Hacktivist are a British

rap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and early ...

band formed in

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, England in 2011. They released a self-titled EP in 2012 followed by their debut studio album, ''

Outside the Box Thinking outside the box (also thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box and, especially in Australia, thinking outside the square) is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. The phrase als ...

,'' in 2016. The band's second studio album, ''Hyperdialect,'' was released in 2021.

History

Hacktivist began in 2011 when former guitarist Timfy James left his previous band Heart of a Coward. James claims that the formation of Hacktivist was a "fluke", with no intention of developing such a style, but the group was born when peer J Hurley, a local rapper with little history in the metal scene, began recording vocals over some of James' demos. After the demos became very popular online, James decided to recruit a full lineup, bringing in Richard Hawking on drums, Josh Gurner (ex-

Sacred Mother Tongue Sacred Mother Tongue was a four-piece British heavy metal band from Northampton initially formed in 2004. The line up consisted of Darrin South (vocals), Andy James (guitar), Josh Gurner (bass guitar) and Lee Newell (drums). In October 2013, t ...

) on bass and Ben Marvin (James's former bandmate in Heart Of A Coward) as a second vocalist. In 2012, the band put out a self-titled EP resulting in debut single "Unlike Us" reaching No. 2 on the Amazon UK metal chart within 48 hours. Despite being released independently on 12 November 2012, the band's self-titled EP proved popular in the metal media with

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

in particular giving the band significant coverage and considerable airplay on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. After the release of the ''Hacktivist'' EP, the band set out to tour. This included supporting slots for acts such as

Enter Shikari Enter Shikari (stylised as enter: shikari and occasionally as ΣΠΤΣ℞ SΗΦΚ∆℞Φ) are a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drum ...

and

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

and performances in European festivals such as

Sonisphere Festival The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...

Download Festival Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...

and

Rock am Ring and Rock im Park The (German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' takes place at the Zeppelinfeld ...

in summer 2013. In April 2013 the group released a new song "Elevate", with an accompanying video, for free download and was followed up in August with a cover of "

Niggas In Paris "Niggas in Paris" ( edited for radio as "In Paris" or simply "Paris"; censored on the album as "Ni**as in Paris") is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album ''Watch the Throne'' (2011). The song is built ar ...

" (originally by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

). A video for their cover of "Niggas In Paris" was filmed during their set at Download Festival 2013. They also performed a live session for BBC Radio 1 at

Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London. It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, ...

. The band headed out on a UK headline tour throughout winter 2013, supported by

The Algorithm The Algorithm is the musical project of French musician Rémi Gallego (born 7 October 1989) from Perpignan. His style is characterised by an unusual combination of electronic dance music with progressive metal. Gallego chose the name The Algo ...

. A re-release of their debut EP with four bonus tracks was released on 11 November 2013. The band has shown support for hacktivism collective

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

, and appear to support "whistle-blowers"

Edward Snowden Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is an American and naturalized Russian former computer intelligence consultant who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013, when he was an employee and su ...

and

Chelsea Manning Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning; December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower. She is a former United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage A ...

whom they reference in the song 'Cold Shoulders'. On 4 August 2014, Hacktivist released the single and video for "False Idols". Many references to activism (especially hacktivist collective

) are made throughout the video and within hours the song had reached number 1 on the

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Metal chart. This release was followed on 12 November by "Deceive and Defy" (also accompanied by a video), featuring Charlie Holmes of Heart in Hand on vocals. Hacktivist then toured the UK from November to December, supported by Dead Harts and the One Hundred. Following the release of the single "Buszy" on 17 January 2016, their debut studio album ''

'' was released on 4 March 2016. On the 20 January 2017, it was announced that Hacktivist and Ben Marvin were parting ways due to Ben's family commitments, and rapper/vocalist Jot Maxi was brought in as the new co-vocalist. In May, the band released '2 Rotten', a heavier remix of 'Rotten' from ''

,'' with Jot Maxi taking more of a leading role than he had in the original. On the 28th of March 2018, it was announced that Hacktivist and Timfy James had parted ways. Following on from this, the band recruited James Hewitt (of bands 'Invocation' and 'Exist Immortal') as their new guitarist and producer with an official announcement made on the 19 January 2019. Hewitt had been playing live and writing new material with the band since June 2018. As a result, Josh Gurner would provide clean vocals following Timfy James' departure. The band embarked on a headline UK tour in Jan/Feb 2019 and went on to release the single 'Reprogram' with accompanying video on the 10th of April 2019. In 2021, the band released a song titled "Planet Zero" with an accompanying music video from their upcoming album ''Hyperdialect''.

Musical style

Hacktivist's music is a blend of several different styles. They are noted for using eight-string guitars and six-string basses both tuned down to Drop E to achieve an extremely low tuned, distorted and dark sound, as well as ambient passages and a "wall of sound" production style. Their vocals are primarily rapped, although they also make use of conventional singing and occasional

harsh vocals A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

. They write their lyrics collectively, focusing on political subjects such as

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

government corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, inf ...

