Wiwek may be known for his signature “jungle terror” sound, but he truly flexes his production prowess with his newest project – scoring for the first time in its entirety a full-length movie “Electric Child” by Swiss filmmaker Simon Jaquemet. The film just had its premier screening at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and is already highly anticipated, touching upon both the world’s fixation on AI and the undeniably human elements of being faced with an unimaginable loss and what you would do for the ones you love most.
Wiwek captured the complex motifs with stunning music production for the main theme and various soundscapes, hopeful and nostalgic and hauntingly beautiful all at once.
The project displays the Dutch artist’s versatility and talent as an artist, varying drastically from his recent sinister dancefloor-oriented releases “Remedy” and “Rush,” making us wonder what else he has up his sleeve. What’s worth mentioning is that Wiwek, together with Skrillex, produced a short film in the past called “Still in the Cage,” which was filmed in Bangkok, Thailand, written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Jodeb in which Wiwek‘s “The Free and Rebellious” EP was used as the soundtrack and score. Read more about the “Electric Child” project below.
“Director Simon Jaquemet has used my dance songs for various scenes in his previous films. For his new one, he got the idea to use my music and asked me to score the whole movie. It was during a time when I was actually thinking of writing music for films, so it came at the right moment. When I first got the script, I got hooked and started making ideas immediately. Over the years, it developed with the first images and, lastly, the writing part of the whole movie. The movie has various scenes of background radio music playing, which I made the songs for, as well as one big scene with a rave in the forest. For that particular scene, I used a couple of songs that I also included in my “Jungle Terror vol. 5” EP, but for the most part, the idea was to make soundscapes and ambient themes. Simon does not use a lot of score music in his movies, and this one mostly uses noisy soundscapes. It was a big challenge cause I am used to working alone (with one mind), and now I had to support the vision of the director. I really loved doing it and getting this experience. It gave me a whole new dimension in the producing world as I know it. Dance music is my number one passion, but to be able to expand my creativity to this world now is something I am very grateful for.”
– Wiwek
A true rebel with a cause, Wiwek isn’t just a DJ; he’s a pioneer in the genre. Carving out his own sonic space with “jungle terror” – a wild fusion of electronic madness, tribal percussion, and animalistic energy, Wiwek has soundtracked international films, collaborated with Skrillex on genre-bending anthems like “Killa,” as well as Marshmello on the album “Joytime III” and built his own creative haven, Maha Vana Records, a label that lets artists run wild. Fresh off his debut album “Cycles” in 2019, Wiwek was ready to unleash a new sonic adventure, one that promises to push boundaries and ignite dance floors. He’s also the mastermind behind the “The Free and Rebellious” EP, which became the soundtrack to a film shot in Bangkok, further solidifying his unique blend of music and storytelling. With a constant stream of notable releases from earlier this year, such as “Jungle Terror vol. 5” EP on Yellow Claw‘s Barong Family, “Rush” on W&W‘s Rave Culture, “Remedy” on Hardwell‘s Revealed Recordings, and more exciting projects the Dutch talent is currently brewing, 2024 is shaping up to be another explosive year for Wiwek.
-In 2016 Wiwek collaborated with Skrillex on “Killa.” Wiwek is best known as the pioneer of, and his contributions to “jungle terror“, a hybrid style of dance music characterized by offbeat kick drums, dissonant lead synths, and tribal drum and animal sounds. He is the label head of his own jungle terror-based label Maha Vana – sanskrit for large forest/jungle, where musicians can collaborate without restriction. Wiwek‘s “The Free and Rebellious” EP was used as the soundtrack and score to the short film “Still in the Cage” which was filmed in Bangkok, Thailand, written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Jodeb and produced by Wiwek and Skrillex. He released his debut album, “Cycles” on 8 March 2019 through his record label Maha Vana. He was also featured on the track “Angklung Life” with Marshmello on the album “Joytime III.”
