South African music producer Mpho.Wav (real name Mpho Mohlong) recently released his highly- anticipated debut album, “Book Of Wav”.
The Afro-house album paints a vibrant tapestry of sound that echoes with joy, unity and reflection.
The emerging music-maker, who was born in Orange Farm in the south of Johannesburg, opened up about the creative process, collaborations and the deeper messages embedded in each track.
“I’m really excited to have finally released ‘Book Of Wav’. It has been a dream of mine to have a full body of work to tell my story to all music listeners through music creation,” he explained in a recent interview.
“‘Book Of Wav’ is a sonic book that tells my story and how I started out as a session musician playing behind some prominent names on stages to being a full-on DJ and producer in a studio.
“This album has a lot of live elements and live instrument emulations accompanied by groovy percussion and drums, which is then a testament to my passion for music and my journey in music,” he said.
From the onset, the musician emphasised the importance of collaboration, noting that “having more brains working on a record will always be better than working alone.”
The 15-track album features some of the nation’s top artists.
They include the likes of Mpumi, Azana, Da Capo, KekeLingo and renowned DJ and producer, Sun-EL Musician, who discovered and harnessed Mpho.Wav’s brand, among several others.
“I believe in collaboration because it solidifies the music in such an amazing way ... As a music producer I think it’s also important to have vocals attached to my production, so it has a face of a full song and to also have different dynamics of sound to each track created on the album.”
He added that it had been a dream for him to work with his collaborators and have them “grace the project with their extremely unique gifts”.
About the theme that runs through the album, Mpho.Wav said that although he wanted to create an electronic dance project, he did not want to box listeners in; rather, he aimed to keep them dancing.
“I have incorporated a lot of different styles of music. There are a lot of soul, spiritual songs, dance chants, 3-Step grooves all layered on a bed of ‘dance’.
“My hope with how the project is designed is to send a message of hope, excitement, and a lot of reflection on the most memorable moments to the listener until they find the songs that become soundtracks to their lives.”
He noted that his current favourite track is “ATMOS WAV I” featuring Atmos Blaq.
“We had so much fun putting that record together and I can hear that energy every time I listen back to it.”
Thus far the new album has garnered an overwhelming response.
“The support I received has been amazing. Receiving messages and seeing the positive reactions from people is really heart-warming.”
The musician’s love for music started when he was 14. As a teenager, he joined the church playing drums and the piano.
He has never looked back on his musical journey since then. Mpho started playing in different bands which led him to being a full-session musician who played behind different Smooth Jazz Fusion and Gospel Music Artists.
His eventually joined the El World Music label which saw him working with the likes of Simmy and Nobuhle.
As the album continues to gain traction, Mpho.Wav offers a heartfelt message to current and future listeners: “I hope you’re feeling all the emotions portrayed in each song and walk away with an experience, eager to receive more music from me.
“I appreciate that you’re listening and I appreciate the support always,” he said.
His debut album not only sets the stage for an exciting new artist in the music scene but also encapsulates a vision of unity, celebration, and emotional resonance.
As South African music embraces this new wave of sound, fans can only anticipate what comes next.
Listen to “ATMOS WAV 1” below.