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

, anti-gun violence, unity against oppression and other social and economic issues. The band's music has been described as

and

grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust * Grime (music genre), a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game * "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Wood ...

, as fusing

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal characterised by its use of off-beat and complex rhythm patterns. Its distinctive sound is that of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings. The name "djent" is an onomatopoeia of this s ...

and

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

, or more generally as adding rapping to djent. They have also been said to use elements of

groove metal Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...

. Their guitar compositions have been described as reminiscent of both

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas ...

and nu metal bands such as

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

and

Members

;Current * Jermaine 'J' Hurley –

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

(2011–present) * Josh Gurner –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

(2011–present),

clean vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

(2018–present) * Richard Hawking –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(2011–present) * Jot Maxi – rapping,

unclean vocals A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

(2017–present) * James Hewitt –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

s, programming (2018–present) ;Past * Ben Marvin – rapping, unclean vocals (2011–2017) * Tim 'Timfy' James – guitars, clean vocals, programming (2011–2018)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (2016, UNFD/Rise Records) *'' Hyperdialect'' (2021, UNFD Records)

Extended plays

* ''

Hacktivist In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of '' hack'' and '' activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. With roots in h ...

'' (2012 self-release, 2013 release under Wake to Reality/PIAS Recordings) * ''Over-Throne'' (2016, UNFD/Rise Records)

Singles

* "Hacktivist" (2012) * "Elevate" (2013) * "

Niggas in Paris "Niggas in Paris" ( edited for radio as "In Paris" or simply "Paris"; censored on the album as "Ni**as in Paris") is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album ''Watch the Throne'' (2011). The song is built ar ...

" (2013,

and

cover) * "False Idols" (2014) * "Deceive and Defy" (2014) * "Buszy" (2016) * "Taken" (2016) * "2 Rotten" (2017) * "

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...

" (2019,

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

cover) * "Reprogram" (2019) * "Dogs of War" (2019) * "Armoured Core" (2020, featuring

Kid Bookie Tyronne Buddy-Lee Ike Hill, better known by his stage name Kid Bookie, is a rapper from South East London. Biography Kid Bookie's first foray into music began at school where he played guitar in local South London bands. Whilst growing up his f ...

) * "I Ain't Depressed" (2020, with

Dropout Kings Dropout Kings (formerly Phoenix Down) is an American nu metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, United States, that formed in 2016. They are currently signed to Suburban Noize Records and have released one album and one EP: ''Audiodope'' and ''GlitchG ...

) * "Planet Zero" (2021) * "Hyperdialect" (2021)

Compilations

* "

(Rock) Superstar "(Rock) Superstar" is the second single from Cypress Hill's fifth studio album '' Skull & Bones''. It was originally released as a double A-side with its standard rap counterpart on February 29, 2000 in the UK. An individual release was availabl ...

" (2015,

Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have multi-platinum and platinum albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast and 1990 ...

cover for ''Rock Sound: Worship and Tributes'' compilation) * "

Break Stuff Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...

" (2016,

cover for ''Metal Hammer XXX: Decades of Destruction'' compilation) * "

Duality Duality may refer to: Mathematics * Duality (mathematics), a mathematical concept ** Dual (category theory), a formalization of mathematical duality ** Duality (optimization) ** Duality (order theory), a concept regarding binary relations ** Dual ...

" (2019, Slipknot cover for ''March of the Maggots: A Tribute to Slipknot'' compilation)

Guest appearances

The Qemists The Qemists are an English electronic music group, hailing from Brighton, England. They are signed to Amazing Record Co., an independent record label, indie record label based in the UK. The band have a separate deal with Beat Records for dist ...

- Jungle ('' Warrior Sound'', 2016)

Videography

* From ''Hacktivist'': ** "Cold Shoulders" (2012) ** "Unlike Us" (2012) ** "Hacktivist" (2012) * "

" (

and

cover; 2013) * From ''Outside the Box'': ** "Elevate" (2013) ** "False Idols" (2014) ** "Deceive and Defy" (2014) ** "Buszy" (2016) ** "Taken" (2016) ** "Hate" (2016) ** "No Way Back" (2016) * "2 Rotten" (2017) * "Spitfire" (2019) * From ''Hyperdialect'': ** "Reprogram" (2019) ** "Dogs of War" (2019) ** "Armoured Core" (featuring Kid Bookie; 2020) ** "Planet Zero" (2021)

References

{{Authority control Djent Grime music groups English hip hop groups British nu metal musical groups Rap metal musical groups Milton Keynes 2011 establishments in England Musical groups established in 2011 PIAS Recordings artists Musical quintets it:Hacktivist