INTERVIEW : Wax Wings
Inspired by the spirit of industrial music from the 90s as well as some of the best dance tracks of the past decade, Brazilian-British artist Wax Wings brings an emotional flair to every artistic expression, no matter the medium. On WW’s upcoming single Reclaim Me (available October 2nd via He.She.They), the producer/DJ collaborates with London Queer scene royalty duo NIMMO; together, they blend dark garage and emoting pop to create an entrancing gem that begs to be played on a loop. We had a chat with Wax Wings to discuss the making of this new song.
I love your new track Reclaim Me. Can you walk us through its creation and tell us about what inspired the music, the feel, the lyrics?
I’m really excited about this one. Reclaim Me is an album single from a body of more introspective, vocal focused works. The instrumental was very much inspired by South London’s Burial, always loved that rainy emotional garage sound.
I knew NIMMO would complement the beat lyrically and form the magical juxtaposition (the one when you pair an upbeat track with an emotional top line, honestly it’s a golden ratio for me). I’m a resident at He.She.They., they’ve started a new label with Warner, pushing diverse talent so it all felt like a very organic home for the track.
How did your collaboration with NIMMO come about? What was it like working together?
We’ve been friends for years now and always wanted to work together outside of the DJ booths. I remixed their single Too Late in 2018, and after we were just waiting for the right original to fall into place. Reclaim Me instantly felt like the one. Really was a joy to work as a unit, queers supporting queers is a flex I can always fuck with.
Credit : Roxy Lee
How do you approach an original track as opposed to a remix? Are there differences and similarities in your creative process in both cases?
They are quite different. When it comes to a remix I gravitate towards working a new track around vocal stems. I like to craft an entirely new song, genre flip, take an emotional tangent and inject the WW sound.
Whereas with an original, it’s almost luck of the draw. I never plan, everything happens organically, lots of demos in all sorts of directions. Once I’m happy with a body of work - I fire tracks out to vocalists/talent and see what they bring to the table, then piece everything together into a cohesive story.
It’s exciting to channel the creative energy, try unconventional collaborations, and expect the unexpected.
What can we expect for Reclaim Me’s music video? And what’s your process when you translate one of your tracks into visuals?
The Reclaim Me music video will explore two versions of the self, themes of sabotage, sacrifice, power, and balance. The collaboration with London based director Kassandra Powell will feature QPOC talent, couture fashion, transcending reality via outstanding cinematography. I see WW as more than a music project, it’s a kind of its own microcosm. A world that has its own sound, aesthetic, and style - I delve into this place and pull characters, stories and imagery from it.
As a multi-disciplinary artist, you work with different mediums. Do your different modes of expression influence your music?
I find the most exciting projects happen this way. For example, a photoshoot could inspire an EP, a painting can become an album art, question what an aesthetic would sound like, and so on. My process has a domino effect, where all elements are in tandem, constantly influencing itself. It keeps me from falling into a pattern of churning out the same thing over and over, it’s sporadic, intuitive, and unexpected.
You’re launching Reclaim Me on He.She.They’s label. What do you like about working with them? How do you relate to their ethos?
I’ve had the pleasure of working with He.She.They’s Steven Braines and Sophia Kearney for so many years now as global residents of the night. Prior to the label/party they welcomed me under their wing via The Weird and The Wonderful Management.
It’s really impressive to see how they’ve grown into this huge platform supporting such a broad spectrum of diverse talent, so effortlessly, via prestigious clubs, institutions, and press globally. For me, a QPOC extrovert British-Brazilian Northerner, their ethos resonates with me because they accept you unconditionally and allow the raw talent the chance to shine first, where you feel celebrated but without feeling tokenistic.
Credit : Callum James Lewis | @callum.jameslewis
Can you name a few of your recent musical obsessions?
I’m on rotation between albums from Silk Road Assassins (State of Ruin), Arca (KiCk i), Clark (Kiri Variations), Northlane (Alien). Experimental sounds across genres, spanning from hip hop, ambient and metal.
What’s next for Wax Wings?
I’m incredibly honored to be able to announce that Reclaim Me has two remix edits to follow. Queen of the Underground Maya Jane Coles and BBC Radio 1 Essential Artist ABSOLUTE. furthermore completing an arsenal of queer produced music perfect fit for H.S.T. Records.
The vastness of this pandemic and lockdown is allowing a lot of time to refine artistic choices, explore new tech, materials, and styles. It’s an interesting time as an artist - being given space to create without so many deadlines or tour dates really is kind of a luxury. I know some amazing and unforeseen work will be born from this time.
Reclaim Me will be out on October 2nd. You can pre-order it right now.
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Cover photo : Roxy Lee