wait
NEW MUSIC // MARCH 2026
wait
Last month I announced the release of as day breaks, the lighter and more optimistic counterpart to this past fall’s as night falls. Today, I’m excited to share the second single, wait—a shape shifting melodic composition themed around time and space.
If you want to hear more about the musical side of this release, keep reading! If you’re ready to dive in and listen, you’ll find the music video below and the track on all streaming platforms linked here.
If you’re more of a physical media person, both albums will be available as a vinyl release this coming Spring, and you can preorder your copy here! If you’re in the US, I will soon be announcing a handful of record stores where you can buy in person or online with domestic shipping rates (Bandcamp copies ship out of the UK).
wait & Santra
One of the more prominent inspirations for Jerk as a project is J Dilla. In particular, the way Jay Dee would select and fragment a sample. He always seemed to find the juiciest moments and ones that a person could listen to on repeat without growing tired.
From the first pieces of music I penned as Jerk, I tried to embrace that energy. Rather than sampling, I would try to write these short and snappy moments that could repeat, morph, and evolve throughout a piece. I’ve come to define this style as Santra, meaning “sonic mantra.”
The defining characteristics of this style are:
A short to medium length repetitive melody
Perfect loop-ability, evoking an unclear sense on where the melody begins and ends
Though the same basic melody and chords, the sonic mantra evolves consistently and constantly—like water flowing through a stream
wait is one of my favorites in this particular compositional style, and the sounds of constant traffic and signals (recorded from my window) just adds to that fluid feeling. I think it pairs well with a nice slow bike ride or walk.
So walk, don’t run, to soak in the laid back vibes of wait~~~
What’s next
The video essay version of tension and release is officially in the works! I’m aiming to finish production this coming week and to release is the following week.
Until then, thank you for reading and thank you for listening—from Joni with love ❤️