The debut studio EP from Wellington-based jazz quartet Hummucide is the latest release in what has been quite a busy period for the band, as this is their fourth release in recent months. Both 8 Mullups (which has had more than 30,000 plays on Spotify) and Reacher have been released as singles, and this 23-minute-long EP finds them joined by I’m Just A Bag of Bones and The Mothership Left Without Me. These last two, along with Reacher and a few other songs can also be found on Live at the Arcade so arguably there is no actual new material on this release, as all the songs have been released in one way or another already, but for someone like myself coming across them for the very first time that really isn’t an issue at all!
Saxophonist Toby Leman (Dr. Reknaw, Revulva, General Vibe), keyboard player Ben Stewart (Sky Canvas, Dr. Reknaw), drummer Lennox Grootjans (Dr. Reknaw) and bassist Hugo Olsen-Smith (O and the Mo, Evolving Wilds) all started out at the Te Koki NZSM, and have honed their sound on the road, and it shows. Although the rhythm section is as busy as one would expect in this format, the guys actually stay quite a long way in the background. This is particularly true for Olsen-Smith whose electric bass sound is low in the mix, providing more of an ambience than a strong bottom end, which means the drums feel quite free and loose, more vibrant, and sharper.
Both Stewart and Leman are content to take the melodic lead, although Leman is the more dominant while Stewart often uses quite dated keyboard sounds and patches to create something which is warm and inviting. The sax has the presence one expects in jazz, clean and dominant, either tying in with the others or taking the music in different directions and creating its own spell. While not easy listening jazz, there is something incredibly inviting which lets in the listener and allows them to wander around and explore the EP at their leisure. It is intriguing and interesting at the softer end of the spectrum without ever falling into the mistake of lounge or fading into the background.
It feels like jazz from the Sixties, and that is perfectly fine with me.
About the author Kev Rowland
From 1990 – 2006 I ran Feedback fanzine in the UK, writing about bands that were rarely covered in the mainstream press, many of whom were in the underground scene. I built close ties with many British Progressive groups in particular, including writing the newsletter for Freewill, getting gigs for Credo and writing the introduction to Galahad’s OCMDII compilation. I reviewed literally thousands of cassettes and then CDs from bands from throughout the world, and was lucky enough to interview many of them. During this period I also contributed to the French progzine Acid Dragon, wrote for the music newspaper Rock ‘n’ Reel and was also involved with the Ghostland website. In 2006 I moved to NZ, and stopped running Feedback (which was then renamed Amplified after I left, at my request) having produced over 80 editions with more than 11,000 pages of print and heaven knows how many reviews
More by Kev Rowland
Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland – 07/07/2023
Single Review: Love and War
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Single Review: Sons of Savages
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland – 26/05/2023
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland – 27/05/2023
Single Review: Beautiful Creature
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe – 24/05/2023
EP Review: Bridge City Crew
Single Review: Your Heart of Gold
Single Review: The Strangest Dream
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