HASSWUT

Hasswut is the industrial rock/metal three-piece project hailing from Spain. The latest single is the track, "Sauerstoff" which is also the title of the forthcoming full-length album due out from Negative Gain Productions. We'd like to thank the band for their time in answering our interview today.

Hello and thanks for answering the interview for our blog today. We usually like to start off by asking for a brief background for the readers that might not be familiar with a particular band. Would you kindly do so?

We are HASSWUT, an electro-metal band from Spain (Europe), and we have been actively making music for about ten years. Our sound blends the raw energy of metal with the intensity of industrial and electronic music, creating a powerful and immersive experience.

The band is composed of Daniel NQ (vocals), JaviX (guitar and programming), and Zufo (keyboard/synthesizer and visual effects). Over the years, we have built a solid fan base and performed at numerous events, bringing our unique style to audiences who enjoy the fusion of heavy riffs, aggressive beats, and electronic atmospheres.

We are currently excited to be promoting our latest release, Sauerstoff, a project that represents a new chapter for us. This time, we have the support of our new record label, Negative Gain Productions, which allows us to expand our reach and bring our music to even more listeners worldwide.

The latest album is ‘Saurstoff’. What kind of genesis did the songs have to go through before you were happy with the final product?

Our songs have always undergone a significant evolution before reaching their final form. The creative process begins with Zufo, who develops the initial demos—these serve as the foundation and starting point for what will eventually become a full track. From there, Javi takes over, refining the structure, adding layers, and shaping the sound to give each song the power and intensity we aim for. Once the instrumental framework is solid, we move on to crafting the lyrics, making sure they blend seamlessly with the atmosphere and energy of the music.

However, the process doesn’t stop there. We constantly revisit and fine-tune every detail, making multiple changes until we feel that everything is exactly as it should be. When we are confident that the songs are at their best, we head to the studio to record the instruments and begin the crucial phases of mixing and mastering. At this stage, we work closely with our sound engineer, Raúl Abellán, whose expertise helps us push the sound even further. He brings a fresh perspective, allowing us to refine the tracks with an extra level of precision and depth.

It’s during this final phase that the songs truly come to life, and with each new adjustment, we get closer to the perfect balance between raw energy, melody, and atmosphere. By the time we finish, we don’t just feel satisfied—we reach a point where we are 200% confident that the album represents exactly what we envisioned.

Do you think that you’ll adopt a release plan that is perhaps less full-length albums and more singles, remixes and Eps?

Honestly, it’s a bit difficult for us to fully embrace the current trend in the industry of releasing singles rather than full-length albums. We’ve been around long enough to have experienced all the physical formats—back in the day when singles and albums were primarily released in physical form. We grew up with that traditional model, and it’s a bit of a challenge to let go of it. While we understand that the industry is constantly evolving, the shift to single releases over full albums is something we still haven’t fully come to terms with. That said, we are open to the idea and, who knows, perhaps someday we’ll end up adopting it if it aligns with our vision.

For now, we remain loyal to the physical format as our main approach. We strongly believe in the value of tangible music—something that fans can hold in their hands and truly connect with. However, we also recognize the importance of digital platforms for promotion, and that’s where singles have proven to be quite effective. It’s the reality of the current music landscape: singles have a strong impact in the digital world, and they help us reach more listeners, especially in the promotional phase.

Our last two releases were perhaps a bit shorter, but this was mainly due to financial limitations. As an independent band, we don’t have access to the massive budgets that some bigger bands enjoy, with thousands or even millions of euros to invest in recording, production, and promotion. This definitely restricts the scope of what we can do in terms of time and resources. We’ve had to be creative and efficient with our approach, working within our means to deliver the best product we can. Despite these challenges, we are proud of what we've created, and we’ll continue pushing forward, regardless of the format.

Regarding remixes, all of our previous releases have included remixes as bonus tracks, but with Sauerstoff, it’s the first time we haven’t included any remixes on the album. Perhaps in the future, we may remix some of the tracks, but for now, we decided to focus on the original material and let the songs stand on their own.

Scenario: You are stranded on some island but you had the capability to put a flash drive with three of your most important songs into a sealed bottle and send it out to the world. These are songs that mean the most to you and best represent your legacy. What are they and why did you choose them?

