Hummucide are an instrumental jazz-rock quartet hailing from Wellington.
Formed in Jazz school they did the house party circuit, playing their refined Jazz to indie audiences, a bold choice that paid off well and set them apart.
Fast forward to now, and this is their second single - The Sound the Sea Makes, from their debut album - Tides.
As with any instrumental sound, when vocals are taken out of the equation it makes you focus inherently on everything else, which sometimes can be a nice point of difference. Thankfully my job is made easier by the fact that what Hummucide have delivered is nothing short of stunning.
I don’t have the most refined Jazz palette but I hope I have done the song justice by saying, like all good Jazz, The Sound the Sea Makes is a great example of improvisation that takes you somewhere different. It’s hard to exactly put into words, but you get a sense of a story being told
There is also the sense that their sound isn’t really made for the typical lounge bars. Hummucide are a band you go to see live, while standing, maybe even with a beer in hand instead of a cocktail. Either way, I like their ambience and it's nice to hear great musicianship with their own flair.
Born out of the thriving music scene in Te Aro, Wellington, Hummucide is a four-piece minimalist-rock-jazz group. From BadBadNotGood to Aphex Twin to Yussef Kamaal, their influences come from far and wide. Their goal is to get you dancing and feeling something special.
The band comprises of Toby Leman on saxophone (Dr. Reknaw, Revulva, General Vibe), Ben Stewart on keyboard and synths (Sky Canvas, Dr. Reknaw), Lennox Grootjans on drums (Dr. Reknaw) and Hugo Olsen-Smith on bass (O and the Mo, Evolving Wilds). They all started out at the prestigious Te Koki NZSM, before traveling their own musical roads and coming back together to form the Hummucide sound.