Wax Machine

Based in Brighton, England, Wax Machine exists on a particularly far-out plane of neo-psychedelia that incorporates jazz, folk, funk, Tropicalia, and exploratory rock. Led by Brazilian-born Lau Ro, the band introduced themselves in 2018 with a pair of self-released EPs in advance of their 2020 full-length debut, Earthsong of Silence. The self-produced Hermit's Grove arrived two years later. Ro, who was raised in Italy and England, established themselves in coastal Brighton's underground scene, where they enlisted fellow bandmates Isobel Jones (vocals, flute), Woody Green (bass), and Toma Sapir (drums) to form Wax Machine in the late 2010s. The group's debut EP, The This, appeared in April 2018 and was followed in November of that year by a second EP, Mind Palace. Wax Machine's trippy, '60s-inspired sound caught the attention of Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, and the label agreed to release their full-length debut. Issued in 2020, Earthsong of Silence was produced by Go Kurosawa from the Japanese psych band Kikagaku Moyo. Expanding on their vision, the more self-contained Hermit's Grove appeared in July 2022. Produced and recorded by Ro, the album leaned more heavily on airy tropical tones and featured a cover of Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes' 1966 Afro-samba classic "Canto de Iemanja." ~ Timothy Monger