cloud collecting #35: Jen K. Wilson (Buildings and Food)
on being connected to the land, nostalgia + experimentation
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Canadian independent artist Jen K. Wilson, also known as Buildings and Food (and a women of ambient regular). Her distinct sound blends elements of ambient and IDM, and I'm excited to share her music and offer a glimpse into her creative process.
Jen K. Wilson, aka Buildings and Food is an independent Canadian recording artist and music producer based in Toronto. Over the years, she has explored various genres, including alt-pop/rock, electroacoustic, downtempo, and electropop. Her recent work is a combination of experimental electronic, ambient and IDM. She is inspired by nature, wildlife and all forms of music, and loves to create melodic and textured soundscapes with dreamy, nostalgic and melancholic atmospheres.
A classically trained pianist, visual artist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Jen began her career in Toronto playing guitar, keys and drums with various alternative indie rock outfits. She released her solo electronic album Quick Beat Save in 2018 under the name Buildings and Food, followed by Up Down Strange Charm (2020), Infinity Plus One (2023), Echo the Field (2024) and Provincial Park (2025). Beginning with work in an indie electronica/avant pop vein with her first release, Buildings and Food’s subsequent albums have gradually departed from vocal work and moved towards all-instrumental ambient-infused compositions. Her albums have received glowing reviews and enjoyed multiple chart appearances in Canada, Europe and the U.S., earning spots on several Best of Year lists. Jen’s work has been warmly received by the Canadian Campus and Community radio community, appearing on the National Top 50 albums and National Top 10 Electronic albums charts. Her LP Echo the Field was recently recommended to the jury for the coveted Canadian Polaris Music Prize (2025). Jen is currently in the studio working on her 6th LP.
1. I have been loving your album, Provincial Park released this past May. You mentioned the songs were inspired by multiple wilderness trips over the years. Did you bring any gear with you on your trips, or is your creative process more about internalizing the experience and recreating it later in the studio? Also, did you keep journals, field recordings, and photos or was it all held in memory and feeling?
Thank you so much! Yes, the album is a reflection of several journeys through various wilderness destinations in Canada. I don't take any gear with me as my real purpose on these trips is to immerse myself in nature. For this album, the creative process mostly involved reflections on memories and thoughts from my travels over the years, although I did compose Algae Boats in my head during one four-hour canoe paddle on a week-long journey. When I returned home after that particular trip, I went straight into the studio and made that recording in one session.
I don't particularly think about music when travelling but rather drink in the feeling of being connected to the land, water, sky and wildlife. When travelling, I keep a journal and take a few photos and videos. I also have a small field recorder, which I used sparingly on this album. When writing and recording the material for Provincial Park, for the most part I was trying to capture the essence of my experiences of travelling through these wild and peaceful places through the composition and tone of the music. One reviewer described the album as "a wistful sense of the carefree" and of having "Super 8 vibes" (Blair Millen, The Letter), which I thought was a perfect description of what I was going for when putting the album together. It is meant to feel nostalgic and my intention was to hopefully transport listeners to a place where they could tap into their own nostalgia.
2. You’ve mentioned influences ranging from glitch to classical to ambient. Can you mention a few artists who have inspired you from childhood until recently? Feel free to name a few specific songs too!
I studied classical piano from a very early age, right up until I went to university, so classical music was a big part of my early development as an artist. As a kid I was really into Beethoven, Franz Liszt and Sergei Rachmaninoff in addition to the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and early Squeeze. Brian Eno was an important influence on me in my young adulthood, listening to his solo avant pop albums (Another Green World, Here Come the Warm Jets, Before and After Science) as well as his early ambient work (Music for Airports, etc.). The Velvet Underground was another big influence on me growing up, particularly the albums VU, Another View and White Light/White Heat.
Two all-time influential albums for me are Second Toughest in the Infants by Underworld and Give Up by The Postal Service. I keep coming back to these albums, year after year and continue to be inspired by them. Another of Jimmy Tamborello's projects, Dntel is another huge favourite of mine! I love all of his work but have been particularly inspired by his glitchy album Aimlessness, (the track Bright Night is just perfect), as well as his more recent ambient album, The Seas Trees See. Nala Sinephro's Endlessness is an incredibly inspiring ambient jazz album that I love from last year! Recently, I found a super charming ambient album by Margot Blue called (re)currents, which is a modular synth/field recording work, which I adore. Last but not least, Hiroshi Yoshimura is another big favourite of mine, particularly his album Music for Nine Postcards. The opening track, "Water Copy" might be my favourite ambient track of all time.
3. How do you cloud collect (connect to childlike wonder) in your creativity?
Experimentation and improvisation are big resources for me when it comes to cloud collecting. Trying new things is definitely a way for me to tap into that whimsical, childlike wonder, whether it's through exploring new sounds or approaching songwriting from a different standpoint. Playing around, exploring, and trying to challenge assumptions and embrace the endless possibilities that exist helps create that feeling of wonder.
Making music is about making decisions but it's also about being free, so I improvise a lot when in the studio. Not being confined by writing constraints, that is when some of my favourite ideas surface. A great deal of what you hear on Provincial Park was improvised!
Being in nature also drives that sense of wonder and can be a catalyst for creativity and inspiration. On these wilderness trips, I have the luxury of really slowing down and paying close attention to all the minute details of my surroundings, the microcosms and infinite patterns and movements in nature. That awe-inspiring feeling upon reflection definitely informs the creative process for me.