IndieShark Music News, Reviews & Interviews
Hecojeni is one of those new musical acts that’s genuinely exciting in an era dominated by electronica, catchy hooks, and soulless melodies. They’re semi-acoustic, straightforward, and have this genuine desire to entertain. Their new single, titled Riding the Merry Go, continues this tradition. The song is stripped down to bare essentials, presenting a sort of soft rock and alternative hybrid that the duo specialize in, making it one of the better independent music pieces to come out this year. Indie Shark Music Magazine describes Hecojeni as having “…carved out a space for themselves that defies easy categorization. Their sound drifts between alt-folk, indie rock, and blues-inflected storytelling, but what truly sets them apart is their commitment to honesty over polish.
They make music for people who, as they put it, ‘feel too much and say too little.’…no flashy production, just the sound of two musicians catching emotional lightning in a bottle…Hecojeni’s strength lies in their shared history. Years of collaboration — including periods apart — have forged a creative chemistry that’s both intuitive and unforced. Jeff’s riff-driven sensibility pairs perfectly with Heath’s melodic storytelling, resulting in music that feels spontaneous yet intentional…their work, sounds like a first take worth keeping, a moment that might crumble under overproduction but thrives in its rawness…As the final notes play, the emotional residue lingers — the kind of quiet ache that comes from remembering something beautiful that you can’t quite return to…Hecojeni proves once again that imperfection can be its own kind of grace…(they’re)…for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of a memory that still burns like the last light of a summer evening.”
Riding the Merry Go epitomizes these traits, while never making the duo behind Hecojeni feel like a one trick pony. The guitar riffs and familiar set pieces paint a new picture that’s still on brand. Like any great singer-songwriter maestro, there is an established structure and sound to each of the tracks Hecojeni produces. There’s no sense of creative meandering, or that Hecojeni is a plan B act that produces inspired material lacking a distinctive identity. The band knows what they’re selling, they know their target audience demographic, and they’re ready to work.
Chadwick Easton of Melody Maker writes, “Indie rock comes in all different forms and being independent is only part of it, but Hecojeni manage to combine the right stuff for a pleasant result that reaches back to the days when everyone went out and bought music and made mix tapes. Hecojeni weave an underlying funky groove through their music, with no polish and no nonsense about it, and an overall sense of punk and late 80s/early 90s club techno pop…I could name a few obvious influences felt, but it would be a long list of examples from the past 30 years and beyond, reaching everyone from Kraftwerk to the Talking Heads and later influences from the 90s and early 2000’s.
But even with that being the case they have their own brand of techno indie rock that could be considered funk with machines rather that heavy on guitar and drums, and the vocals come with great melodies to match…The production qualities of Hecojeni are likely indie sounding because it lends to the sort of music they play, so there’s no need for a polished sound, as it borders on industrial, but doesn’t go as far as to call themselves EDM, however, they do have what could be considered a slight EDM feel.”
Hecojeni remains at the top of my list of music acts to watch. While their previous work piqued my interest as a listener, I’m confident in saying Riding the Merry Go has clinched it.
Mark Druery
