Cornelius SA [Interview]

Hailing from South Africa, Cornelius SA has established himself amongst his country's finest electronic music exports. A graduate of the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy in Berlin, the Pretoria resident would go on to develop a resonant worldly sound, oftentimes sitting in the creative space between house, techno, and ambient electronica. Beloved for his intricate rhythms, mesmerizing melodies, and deep, emotive atmospheres, Cornelius SA compiled an impressive resume in relatively short order, recording projects for Anjunadeep, DAYS like NIGHTS, Get Physical Music, Zamna, and Mau5trap, amongst others; while earning play and support from Above & Beyond, Bedouin, Black Coffee, Eelke Klejin, Lane 8 and Tiesto, to name just a few. With 2025 already highlighted by releases via Rewoven and SMR, Cornelius SA now adds Musique de Lune to his resume with 'Falling' ft. Claxy & Ra5im, alongside a remix from Juan Sapia.

This week finds Cornelius making her Musique de Lune debut with 'Falling' ft. Claxy & Ra5im. Progressive Astronaut caught up with Cornelius to learn more about the release of 'Falling', growing up in Africa, attending the Red Bull Music Academy in Berlin, DJing, and much more. Enjoy!

Hi Cornelius, thanks for catching up with us today. How has the first half of 2025 been for you so far?

Thank you for having me. So far so good, I’ve been locking in studio for the first two months, finishing 2025 projects and working on my release schedule. In a nutshell 2025 is going to be quite interesting music wise.

We’re now five months into 2025, what tracks which have come out so far this year have impressed you the most?

So far I’ve released two tracks; “Lies” with Rudy Julius from Cape Town and Section Five from Kwa Zulu Natal, the single was released on Zakes Bantwini’s Mayonie Productions which is a sub label of Universal Music South Africa. It’s a more slow tempo track leaning towards Afro-House & Chill.

And my follow up single track is “Sands” released on London based record label, Rewoven. It’s a Chill ranging between Deep, Organic, Chill & Contemporary. It has so far received massive editorial support from Apple Music & Spotify, featured on international Chill House playlists across both platforms, Beatport’s Organic House/Downtempo and Tracsource’s Melodic & Progressive House. “Sands” definitely takes the lead at the moment.

Looking at your instagram you’ve had a busy start to the year in terms of gigs, what's been a standout gig for you so far this year and why?

My standout gig was Anjudeep’s visit in Nairobi, Kenya for the very first time. It’s incredible how a lot of European labels are tapping into the South African or rather African Electronic Music Scene, The event was hosted at Muze which is recognised by DJ Mag as one of the top clubs in Africa. To also have Braxton all the way from England not only to come see how we do it in Africa, but as part this musical experience was a full circle moment for me as one of Africa’s first Producer to release with Anjunadeep. The venue was sold out with about 1000 to 1200 standing crowd on the dance floor, the sound system, lighting and the overall production reminded me so much of Ibiza.

Is there a song or songs that you’ve never stopped listening to since childhood? And why has it stayed with you for so long?

There’s music I grew up listening to a lot of music at home as kid, my dad used to collect records….so I can fairly say my ears were sharpened at an early age. I still listen to Phill Collins, Tracey Chapman, John Secada, Nat King Cole, South Africa’s Lucky Dube, Brenda Fasie, Oleseng, Patrica Majalisa and whole bunch of Atlantic Records collection.

What was it like growing up in South Africa and how did you discover electronic music there?

I grew up in the capital city of South Africa, Pretoria in a township called Soshanguve. Really had an interesting childhood, from playing soccer in the gravel fields to watching Mapantsula dance to Kwaito music in All Star Tekkies and Dickies clothing. I think that’s where I developed an ear for Dance Music, playing at local pubs was very competitive because every DJ wanted to standout by introducing fresh music every weekend, I was forced to take a 3hr long train to Johannesburg in Soweto with my Hard-drive to collect music and that’s what made me standout amongst my peers at the time.

