CONCERTS
- June 12th 7pm VU Botanical Garden in Vingis Park, Vilnius
- June 13th 7pm Raudondvaris Castle, Kaunas
“Hazmat Modine” (USA) is one of the most original bands of New York. They do play simple, crazy, fun blues that was played in New Orleans saloons and mixed with gypsy music. The bands driving force is mouth harmonicas, tuba, drums, guitars, banjo, big section of wind instruments and the vocal of Wade Schuman. He is recognized as a most dynamic artist, a leader of the ensemble. His voice is so deep that it might be in a competition with a noise of freight train. This ensemble merges blues, folk, world, fusion, jazz also 3rd decade’s music and makes it with XXI century enthusiasm.
“Hazmat Modine” was formed at the end of the nineties. It is led by Wade Schuman who is a vocalist, song writer, who plays with guitar, prewar blues sounding mouth harmonica and many other instruments. The creative work of the ensemble matured in a rich music soil of USA. The ensemble is affected by musical genres like blues, hokum, jug band, swing, klezmer, New Orleans R&B and Jamaican rocksteady.
The main two instruments in the band are mouth harmonicas. They are always in the competition to beat each other in performing the perfect sound. But there is many more instruments in the band that are usually not played on one stage: Romanian cymbals, banjitar – banjo with 6 strings, klaviola, sheng - ancient Chinese mouth organs and many more. The sound of “Hazmat Modine” reflects musical styles that have made an impact on the band members: from avant-garde jazz till rockabilly, from western swing till Middle Eastern African and Hawaiian music styles.
The “Hazmat Modine” toured all around the world in the past eight years: Siberia, Borneo, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey. They did collaborated and performed with many different artists: “Bambino”, “Krono Quartet”, “Cat Empire”, “Gangbe Brass” from Benin, Natalie Merchant, “Huun-Hur-Tu”, Steve Backer, Jim Campilongo.
The first “Hazmat Modine” album “Bahamut” (2006) was a success. The title song was used in Oscar nominated movie “Pina” by Wimo Wenderso. That song is performed in Pina Bausc and Stuttgart ballet performances. That album made into 12th place of the “Bilboard” elected best blues albums. This album received four of five stars from music critic Jeff Tamarkin when he was giving a review to it in “Allmusic”. A song “Everybody Loves You” also got four of five stars from “Pitchform Media” reviewers Joe Tangari. This song is performed with guttural singers “Huun-Huur-Tu” from Tuva republic.
The second album of the band “Cicada” (2011) was awarded “Cahrles Cross” in France for the best album of the year and made it to top places in Europe world music charts. The third studio album “Extra-Delux-Supreme” was released in 2015.
When listening music of “Hazmat Modine” you do feel that you are listening of something you know very well. It sound like an old record you know. But subtle view of the band makes the music not nostalgic but festive and understandable for everyone. The band connects sounds, which seems unnecessary for others, lost instruments and cultures, which reflects on American music roots. By using that they are walking in unknown territories.
“Hazmat Modine” is in a search of authenticity and generality of sounds. That is because musicians of the band have no strict boundaries. They are fearless alchemists of world music. Their music is easy to listen and also it is a little bit weird, and marvelous from first to the last note. It mesmerizes audience in despite of the age.
Bands name meaning is: “hazmat” – means a bag full of dangerous materials, “modine” – is a synonym word for a heater. That’s why these masters of contrast, timbre researchers takes the listener to fearless and dangerously hot rhythms.
TICKETS
