No need for words – Jon Hopkins compositions and music speak for themselves, writes Reg Domingo.

“It’s about as strange as it sounds,” says Jon Hopkins of his recent collaboration with Coldplay. The London-based muso produced tracks for the band’s global smash, Viva La Vida, and opened their concerts during their 2008 world tour.

And it’s strange indeed, when you take into account that Hopkins is a composer whose music can best be described as the love child of electronica, contemporary classical, new age, experimental and ambient – and Coldplay is, well, Coldplay.

“They play more mainstream music and my live sets can get pretty strange,” Hopkins says. “But rather than adapting to that and trying and make [my music] more accessible, I decided to just go for it. And the crowds were really into it.”

And not just the Coldplay crowds, but also Herbie Hancock, David Holmes, King Creosote and Brian Eno, all of whom have enlisted Hopkins in their own creative projects. In fact, such is Eno’s regard for the 28-year-old studio wizard – they had previously worked together and both share producing credits on Viva La Vida – that he invited Hopkins to be one of the leading acts on the program of inaugural music festival Luminous, which he is curating.

 “It’s going to be amazing,” Hopkins tells AXN. “We’ve got all these animations and clips that we’ve latticed and created, and they’re kind of chopped so that when I make certain noises, they appear. Some of it is pre-planned, some of it is improvised.”

Unconventional, one might say, but certainly fitting for the musical shapeshifter.

Since bursting on the scene in 2001, Hopkins has risen to the ranks of electronica royalty thanks to his amorphous style and unique approach. His latest album, Insides, bears all the hallmarks that have earned Hopkins a cult following: lustrous melodies, walls of synths, oscillating bass, and above all, the lack of lyrics and words.

 “I listen to more songwriters than I do instrumental writers, but as far as what I want to create, it’s just not my area really,” Hopkins admits. “Leave other people to that.”

For his Sydney shows, Hopkins will be showcasing his music with the use of a VJ, who will be accompanying his performances with onscreen visuals. “There’s a kind of structure in place and we’ll work around it,” he says. “I’ll perform tracks from the new album in different ways using strange instrumentals.”

And he’s also set to perform in the finale show of Luminous, alongside a range of artists that are part of the festival.

So what can we expect?

“I’m also kind of curious as to what’s going to happen,” he says. “I know that I’m involved, I know that Brian Eno’s involved, but I couldn’t tell you much else.”

Not that he needs to. With those two names in the playbill alone, you know it’s going to be one hell of a show.

Jon Hopkins plays as part of Luminous Festival on June 6-7 at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. Tickets $70 from sydneyoperahouse.com .