Later when I was introduced to the internet, I was stuck on YouTube and that’s where I went even deeper to discovering Artists like Thorm Yorke, Bonobo, Koze, Burial, Björk and several other, I can’t remember much. That fuelled my interest in knowing more about Electronic Music.

Were there artists, DJs or club nights in your country which inspired you early on?

Yes, Pretoria was known internationally as the Capital City of Deep House and House 22 at the time was the venue to be for a lot of House Music heads. Most International acts were booked there and that whole experience of being able to go see big names in town was so inspiring. I mean we’ve had Abicah Soul, Louie Vega, Rocco, Manoo, Lars Behrenroth, Martin East, Ame, Tortured Soul, just to mention a few and the show was pivoted by South Africa’s Vinny Da Vinci & Christos, thanks to them for paving the way for some of us to walk.

Now that you’re a well-travelled DJ, how would you say nightlife in South Africa differs from other parts of the world? Or does it at all?

Travelling has opened my eyes a lot, Playing at Ushuaïa in Ibiza was my highlight and I proceeded to Hïï Ibiza the next day to see Black Coffee Play his Residency, with that being said I can fairly say the clubbing scene definitely differs from one country to the other. 80% of the audience in South Africa are not followers of the music , but rather follower’s of a brand “The Artist” whereas from my perspective, in other parts of the world people go to a club or a festival with a more open mind and less expectation. However when it comes to Festivals, there are those that matches the World’s best Festival standard like Oppikoppi, Kunye, Bread For Soul, Wolfkop where I played with Fish Go Deep & Nick Warren, Rocking The Daisies, Ultra, H20 & Spring Fiesta. We are steadily getting there…..

For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you?

Being inspired by someone means emulating their sound, but it doesn’t mean one should be boxed within that parameter of emulating others. I think it’s very vital to come with your own sound that people can identify you with. I started with Afro House then later Deep House and for six years now I’ve been pushing myself towards the Chill, Organic and Progressive, it sets my soul on fire and of course sets me apart from the crowd thinking pattern. With this approach I’ve seen my music touch based in regions I had never imagined including Asia, UAE, UK, EU and the US being my hot spots In terms of listenership which I someday wanna translate into a physical audience.

To add to that, at some point you studied and graduated from the Red Bull Music Academy in Berlin. How integral to your success was your decision to do that and do you think more aspiring artists should seek out a form of formal training like this?

Oh my gosh! This was the most mind blowing part of my journey yet very educational. The idea of the Academy was to bring creatives from different parts of the world in the hopes of having us together in one collaborative space so we can learn from each other. With lectures from World class Artists/DJ’s like Nina Kraviz, Kevin Saunderson, Mad Mike, Damo Suzuki, Chirastian Rich who’ve produced for Pharel Williams and Will Smith, Mariam and Amadou, Janelle Monae, Robert Henke and many others. It’s really important to get formal training and open up your mind a bit, however with the availability of fast internet access, everything you’d wanna learn is within the open source.

You’ve been releasing music as Cornelius since 2014 and have achieved measurable success across that time, recording projects for Anjunadeep, DAYS like NIGHTS, Get Physical, Mau5trap and Zamna, amongst others. When you look back on your releases up to now, what would be some pivotal ones to the success you’ve achieved today?

