UK grime-metal quintet Hacktivist recently released their eagerly anticipated album, Hyperdialect which they bought to life on stage at RADAR Festival, Bloodstock and Slam Dunk Festival.

Question everything. Consider your sources. Be wary of ulterior motives, insidious media narratives and even your own unconscious bias. Trust sparingly and try to make smart, informed choices. As the world slides further into ruin at the behest of old, rich white men ruling with catastrophic, zero-sum thinking, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant and fight back against the forces that be who seem hell-bent on creating a dystopian future for us all.

Luckily, Hacktivist are back to help cut through the noise and bullshit, tooled-up and ready to attack with renewed vigour and reinforced ranks; with Jot Maxi and J. Hurley now sharing the vocal and lyrical load, drummer Rich Hawking and bassist Josh Gurner bringing the beats and rhythms, and guitarist and production don James Hewitt fleshing out the group’s genre-fluid muscle. Hewitt played a very active role in Hacktivist's writing and recording process, bringing a new and compelling dynamic to the table.

Ahead of their headline performance at this year’s BURN IT DOWN FESTIVAL, I caught up with guitarist James Hewitt….

It's been a hell of a year for bands, what does it mean to you to be playing a festival once again?

Absolutely everything! These constant lockdowns have been tough for us all in different ways, but speaking as an artist, not being able to play shows feels like I’ve not just had a big part of my life taken away, but a huge part of my personality also.

Burn it Down Festival takes place this weeken, looking at the lineup, which of the bands are you most excited about sharing the stage with?

Palm Reader and TRC

For anyone who may not have heard you before, what type of music do you perform?

A mix of low-tuned metal with rap/grime vocals.

Can you describe a typical live performance (if there is such a thing)?

Plenty of beers and great tunes with hundreds of mates.

Lastly, where can people check out your music and keep up to date with you on the socials?

Our music is available on all digital retailers and physical copies are available on our website. Our new album Hyperdialect is out NOW. We’re active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so come find us there.

Catch Hacktivist headlining at BURN IT DOWN FESTIVAL on Saturday 11th September, they’ll be taking to the stage in THE ATTIC from 10pm, BE THERE!