The Pretoria-born producer is building an increasingly global career while creating opportunities for South African musicians to enter the international electronic music market
South African producer and DJ Cornelius SA is continuing to expand his footprint beyond the country’s borders, with new international releases, collaborations and touring plans forming part of what is becoming one of his busiest periods yet.
Speaking to TheJournalistDJ.com, the Pretoria-born artist revealed that his current focus is firmly on making music, collaborating with South African musicians and strategically selecting performances as his international profile continues to grow.
While Cornelius SA has established himself within the international Afro House and melodic house circuit, he says part of his mission now is to use those connections to introduce more homegrown talent to audiences abroad.
Taking South African collaborators into the global market
Cornelius SA says he has been spending considerable time in the studio working with local vocalists and musicians, with several of those collaborations still awaiting release.
Rather than keeping his international momentum centred solely around himself, the producer wants his collaborators to benefit from the doors he has managed to open.
“I’m still yet to release a lot of music that I did with my local friends,” Cornelius SA told TheJournalistDJ.com. “I’m trying to help them tap into the international market as well.”
For now, that means being selective about performances and placing greater emphasis on music and collaborations.
From Bali and Ibiza to India
That studio focus follows an increasingly international touring run.
Cornelius SA revealed that he has performed at Savaya in Bali and Ushuaïa in Ibiza, alongside numerous club appearances in Kenya.
India has also developed into an important market for the South African producer. He says he has been touring the country around twice a year and is preparing to return in October.
Another major territory could soon be added to the list, with Cornelius revealing that plans for the United States are currently being worked on.
The growing touring footprint reflects an artist who has successfully positioned his sound within an international electronic music ecosystem while remaining rooted in South Africa.
Cornelius SA links up with Lane 8
His international ambitions aren’t limited to touring.
Cornelius SA revealed that he has worked on music with acclaimed American electronic producer Lane 8, even recently receiving a vinyl copy connected to their work.
It forms part of an extensive release schedule that has seen Cornelius putting out new music almost every month.
“Honestly speaking, I’m doing a lot of music that I also lose track of the amount of music that I’m putting out,” he joked.
That volume of work is also opening relationships with a range of international labels and collaborators.
Anjunadeep relationship continues
Cornelius SA’s relationship with Anjunadeep also remains part of his international story.
He revealed that his first release of the year came through the respected electronic music label as part of Anjunadeep Piano Day.
The project allowed audiences to hear another dimension of the South African producer’s creativity, with Cornelius explaining that he also creates ambient music.
While that remains his only Anjunadeep release of the year so far, Cornelius hopes to return to the label with further music next year.
His attention this year, however, has largely been directed towards exploring relationships with other labels interested in his evolving sound.
A four-track EP brings Cape Town and Joburg talent together
Among Cornelius SA’s upcoming projects is a four-track EP scheduled for release through Bar 25, a label associated with the Berlin electronic music scene.
The project carries a strong South African collaborative element.
Cornelius says he brought musicians from Cape Town and Johannesburg into the EP after several of them repeatedly expressed interest in working together.
The collaborations include Buddy Julius, Hangu, Oliver Baptist and Johannesburg-based ZS Issue, alongside Alan Green from Cape Town.
For Cornelius, the project appears to represent exactly where his career currently stands: a South African artist operating internationally while deliberately keeping local musicians connected to the journey.
More international releases are already lined up
And the release calendar isn’t slowing down.
Cornelius indicated that another project is expected in November, while conversations around releases aimed at the South African market are also taking place.
He mentioned ongoing discussions involving major-label possibilities, including Universal and Sony, as he looks at balancing his established international audience with greater activity at home.
With several releases still coming, another India tour on the horizon and plans for the US being developed, Cornelius SA’s journey is increasingly becoming one of South African electronic music’s quieter international success stories.