After realizing there’s another Cornelius in Japan, I decided to add SA (South Africa) to my name to avoid DSP disputes. The main release that was a turning point in my career was “Feel It Now” which was released through Get Physical, it was played by many local and international DJ’s . I then decided to explore more sounds in the pursuit of finding my own signature and that’s when my first Chill/Progressive track “Diamonds” was signed to Armada Music. I later got an email from Mua5trap saying Deadmau5 (Joel) is interested in my sound, I then released two tracks with the label “Answers” & “Center of the Soul”. Through Armada, Eelke Kleijn connected with me and just like Deamau5 he too was interested in my sound and that’s how “Eye Of The Beholder”, “Cumulonimbus” & “Existence” got signed to DAYS like NIGHTS. Later I hit Jono Grant up on Twitter about how I can get my music signed on Anjunadeep, Instantly when I sent “Soaring” they signed it and many other successful records. With Zamna, I got a message from Like Mike and just like Joel & Eelke, he too was interested in my sound and “Bambelela” became his main song of interest. He further invited Lunar Plane, MoBlack & Capoon for remixes. Soon after Zamna, I sent a demo to This Never Happened and Lane 8 immediately hopped on the songs, “Keine” which I did with Alan Green and “Space”. Followed by “Karma” with A.M.R on Monstercat Silk…..These are the songs that in a nutshell better describes my success story in the music scene.

You have a new single ‘Falling’ ft. Claxy & Ra5im out this week on Musique de Lune, tell us a bit about the track and what sort of vibe you guys were going for on the track?

I heard Claxy at Anjunadeep Explorations in Albania and Instantly fell in love with their approach to sound. A couple that is a duo, working on music together…..that must have been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

After their performance I introduced myself, our vision and goals were aligning, we then decided it would be great to collaborate on something in the near or far future. Ra5im who’s my digital friend for a while send me a piano loop idea, it caught my interest and I immediately went into my studio to lay the beat.

I sent the beat to Claxy and they were happy to work on the song with us. In this collaboration there was no formula set, but when I listen to the song I pick up Deep Progressive House elements fused with an Organic House taste and sometimes can ignite that Nostalgia feeling which also makes the song a good pick for Chill House enthusiasts. I love this song so much by the way hahaha……

How much play has the track gotten in your sets and where do you generally program it?

I fully programme my music on FL Studio, a bit of Ableton if I wish to add an analog gear. I haven’t really played the song, I do have a couple of shows lined up where I feel the song will be a perfect fit for the setting. Can’t wait to play this for the crowd and see how they receive it. There are are a couple of DJ’s that are playing it in South Africa, Lulo Cafe has featured it on his show “Eargasm” on Metro FM, JULLiAN GOMES, Vinny da Vinci & several other’s really dig the vibe.

Let our readers inside your studio for a moment, what is your current setup and what studio tools are featured heavily in your recent productions and more specifically on ‘Falling’?

My studio setup is pretty simple, I use a high speed gaming PC, Universal Audio Volt2 sound card, Minologue XD from Moog, Arturia 25 MIDI keyboard, both Yamaha & KRK monitors for cross referencing and Audio Technica M50x headphones so don’t make noise to my neighbours during those late night sessions. I mostly use Vst’s like Serum, Deva & the Arturia Bundle and the Universal Audio Vsti bundle for effects.

Juan Sapia has also delivered a deeper progressive version of the track as well. How involved were you in the remixer selection and what was Juan a good choice to remix ‘Falling’?

We had a list of Producers that were interested in remixing the song, but due to swamped schedules and tours, some couldn’t meet the deadline. I was looking forward to hearing how other Producers would translate the song, but when I heard Juan Sapia’s version I was in full satisfaction and felt its a great fit & addition to the package. He really blown my mind with his Organic House touch, definitely sure his remix will be a favourite of Producers like M.O.S, Durante, Proff and Volen Sentir. I strongly feel having him as the sole remixer will allow his remix reach the same exposure as the Original Version. 10/10 from me!

Tell us how ‘Falling’ ended up on Musique de Lune, was there a prior relationship you had with the label? And why was the label a good home for the track?

Oooh man, what an interesting question. Just like Claxy, I met Musique de Lune boss Jordy at Anjunadeep Explorations in Albania last year and we kicked it immediately. I love when people connect at the most genuine way and that’s what drawn me to the label. We exchanged contacts and later discussed possible releases coupled with possible shows in EU. Looking forward to more releases on Musique de Lune, they have such an enormous catalog.

