UK grime-metal quintet HACKTIVIST have finally unveiled that Jot Maxi will be the new vocalist in the band. The band has also published “2 Rotten”, a new version of a previous song featuring Jot. Check it out below and scroll down to see our quick interview revealing some more details on the line-up change and the band’s plans for the coming months.
Jot commented:
“I remember seeing J [Hurley, H co-frontman] on a night out and him telling me they’d just started a next-level new band. Once I’d met the rest of the guys there was talk about a collaboration & eventually I wrote the bars for the first version of Rotten. The rest is history really, it worked so well that when Ben announced he was leaving we all mutually felt it was only natural that I’d be the one to step in.”
Guitarist / producer Timfy James added:
“2 Rotten is a strong enough platform for Jot to show the world what he’s all about. Jot has brought many different new qualities to the mix – new and exciting flows, song concepts and general craziness. He fits in well, almost like he’s always been there. What does the future hold? Expect filth and fire coming your way.”
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As vital as they’ve ever been – if not more so, considering what a state the world is in – Hacktivist are back. Not only that, but with the addition of new vocalist and brother-in-arms Jot Maxi, they’re ready to take on Download Festival’s main stage in inimitable style.
Following the amicable departure of Ben Marvin for personal reasons, Jot was the natural choice for a band who pride themselves on being impossible to categorise. It was his bars that illuminated debut album Outside The Box’s grimecore standout Rotten back in 2016, so it’s fitting that H come back with a heavy artillery rendering of that track.
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Hey there guys! Thanks so much for taking some time with us. The news above sounds massive! What happened? How did you end up parting your ways with Ben?
Yeah this is big! Ben respectfully announced that for personal reasons & family commitments he had to go his own way, these things happen but we are moving forward as you can see! We are all still in touch with Ben and he is H for life even in his absence.
Jot, please tell us everything we need to know about yourself.
Jot: I’m an MC & vocalist that has a wide variety of styles and an intense character! I featured on our first album ‘Outside the Box’ on the track ‘Rotten‘… where w worked really well together in the studio so now I’m stepping up to fill the void that Ben has left, but in a completely different way. I’m not a replacement but it’s a new chapter for us.
How does this affect your solo project?
I have a whole bunch of stuff on YouTube as ‘Jot Maxi’ which is actually my real name, and I still plan to release my own solo material. But for now I’m is just excited to take Hacktivist to a new level & I think that’s the main priority for us all.
Alright, so what are your next steps in this new era for HACKTIVIST? What can we expect, both recording and touring wise?
We have a healthy list of festivals that we’ll be rocking at in the next few months & more keep being added so we are keeping very busy. And as for the new recordings, you will have to wait and see.. It’s coming & it’s crazy!
Great, thanks so much for your time! Please drop your final words and take care! Cheers!
Just a massive thank you to all the HACKTIVIST supporters, you guys are amazing & we’ll be there to see you soon, big respect & rock on.
