Wonderment is an album that offers up a truly unique listening experience, something of which we wanted to learn more about it’s creative story and the spiritual elements that are ever present through it’s entirity. Check out what Manu Zain had to say about the journey then went into creating such a masterpiece.

HMWL – Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new album “Wonderment”? What experiences or ideas influenced its creation?

MANU ZAIN – The inspiration comes from the feeling of wonderment by the ever-present beauty in nature. I feel completely exposed in that one specific moment.

Also I was inspired by the Schumann resonance or ‘heartbeat of the earth’, the earth’s own vibration, which is around 8 hertz (7.83 Hz). The Schumann resonance comes very close to human frequencies, including in the brain, namely the alpha waves. Contemporary neuroscience confirms it is the senses with their acuity for pleasure and pain that teach us how to navigate.

To summarise, it is how we, as part of nature, are influenced by the different frequencies.

HMWL – Your album features a mix of organic and synthetic elements. How do you approach blending these different soundscapes in your music?

MANU ZAIN – The natural world is always humming and we are the natural world, these particular sounds or rhythm’s I transpose to layers of sounds using different Synths. Then I add chords/melodies using guitar, keyboard, etc..

HMWL – The track “Healing Hands” stands out as the only vocal song on the album. What was the creative process behind this piece, and why did you choose to include vocals in this track specifically?

MANU ZAIN – I had already written some vocal tracks, but when selecting them for the album I found them too dominant for the atmosphere of the Wonderment theme. Only with Healing hands I have the feeling that it could blend with the overall theme.

HMWL – “Wonderment” contains 17 tracks. Can you talk about the overall narrative or journey you aimed to take listeners on with this album?

MANU ZAIN – We calibrate ourselves to the world through sensations of geophonic, biophonic and anthrophonic sounds. Our senses are inextricably linked to our existential experience, our feeling of being in this exact place, right now with these particular Sounds. These layers of sounds I used in the compositions on the Album. Wonderment, never lose your sense of wonder, and being fully exposed at that one particular moment in time.

HMWL – Downtempo music often evokes deep contemplation and introspection. How do you ensure that your music maintains this atmosphere while keeping it engaging for the listener?

MANU ZAIN – Nice question, and also a terrible writer’s block cause. I always try to come from an atmosphere towards a song with a clear melody line to make it accessible.  For this album I used Preludes, which actually reflects the atmosphere more.  By then linking a follow-up song to it, I try to connect these worlds.The inspiration for the use of interludes and preludes for this album came from the way Alicia Keys builds her Albums.

HMWL – What challenges did you face during the production of “Wonderment”, and how did you overcome them?

MANU ZAIN – Too much analysis will paralyse. normally I work alone, but for this album I started sparring with other musicians such as Mark Otten. His tip; use the freedom. Just make an album where you can show all your styles and ideas without being influenced too much by your previous music projects.

HMWL – You’ve quoted the importance of natural sounds in your music. Can you elaborate on how geophonic, biophonic, and anthrophonic sounds influence your compositions?

MANU ZAIN – As stated earlier, the natural world is always humming and we are the natural world. In other words, because we are part of all those frequencies, this is already happening unconsciously.

HMWL – Looking back at your previous works, how do you think your music has evolved leading up to “Wonderment”?

MANU ZAIN – I wanted to use slightly more ambient, almost classical elements. When choosing an album, I created more space (freedom) for these elements. In the past I wrote more a song

HMWL – Can you share any memorable moments or stories from the recording sessions of this album?

MANU ZAIN – During the making of I spent a lot of time with the STMPD studios team. (studio of Martin Garrix) They are the best in Dolby Atmos creations. They taught me how to add Spatial elements to instruments. This makes it feel as if different instruments are breathing. this more organic and empathetic approach really touches me during the mix and master phase.

HMWL – What’s next for you after the release of “Wonderment”? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations we should look out for

MANU ZAIN – There are a number of vocal tracks already finished and I will be in the studio with a vocalist in the coming month to finish them. After the summer I can share them with the world…

And I am currently working on a more art /EDM project where different layers of light, smell, data-visuals and spatial sound come together for an immersive experience that we will present in October.

Wonderment is available on all platforms here.