Hominid Releases ‘Cyclic’
Hominid is the musical project of Benny Jennings (he/him), a sound designer and composer based in Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington, NZ).
Today, 8th of October, Hominid is releasing a new double single, Cyclic Pt.1 & Cyclic Pt.2, across streaming platforms.
Heavily influenced by UK IDM, electronica, and the fringes of club music, Hominid’s sound is defined by flourishing textures, tape loops, four-on-the-floor kicks, found sound, and field recordings. While often flirting with ambient atmospheres, Cyclic Pt.1 marks Hominid’s first fully ambient release.
Cyclic Pt.1 was originally composed for Commentary of Dreaming, a contemporary dance work by Company Beck, which premiered at the 2025 Dunedin Festival of the Arts using a custom sound system built around a siren speaker. The Cover art is a still from the show of creator and choreographer of Commentary Jeremy Beck.
A deeply existential work inspired by the astrological concept of Saturn Returns, Cyclic Pt.1 meditates on subconscious rites of passage and the cyclical nature of life. Hominid describes it as
“3am, smoke a cigarette or joint, stare at the night sky type ambient.”
Arranged out of tape loop improvisations performed on a Tascam Portastudio, Cyclic Pt.1 draws on the influence of Tim Hecker, William Basinski, and the string arrangements of Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Cyclic Pt.2 is a downtempo electronica response to Pt.1, heavily inspired by the early work of Rival Consoles. The drones and existential tones of Pt.1 are reimagined with thick bass, dusty percussion, and a looping vocal: “The planet Saturn takes 29 and a half years to get around the sun.”
Reflecting on the release, Hominid shares: “It’s strange to finally share this music. Of all the music I’ve made, this release might be the most personal. These tracks actually predate Hominid as a project, with the first developments for Commentary of Dreaming beginning around 2022. In a way,
this music is my own Saturn Returns – I found a lot of the confidence I’d been lacking as an artist while working on that show. It felt like a moment of personal evolution.”
Photo Credit: Brynne Tasker-Poland
