Hacktivist: Rap-Metal Defenders of Planet Zero

The metal landscape is perilous and ever-shifting – bands are constantly re-defining their sound, pushing the boundaries of what heavy music is capable of. HACKTIVIST are one of the most exciting faces in metal for this very reason; combining fierce rap with the brutal ferocity of djent, HACKTIVIST have crafted a sound that packs a punch like nothing else. 2021’s Hyperdialect showcased the group at their strongest, and now it’s time for those vicious tracks to come to life – their delayed December tour is finally here! With three more dates on the cards in Birmingham, Cardiff and London (10th, 11th, 12th), we spoke to vocalist Jot Maxi about the tour, the album, and music as a catalyst for change.

Firstly, the matter at hand – touring an album a year after its release. “It’s a bit hard to be touring Hyperdialect a year after its release,” Jot admits, “we’re already working on new material so it’s strange to be playing this album live so late. The delay has definitely had a knock-on effect – but we’re very motivated and hyped to catch up and take over again!”

While a run of festival crowds were treated to a selection of Hyperdialect singles last year, there’s a plethora of vicious of tracks that will be getting their live debut on this tour. The response to the singles last year was remarkably positive – and the guys are sure the hype will be even greater a year on. “During the festival run last year we were amazed to see how many people on the front row knew the lyrics to the new album tracks already!” Jot says. “It’s going to be interesting seeing how the die-hard supporters react now, and which tracks go down the best with them now that they’ve had even more time to digest the album!”

In terms of new set additions, there’s a healthy injection of fresh tracks – Jot insists the band are excited to perform everything on the album but they “haven’t incorporated ALL of the new album tracks into [their] live set just yet.” There’s a few cards being kept close to their chest; “there are one or two we’re holding back for this summer’s festival run… because our headline live set is already so fully charged, we are really keen to gauge how it goes down before we play all of our cards!”

So – what about that new album? It’s a true step up from 2016 debut Outside The Box, and Jot notes how the group’s major lineup additions had an impact. “With two members coming on board (myself in 2017 and then our guitarist/producer James Hewitt in 2018), there was some rewiring to do with the chemistry of our sound, but to be honest that was all very quick, easy and organic.”

Hyperdialect builds on the group’s hard hitting, cathartic sound, as well as delving into equally as heavy topics – tracks touch upon themes of environmental issues, nationality and identity to name a few. Jot notes that while this isn’t necessarily intentional, the group do feel a responsibility to use their platform for good; “We can’t deny that we definitely have a powerful platform. It feels almost like it’s our duty to shout out the truth, especially in a world full of so much denial and deceit – we are called HACKTIVIST after all! Plus, we all have such a varied array of backgrounds, education, street-smarts and curiosity that when we come together to write songs the extreme topics just kind of happen on their own!”

When it comes to the melding of extreme genres, HACKTIVIST have always been at the top of the game. Their unique, experimental djent-rap fusion is distinctive and immediately captivating – with a heavy sound, it’s definitely easier to get your point across. “A combination between our band’s name and what it means, the combination of extreme genres… it definitely helps get the message across when the method itself is so impactful!,” Jot says. “We have never been strangers to throwing electronics and synths into our sound, ever since the first album. And it’s something we definitely intend to continue doing moving forward!”

Even outside the bounds the band, the HACKTIVIST minds are always buzzing with experimental, genre-bending ideas. “Both J Hurley and myself have our own studios and continue to release solo material and feature with other up and coming artists,” Jot tells us. “If you like the HACKTIVIST sound then you will most likely very much like our solo stuff so definitely go and check us out!”

Before we close off, Jot takes a moment to thank the listeners for the undying support; “we are so thankful to all of the immense support we’ve received for Hyperdialect, and for us it’s just the start of a new beginning…. we are already working on new material and we are immensely excited about it!” So, prepare yourselves – HACKTIVIST make conscious music with a purpose, and whatever we hear next is sure to be equally as remarkable as Hyperdialect. Watch. This. Space.

Hyperdialect is out now via UNFD. 

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