Have you ever been to a chill riot? Imagine if Bob Marley, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Jimmi Hendricks all shared one hour on a single stage. Throw in a handful of blunts more than a few violent mosh pits and you have a Hippie Sabotage show.
The energy is enigmatic but can only be described as a wave going from intense to mellow in a matter of minutes. The crowd control that these brothers have is unparalleled and unforced like you see with most other musicians.
I sat down with Kevin and Jeff Saurer after their set to talk about their path in the industry and how they have set out to define themselves as a new wave of performers.
With a tracklist featuring the likes of Tove Lo, Billie Ellish, and Azizi Gibson, these two tend to bounce around when it comes to making music.
I asked how they decided what music they wanted to flip or rework and they said:
“It really just depends on what we like and what we are feeling. We are sitting on so much music and usually, we will debate over simple details for months.”
The quality of music they produce takes time and can be heard on each track. The minutia of each sound is unique and deliberate while keeping the tracks minimalistic.
I have been a fan of Hippie Sabotage since before Stay High was released, and the quality of music they release often leads to a high demand as well. On social media fans constantly ask for new songs and the release dates of music that was played live.
“We live and die by trying to get an audience so the fact that people stay waiting for songs from us makes us extremely grateful and appreciative that we have that opportunity.”
So what makes Hippie Sabotage’s music and sets so special? Well, they answered that too.
”In this industry so many DJ’s play other people’s music, but for us we make all of our own beats and we sit on music for months so the ability to drop songs and in a show environment feel the energy, it is amazing, but it also keeps it fresh for people who see us 4 or 5 times a year.”
Their music carries influences of hip-hop sampling mixed with recontextualizing to create a perfect vibe. In the interview, they said:
“Our style is RZA and Dre in how we think about music chopping, sampling, drum beats, record collecting, etc. We just make what we like. It’s all about doing the song in a completely different way by adding or removing sounds and recontextualizing the song and do a range of different things.”
The two talked about their past as skateboarders and how learning to produce was like learning to do a trick. “You do it repeatedly until you get it right.” In our talk they expressed their love for skateboarding, traveling and spending time with family. When I asked about the working relationship between the two they simply replied, “We don’t know any other way.”
Hippie Sabotage has two new singles out on Soundcloud, Coffee and Social Jungle (Herizen Flip). Coffee is a guitar-centric banger that resonates with heavy tones and shreds that bring the song full circle. Social Jungle is a distorted bass track that focuses on a blend of vocals and heavy drums to compliment each other.
Make sure to follow Hippie Sabotage on social media for updates on their new music and shows as they tour around the world. Listen to their new tracks below!
