Pillbox Jam have dropped Monkey Business, a new single featuring Derrick McKenzie of Jamiroquai on drums. The track is taken from their EP The Duality Tapes, and sits alongside material that makes plain what the London band have been building since they formed in 2024: jazz as a living language, not a museum piece, folded into funk, electronic pulse and whatever the room feels like on the night.
Bethnal Green jams to a full band
The group came together out of late-night sessions in East London. Founders Michael Benöhr (drums) and Fran Bernhard (guitar) are originally from Chile, met while studying music in Germany, and later based themselves in London. Their musical chemistry turned into Pillbox Jam in 2024, with bassist Ewan Macintosh in the core line-up and saxophonist Sophie Burrows joining in 2025.
The name nods to the Pillbox building in Bethnal Green: a former pharmaceutical factory turned creative hub where Benöhr runs the London School of Music. Rehearsal rooms and a steady flow of players through the building helped the project take shape. It is a fitting origin story for a band that wants jazz to feel connected to the city around it, not sealed off from it.
Sound: funk, fusion and the club
Pillbox Jam treat jazz as something that can absorb funk, electronic rhythms and improvisation in the same breath. You hear deep funk grooves, spontaneous interplay and production choices that sit comfortably next to inspiration from jazz-funk, fusion, jungle and drum and bass. They talk about accessibility on purpose: making jazz feel welcoming rather than exclusive, and building bridges between live band energy and contemporary electronic and club culture.
Recording at RAK and the wider picture
The band recorded The Duality Tapes at RAK Studios, with a release slated for March. That set underlines their place in the UK's current funk and jazz conversation: Derrick McKenzie appears on one track, and DJ Louis (DJ from Shanghai) on another, pointing to a network that stretches from session legends to global club faces. Monkey Business is the single out front, with McKenzie on drums again.
Listen and watch
Stream Monkey Business (feat. Derrick McKenzie of Jamiroquai) on SoundCloud. Other tracks to dive into include Tripping Minds (listen) and Liquid Capsule (listen). Follow the band for studio and performance drops across their channels.
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Release details and guest credits are as stated by the artists at time of writing.
