Beneficence is back with a new album, Summer Night Sessions, alongside production duo Jazz Spastiks. We spoke to him about the making of the project, Ill Adrenaline Records, and more.
We’ve been fans of your music for years, and also that of the Jazz Spastiks. How did you guys connect for Summer Night Sessions?
I’d worked with Jazz Spastiks on a song called “Smooth Hardcore” in 2016. Their smooth sound is a great fit for my vocals. When we first started recording for Summer Night Sessions it was supposed to be a two-song single. Then an EP, and now finally an album. So it all came out amazing! A lot of the songs were written during the pandemic. I wanted to create something inspirational for these unsure times.
The album has an amazing feature list. Did it take long to pull all of these collaborations together?
It took two years to finish the songs with features. My label partner/manager put together a list of possible features for this album and we made it happen.
One feature that stands is Doodlebug on “Wicked & Wild”. Having a member of Digable Planets on the album is pretty special. Did you already have a relationship with him, or is this more of a bucket list collaboration?
Digable Planets is no doubt one of the greatest groups of all times. So having a collaboration with Doodlebug is very dope! My manager connected with him first then I actually met him at a Digable Planets show and chopped it up with him. He’s a very good dude, very personable as was the whole group.
What is it about the production style of Jazz Spastiks that appealed to you, and did they make the instrumentals specifically for this project?
Jazz itself is very intricate and always attracted me. When I listened to the production before writing I heard more and more nuisances placed in the music that I loved. Jazz Spastiks production brought the best out of my lyrics and it fit great with the scheme of the album.
Ill Adrenaline Records has been running now for 13 years, and has a pretty deep catalog. How hard is it to keep a label like this afloat in 2023, and since the whole landscape of music has changed so much in the last two decades?
It’s very difficult to keep anything running with that kind of longevity. Life happens, things change but we love this music and carry on tradition. We realize music changes but the foundation remains the same. We embrace the culture and still put out great music with integrity.
What’s up next for you once Summer Night Sessions is out there?
I’m currently in the middle of another album. I’ve recorded about four songs so far including the main single. We have other acts in the process of being released. I’m also working on a follow up to my memoir. I just enjoy writing. We also have a list of very dope unreleased material from a range of dope artists so stay tuned!
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Summer Night Sessions is out now. Stream and purchase here, and get physical copies from Fatbeats, HHV, or the Ill Adrenaline Records site. Follow Beneficence on X, Instagram and Spotify.