Wax Future and Jesse Miller (Lotus, Octave Cat, Beard-o-Bees) have teamed up as BeesWax for a new studio album, Royal Jelly, a follow-up to their 2019 self-titled EP. Listen to the title track “Royal Jelly'' here. Vinyl pre-orders and merch packages, including BeesWax branded honey, are available now.
Wax Future (Connor Hansell/Keith Wadsworth) have built a following with their hip-hop, bass and EDM influenced productions and energetic live sets. Jesse Miller performs solo modular synth sets as Beard-o-Bees and produces and plays bass for Lotus and Octave Cat . Together, the three musicians form BeesWax.
“I met Connor and Keith when Wax Future played a show with Octave Cat a few years back,” says Miller. “We started talking synths, as I tend to do. That led to me helping Connor build his own modular system, then to us writing music together.”
“Royal Jelly” kicks off with a block shaking beat under a funky guitar and bass line reminiscent of the Meters. Hansell steps out on lead vocals with a catchy hook that builds toward a barrage of analog synths. This blend of vintage funk and electronica is a theme throughout the album.
“Even though the world slowed down during the pandemic, the hunger to create was stronger than ever for us,” says Hansell. “Each track had to be malleable as ideas were added and thrown out, but that was part of the magic. I think we quickly realized that the process wasn’t just about finishing songs, but capturing emotions that added together to form a cohesive album.”
“The recording process started by tracking drums to an 80s tape machine using only two microphones,” explains Miller. “From these tape reels I made a set of loops that sounded super saturated, vintage and gritty. The idea was to have these amazing sounding drum breaks that weren't sampled, but uniquely created for the project.”
The album moves into sonic territory that expands beyond the collaborators previous individual works with elements of electronica, pop, funk, post-rock instrumentals and synth music. Album guests include Moon Hooch , who ramp up the vintage funk with their saxophones on “Back to Class” and ZONE Drums on the tape reel sessions. Fans of Four Tet, Tycho, Caribou, SAULT and even The Black Keys will find a sonic home on BeesWax's Royal Jelly. Watch album video trailer here.
The group will celebrate the release with a live show at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA on May 22. Limited in-person tickets will be available as well as video stream.
Royal Jelly TRACK LISTING
1. Royal Jelly
2. Certified Juice
3. Blue Skies Are Gone
4. Smoker
5. Out of the Darkness
6. Back to Class
7. Dry Heat
8. Iceberg
9. Long Shadows
10. It All Hinges on This
11. Golden Hour Light
