Huminoita hails from Finland. Originally they're a five-piece but sometimes other people join in. Their music is adventurous, cinematic and loaded with atmosphere. The songs are pretty much long jam sessions, or so it seems. Driving on a slow tempo, calm riffs and a number of soundscapes, they somehow remind of a rock version of bands like Rinôçérôse, Royksopp or Air. I know that might sound odd but it's true.
As far as the post-rock scene is concerned, this act fits well with bands like Monomyth, Tortoise and maybe Kreidler. So yes, a bit of a different approach, influenced by psychedelic rock, jazz and soundtracks by Ennio Morricone. Opener 'The Sheriff' for example contains a beautiful gloomy jazz piece, reminding me of soundtracks for David Lynch movies. It also contains some shamanic sounding chants by the way.
'The Pilgrim' even digs deeper into the jazz scene by incorporating a brilliant saxophone solo, dynamic drums and an immersive bass line. At the same time, the song thrives on slightly distorted rock guitars and a vintage post-rock overtone. The combination is both strange and hypnotic, an inspiring journey through the history of progressive and psychedelic music. In a way, it really feels like late sixties or seventies here, certainly when the organ comes around.
My favorite track on this album is 'Hymn 23', a highly immersive piece of music. However, that was a tough decision to make because the entire album feels like a concept, an adventure even. The music continuously alternates and varies without losing its grip. The more you listen to it, the clearer it becomes and the more you will actually like this. I know because I've been listening to this album eight, nine times now and I still can't get enough.
Serge