We have songs from all stages of our career that we still really love, and others that we’re not as fond of... but without a doubt, we’d include FALSCH! from our album FALSCH!. Over the years, it has become something of an anthem for our followers, and we really enjoy playing it live. It’s a direct message against the false society we live in—the society that shows a smiling face while hiding a knife behind its back.

From our previous album Mund Zu!, we would definitely choose F.F.F.. This track caused a bit of controversy due to the offensive language it contains and its defense of free sex, regardless of sexual orientation. Unfortunately, there’s still a part of society that is very closed-minded about these topics.

Lastly, Sauerstoff from our upcoming album Sauerstoff is a song we really love—not only for its compositional aspects but also for the message we try to convey. It’s about lifting your head, taking a deep breath, and pushing forward. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you.

Are your songs created in pretty much the same way in every case? Do you have to be in particular locations or moods to be inspired?

The truth is, there’s nothing particularly special about our composition process. We live in cities that are quite far apart, so we each compose at home, individually.

Generally speaking, you need to be in the right mindset to sit down and compose. From there, we always aim to create something that brings us to a festive and upbeat mood. We don’t try to create atmospheres that could be depressing—in fact, it’s the opposite. We focus on writing songs that make you want to get up from your seat and dance. The most important thing for us is that the music has that effect on us first and foremost.

Could you give us some insight into your studio setup? How much is hardware/physical instruments and how much is based on softsynths and the like?

If you're expecting us to have a big, expensive setup, it's quite the opposite. We have some synthesizers and keyboards from brands like M-Audio and Arturia, but nothing excessively expensive. In addition to those, we rely heavily on virtual instruments that help us achieve sounds that would otherwise be impossible to produce without investing a massive amount of money in physical equipment.

Some artists often engage in certain rituals when composing in the certain studio or before performing. Ex: They may like to have certain items around, They may do certain pre-show preparation, They may do things like meditation. Are there any particular rituals you do before writing or performing?

In the studio, to be honest, there’s no specific ritual. It’s many hours locked away, and some days can be really discouraging until you finally hear the tracks starting to sound the way you want.

As for live shows, we’ve definitely turned them into something of a ritual. From the very beginning, we started taking the most ridiculous selfies possible, and it’s become a tradition we’ve carried with us ever since. We take these selfies about 30 minutes before going on stage to let everyone know that the concert is about to start, and we post them on our social media. It’s something we enjoy, and many times, the press ends up using those goofy selfies in their articles instead of the usual promotional photos of the band. It’s a fun little way to engage with our followers before the show begins.

Some artists have resorted to using AI for the likes of cover art and even videos. What’s your feeling on that? Do you think that it’s already gotten out of control and maybe is an excuse for lack of creativity? Or do you think people are still inserting a bit of human/organic quality into what’s being produced?

We can't fight the inevitable; AI has arrived to stay. What needs to happen is a balance between everything to ensure that the jobs of designers, photographers, and other professionals are not taken away.

For this latest work, our album cover, just like in previous releases, was designed by Nines Hammerstein, but this time, we generated several images based on the concept we had in mind to help her better understand the vision. We’re really happy with the result. Working with a designer also allows us to have the designs in various formats and layers, which we can then use for dossiers, merch, and more.

As for the photos, something similar happened this time. We shared the idea we had with MidJourney and then passed the results to the photographer. Naturally, the photos we ended up with were not the exact same ones generated by the AI—otherwise, we’d have seven fingers and two heads—but as a sketch, it was incredibly useful.

What do you anticipate for the coming months? Side projects, shows, more releases?

The truth is, we never really think too much about the future. We focus on living in the present, except when it comes to things like planning new singles, merch, and so on. If something good is meant to come, it will. If not, we’ll just keep enjoying making music.

The most immediate thing we have coming up is the release of a new single, followed by the long-awaited release of our new album, which we’re really excited to share.

At the same time, Daniel and JaviX have another band called Mind Driller, and we usually release one album from each band back to back to avoid overlapping the work of both projects. It allows us to give each band its proper attention and energy without confusing the fans or spreading ourselves too thin.

William ZIMMERMAN
01/04/2025