Interview with Future Of Dance Awardee Mpho.Wav
In the vibrant world of dance music, few are shining as brightly as the recent awardee of the Future of Dance fund, Mpho.Wav. With selections by Corite and 1001 Tracklists, Mpho.Wav has been getting attention for his unique sound. Emelie caught up with the artist for a deeper dive into his journey, inspirations, and future goals.
Emelie: Let's start at the beginning. What was the moment or experience in your life that ignited your passion for music and made you decide to pursue it professionally?
Mpho.Wav: The moment that changed everything for me would be the first time I laid my hands on the piano and learned lots of other instruments in my teen years, from then I just knew that I wanted to do music as a profession. I picked up everything that has to do with music including music production eventually.
Emelie: Can you walk us through your songwriting and creative process? How do you go from an initial idea or emotion to a fully-fledged track?
Mpho.Wav: My creative process differs from song to song, it is usually based on the mood at the time, and what I am trying to express or communicate sonically. At other times I would start with synth chord progressions, and sometimes I create the drum groove first then build up with different kinds of sounds until the song sounds full. This is followed by an arrangement of the track to my desired length and finally the mixing process.
Emelie: Which artists or bands have been your greatest inspirations, and how have they shaped the sound and essence of your music?
Mpho.Wav: My greatest inspirations are in no particular order, Sun-EL Musician, Black Coffee, Revolution Band Zakes Bantwini & Da Capo. I would say that these are artists who have shown me that music can be passionately done as a profession and a real career up to a global scale. I learned a lot about music and production listening to the music they have created in the past years, growing up I wanted to sound so much like them so I spent a lot of time learning how to produce to the same quality.
Emelie: Navigating the music industry can be challenging. What are some of the biggest obstacles you've encountered so far, and how have you overcome them?
Mpho.Wav: The biggest challenge I have encountered in the music industry is understanding how it works, mostly the business aspect of it. I have had to learn so much about distribution, record label deals, and so on. Having a team was a great deal of help, they shed light on the things I needed to know as an artist before signing up for a record deal.
Emelie: How do you envision your music evolving over the next few years? Are there any genres or styles you're keen to explore?
Mpho.Wav: I do experiment a lot with different styles of music because I believe an artist should not be in any way boxed into a certain genre, it is important to be versatile. I would really love to tap into more techno and EDM to broaden my sound further in the future. I envision the growth of my sound into a global platform, for it to have more global reach.
Emelie: Your music resonates with many. What do you hope listeners take away from your music, and what has been the most touching or unexpected feedback you've received from a fan?
Mpho.Wav: I always hope that listeners take away from the music a feeling of joy, and that the music may be soundtracks to their most memorable moments. I hope the music captivates an indescribable emotion as they listen. The most unexpectedly exciting feedback I always receive from people is that they have the records on repeat, and that for me is the most fulfilling thing to know.
Emelie: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? Additionally, are there any other creative endeavors or dream projects you wish to undertake in the future?
Mpho.Wav: I definitely would love to collaborate with Black Coffee, Da Capo, Bob Sinclair, Revolution Band, Mbuso Khoza, Dele Sosimi, Maro, Monique Bingham & Msaki. They’ve had a lot of influence on my music so it would be so fulfilling to collaborate with them, it would be more of a full-circle moment for me. In the future, I would love to curate a live presentation of my records and those that I have shared collaboration on in the form of a live show and to have more visual presentations of the stories I tell through the music.
Emelie: Lastly, what advice would you give to someone just starting out in the music industry? And looking back, is there anything you would have done differently on your journey?
Mpho.Wav: My advice would be, to stay creative, stay positive, do the music more out of the love for it, ask questions if you do not understand, respect everyone that you work with, and do not stop creating music. Looking back on my journey I wouldn’t have done anything differently because I have learned from every single experience I’ve had and I believe that all the mistakes and experiences have shaped me into the artist that I am currently, so I wouldn’t change that at all.