovered film and electronic music, they quickly became an obsession. I started playing drums in junior school, then got into producing trance and club music in my early teens, which also led me to DJ’ing around that time. In my early twenties I got more involved with writing music for media, which exposed me to more experimental types of music. All of these influences have shaped the music I’ve released so far.
Igloo :: Tell us a bit about your studio and the equipment involved in your process on Inherent. Favorite piece of equipment or software?
Jason :: I work out of my home studio here in Cape Town which I’ve been in since 2012. At the moment, I’d say my upright piano is my favourite piece of hardware as I’ve been getting back into playing on a regular basis. On the software side, I use Cubase along with some of my favorite plugins from FabFilter, Soundtoys, Universal Audio, and u-he. For Inherent, the Moog Voyager XL was used quite a lot, always recorded through Great River preamps, the Eventide H3000 was used a bit and most things were routed through my Studer 169.
What can you tell us about the album’s artwork?
Jason :: The cover photo is by Cape Town based photographer Gabrielle Guy. I came across her work by chance. After seeing that specific photo, I reached out and she very kindly allowed us to use it.
Any plans on going live with this new material? If so, what does that look like?
Jason :: No plans yet. It’s been over a decade since I last did any sort of live performance. If the right opportunity came up, I’d love to, whether it’s a DJ set or a live show.
What’s spinning on heavy rotation at your house these days?
Jason :: Lately it’s the Steve Reich and Azimuth releases on ECM. I’ve also been working my way through Burial, Tangerine Dream, and James Holden’s catalogs for the umpteenth time.
Inherent is available on n5MD. [Bandcamp | Site | n5Mailorder]
Photo of Jason van Wyk by photo by Nanje Nowack.
