Jon Hopkins - Wilding (Original Soundtrack) (2026)
Wilding (Original Soundtrack) feels like a natural extension of Jon Hopkins’ evolving voice — one that integrates ambient sensibilities with a cinematic awareness and an ear for organic texture. Written for the documentary Wilding, which chronicles a literal return to untamed nature, the music mirrors that theme: it unfolds like a landscape, where quiet gestures and slow evolution matter as much as the obvious moments of warmth or tension.
What strikes me most is how the score breathes with the environment it accompanies. Piano, strings, subtle vocals, and gentle electronic shading don’t compete with each other; they coexist. The “Wilding Theme,” for instance, uses processed voice as an almost ancient woodwind — a choice that speaks more to feeling and memory than to the mechanics of composition. It sets a tone that feels elemental, as though music and land are in a quiet dialogue.
There’s a contemplative patience here that deviates from Hopkins’ more beat-driven or hypnotic work (like Music for Psychedelic Therapy), but it’s a strength rather than a retreat. The pacing invites immersion rather than excitement, which will reward listeners who enjoy ambient detail and slow emotional accrual. It’s not a showpiece of dramatic peaks, but it’s rich in texture and atmospheric storytelling.
If I have a critique, it’s that the soundtrack occasionally stays just a touch too comfortable in its own warmth. There are moments when a bit more contrast — tension or dissonance — could sharpen the emotional stakes. But that’s a matter of taste: the record is clearly aiming for reverie and reflection, not confrontation.
Wilding rewards attentive listening with a sense of place and a pulse that feels alive rather than manufactured — a score that inhabits its setting rather than just decorates it. It’s one of those soundtracks where the quieter, slower parts leave the deepest mark.
Genre: Soundtrack
Country: UK/Iceland
Final Verdict: 67% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 7th / 40
Highlight: New Land (Immunity)
Made me think of:
Ólafur Arnalds
Max Richter
Nils Frahm
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