As mentioned previously, you’ve achieved a lot across the last decade, releasing on Anjunadeep, DAYS like NIGHTS, Get Physical Music, Mau5trap and Zamna, so what goals do you have going forward? Or a better question might be do you think about the future?

I really don’t push my mind that far, the present moment is what really matters. What the future brings, whether it being an EU booking agency or management, I’m more than ready. My music is well received there and if it means moving to that side of the world to better connect with my audience is what the future holds for me, with a snap of a finger I’d pack my bags and studio.

You’re also a well travelled DJ, having performed at events for Anjunadeep for example, so please tell us how your work as a DJ has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks and perhaps also, your work as a producer?

I love nature, the beach, mountains, the moon and the stars. DJ’ing in such spaces has changed my view for clubs, don’t get me wrong I do enjoy playing club shows, but for an easy guy like me, they can be overwhelming at times as everything happens in once small space. Events like Anjunadeep Explorations allow people to fully be themselves without worrying much what the next person thinks. There’s no funny show off’s, the music takes full control. I wanna be myself while producing and be able express that in my listening process, such spaces allows for a better music listening experience.

What is it about DJing, compared to producing your own music, that makes it interesting for you?

DJing can be a bit tricky with the crowd and promoters having expectations, whereas producing is a complete articulation of what I truly stand for. Both are interesting, I love meeting new people and hearing their reviews about my sound, I also get a feeling of fulfilment making music that makes my heart whole.

How important is it for you to have gigs to be able to test your own unreleased music?

it’s good to see what the people vibe with. I’d say label shows works better in this regard, so gigs should definitely be coupled with the release by the label to either promote the song prior to the release and after.

Current Top five tracks in your sets?

1. Tagavaka - Sanctuary
2. Andot, Dawn Patrol, Luke Coulson - Always On My Mind
3. Durante - Searching
4. Makebo - Skyline
5. Krasa Rosa, M.O.S - Odysseya

How important would say networking is in making it as an artist in 2025? And what role (if any) has it played in your own success?

How I met Claxy and Musique de Lune was a networking opportunity turned into a professional working relationship within this discipline. I’ve been a huge fan of constantly showing face at movements I see myself fitting in and that for the longest of times has been a way in which I can network with other Artists, the audience, promoters, photographers and venue owners and it has contributed so much to my growth.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists? (Do not include yourself)

Definitely Tim Green, Proff, Durante, M.O.S, Hanna, Qrion, Rezident. I’d have M.O.S as my opening act, Hanna & Qrion B2B since are strong together as my second set, Rezident as my fourth act, Tim Green as my firth act , Durante as my second last act and Proff in the closure spot. I’ve heard all them play and I think this would be a powerful yet musical night/day.

If you weren’t a DJ/producer, what do you think you’d be doing with your life?

I studied Project Management, I’d definitely be behind the scenes as a Project Manager in the industry since music is very close to my heart.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I’m a funny guy if you spend a few minutes or hours with me, I don’t do it openly but those who know me better knows that I’m always cracking jokes for days. I’m sure Anjei from Volen Sentir, Rezident, Proff and Paul from M.O.S can attest. Hahahah!

What TV series have you been enjoying recently, and what are some of your all-time favorites?

As a traveling Artist, I enjoy watching True Crime and World War documentaries just to familiarize myself with places I’m visiting. Jeffrey Dahmer was definitely a jaw dropping documentary, an eye opener that you always have to look after yourself whenever on the road. It’s easy to get carried away in the moment….

What can we look forward to from you across the rest of 2025? Any releases or gigs you are looking forward to?

I had told myself that I’m focusing more on my music, I still haven’t found a way to balance between touring and making music. Let me say, I find it uncomfortable to make music in the flight. I prefer a bigger space so I can deeply dive into the creative aspect of things, dance a bit & have fun. More music is coming, as for shows, I’m not expecting to take much. A gap year is needed every once in a while…..

'Falling' is available now via Musique de Lune: https://tinyurl.com/y7py7jkj