Born From A Bar Brawl... Humanzi Nature

as you do, we created some kind of rivalry thing between us that kind of escalated into a pathetic fight outside a pub

Feature by Chris Nordeng | 15 Jul 2006
So kids, if you, like The Skinny, have got your fence-cutters and your eyeliner sharpened for the big T you'd better read carefully! Mounting the Radio 1/NME stage on the Saturday of the event is Humanzi, four Dublin upstarts who have been brewing up a little storm in their native Ireland of late.

The reasons to check these guys out are numerous, so The Skinny phoned up front man Shaun Mulrooney for a reality check amidst the ongoing World Cup mania and to get a grip on how their eclectic shocker debut 'Tremors' came together: "The most common response so far is that people seem genuinely impressed by the multitude of influences we've gotten together" comments Shaun on a broken phone line in the most puzzling and informal of Dublin accents. But it couldn't be more accurate; 'Tremors' is eleven tracks brimming with classic rock 'n' roll and fierce punk but infused with a mesmerizing melodic sensibility to soothe your 24/7 headache, but also with an industrial electro touch which creates a haunting, paranoid atmosphere that coaxes your migraine back just as quickly. "Yeah, the four of us have got quite a common ground in what we listen to" explains Mulrooney, "the base has always been heavy garage-rock like the Stooges but we also listen to a lot of Krautrock like Can to more contemporary stuff, and whilst writing we tend not to leave anything out which has come together as a good blend."

Let's shine a light on the past to find the source of this blend. Humanzi formed about two years ago from the ashes of various bands as a result of a drunken brawl outside a Dublin boozer. "We were all young frustrated kids who hung out in different groups of the Dublin scene and as you do we created some kind of rivalry thing between us that kind of escalated into a pathetic fight outside a pub. A really stupid thing that wasn't much of a fight but that's how we got introduced to each other in the first place." Since their moment of introduction Humanzi have managed to get signed to Fiction Records (home to The Cure), support the likes of Foo Fighters and The Strokes as well as partake in the odd sweep over the U.K. - all of which must be considered quite a unique outcome of a late night clash.

Taking the T-roster into consideration (The Kooks, Monkeys, The Automatic etc.) the current trend in lyricism seems to be sliding further away from anything that could be associated with politics or the problems with a society that's apparently on a highway to a cultural hell, which makes Humanzi stand right out given their vernacular substance which recalls a classic call-to-arms punk ethos. "Lyrically we don't want to be branded as political - the way things have turned out in terms of lyrics is simply by picking up on stuff that passes us by in our everyday life. And yeah, songs like Diet Pills and Magazines and Mass Hypnosis bring up the themes of manipulation through advertisement, television and other factors that you can't even see but it's not a conscious decision to be political, it's mainly picking up on themes that frustrate you and inspire you to write." Word heard, so if you feel inspired, make your way to their unfortunate early Saturday slot and let the musical and lyrical onslaught work as Humanzi deliver the wake-up call you just might require.
The single Diet Pills & Magazines is out on July 3.
'Tremors' is out on July 21
Humanzi will play T in the Park's Radio1/NME stage June 8. http//:www.humanzi.com