Affectionately known as the Traffic Cone Sax Man to millions of social media followers and as a founding member of the internationally acclaimed trio Moon Hooch, Wenzl McGowen is now shifting his focus to bold new solo projects. The multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ, author, and musical innovator has released his uplifting new single “Higher” today, August 15, featuring Nigerian singer-songwriter Sunkanmi. To celebrate, WENZL will host a special one-night-only warehouse dance party in Brooklyn on Saturday, August 23.
“Higher” is a propulsive, genre-blurring track that fuses infectious Afrobeat rhythms, bold saxophone lines, and a euphoric energy anchored by Sunkanmi’s commanding vocal performance. The release captures WENZL’s unique ability to bridge electronic music, live instrumentation, and global influences, creating a sound that is physical, positive, and designed to move bodies while lifting spirits.
“This song has a funny story,” shares WENZL. “Sunkanmi posted a sound bite months ago, Snoop Dogg reposted it, and my manager asked me to turn the initial recording into an EDM/Afrobeat track with a sax hook. When I started working on the song, which we called ‘Higher,’ I felt chills run down my spine. The saxophone melody I came up with felt like nothing I ever wrote before—it was like I was tapping into the vibe of a group of people I hadn’t even met. Six months later, 3Beat Records flew me across the world to Lagos, Nigeria to meet Sunkanmi and her crew. She picked me up with a group of dancers, and we started throwing impromptu dance parties across town. No matter where we went, once we played our song, everyone smiled and danced. It was like nothing I ever experienced.”
On August 23, WENZL will bring that same energy to New York City with a warehouse dance party celebrating the single’s release. The night will feature a lineup of DJs leading into a headlining set from WENZL, blending his hypnotic saxophone with driving electronic textures in a raw, underground setting. Tickets are on sale now here.
Best known for his work with Moon Hooch, the Spanish-born artist rose to prominence through electrifying New York City subway performances and underground Brooklyn raves before selling out venues worldwide. With the trio, he has appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk, the official TED Conference, Later… with Jools Holland alongside Tame Impala, and Jimmy Fallon’s That’s My Jam.
Outside of music, WENZL has authored four books exploring philosophy and metaphysics, tracing inspiration back to his grandfather—a saxophonist and airplane mechanic whose inventive spirit shaped his own. That creativity led to his now-iconic traffic cone saxophone, originally crafted to lower the pitch of his horn. A viral 2022 video of him performing in a construction vest with the modified sax has since amassed over one billion views, with WENZL now holding more than 2.2 million TikTok followers and 1.1 million Instagram followers.
With Moon Hooch announcing a hiatus beginning in 2026, WENZL is stepping fully into his next chapter. Past collaborations with Mike Posner, ENISA, Damon Sharpe, and Tia Tia have set the stage for his fearless solo journey—one that continues to challenge norms, ignite dancefloors, and inspire wonder with every step.
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