Wax Future Brings the Beats to Larimer Lounge - Recap The Fantastic Night Here!
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It was a chilly Thursday, but there was nothing but warmth in Larimer Lounge. Fresh off the Lotus run of their winter tour, Wax Future came in hot to Larimer Lounge. Joining them on support were Tortuga and MAG, two talented Colorado-based duos.
Kicking off the evening was MAG, the electronic music project offspring of Rob Brandon & Uriah Espinosa. The pair have been playing (and studying) percussion together for years; however, they only recently decided to take their dual percussive approach and add it to some of the electronic music that Rob had been writing. The explosive duo began the night with a bang, and there will definitely be more of where that came from. We spoke with MAG to get some more info.
SharedViews: MAG is a relative newcomer to the scene. Was this one of your first shows as a duo in Denver (if not the first)?
MAG: This was actually our first show ever as MAG. Uriah and I have been playing music together though for close to a decade in other projects.
SharedViews: What picture do you hope to paint in your audience's mind when you go on stage?
MAG: We really hope to have people get lost in our music. There are so many layers and parts going on in our songs that listening to us can require a certain degree of focus. Ultimately, we want people to let go of their thoughts and worries and really be present and enjoy our music when we perform live.
SharedViews: Who/what are some of your inspirations for this project?
MAG: There are many! We are definitely inspired by electronic artists such as Ott., Tipper, EOTO, and Beats Antique. We are also heavily influenced by Afro-Cuban and Latin Artists such as Nicky Marrero, Tito Puente, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Rebeca Mauleon.
SharedViews: You've added a few singles on Spotify. When can we expect a MAG EP or LP?
MAG: We have tons of music on the way, which we are very excited about. We are in the process of recording percussion parts for about 20 songs and figuring out the best order to release them in. As for an EP, we will be dropping one early spring (2-3 tracks). As for an LP, sometime towards the end of 2020.
Tortuga, the Denver-based duo of Tyler Arndt and Ryan Mahrer, was up next. The pair delivered a mix of original music and an incredible selection of non-original songs that they flipped and added live guitar to. Some choice picks of theirs were “Chalk It Out” by KOAN Sound, “Can’t Stop Me Now” by Pretty Lights, “Hard Times” by GRiZ, and “Glowed Up” by Kaytranada. With exquisite taste and killer live instrumentation backed by funky beats, Tortuga tore the venue up. Pulling from multiple genres (jazz, funk, hip-hop, and electronic to name a few), the duo delivered an eclectic mix that was nothing short of exceptional.
By the time Wax Future was ready to take the stage, the crowd had already been properly sauteed. Wax Future is a funk duo made up of Keith Wadsworth and Connor Hansell. Keith is known for energetic performances on guitar, regularly interacting with the crowd to create an intimate one-of-a-kind experience. With a heavy foundation in sample-based hip hop, the live instrumentation adds an element that creates a sonically diverse electro-soul feel.
With a fiery passion, Keith told the crowd: “This some new shit. This some new shit. We got some cabin fever, and we can’t wait to let this go.” He proceeded to walk right up to the edge of the stage and instantly started strumming a foot from someone’s face, draping his long red hair on said audience member’s shoulders. When we say Wax Future delivers intimate performances, we really mean it.
Their performance was incredibly fun to watch. When he needed to move a cable around the mic stand, Keith dramatically kissed the mic. The chemistry between Keith and Connor was palpable, as the duo played off each other to keep the crowd laughing. Denver was also blessed with the addition of ZONE Drums on the kit as well as a modular rig for Connor which came about as a result of prep for the Lotus tour that Wax Future had recently wrapped up. All this added up to an incredible live performance with a particularly banging version of “Style Like This” off their EP Source Code that stood out.
“Denver, put 8 of your fingers and 2 of your thumbs up.” It was a more than fair ask of the audience. After all, Wax Future is a 10/10.
Missed the show? Listen to Wax Future’s newest beat tape!
"The beat tape work that we do is always about preserving the art of sample-based hip-hop. Major influences for this style come from some of the hip-hop greats, like J Dilla, 9th wonder and Madlib. Nothing new on this one, we really just looked to make a classic hip-hop record and also release some of the hidden gems that fell into the very deep depths of my hard drive."
MAG will be opening for EFFN-OFF (Evanoff, except 100% improvised) at The Black Box on December 20, 2019. Tickets available here.
Wax Future will be back in Denver providing direct support for Homemade Spaceship at the Bluebird Theater on March 6, 2020. Tickets available here.
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