There are bands that play heavy music, and then there are bands like Hitlist who turn chaos, humor, and pure energy into something absolutely impossible to ignore. Their latest release, Human Cereal, arrives with loud riffs, catchy vocals, and a fearless mix of influences that pulls from nu metal, hardcore punk, noise, and funk without ever losing its sense of fun. What started as a strange rainy-day thought about milk falling from the sky quickly became a creative concept that perfectly matches the band’s wild personality and unpredictable sound.
Built from live recordings and shaped entirely by the band themselves, Human Cereal captures the raw energy that defines Hitlist while also showing their growing ambition as songwriters and producers. With help from Leeds creatives Evan Martin and Bob Brazill on mixing and mastering, the release balances heaviness, melody, and danceable grooves in a way that feels incredibly fresh and exciting.
As the band continues touring and preparing new singles for later this year, Human Cereal stands as both a bold introduction and a powerful mission statement. In this interview, Hitlist open up about their creative process, recording challenges, explosive live energy, and what exciting projects come next as they continue pushing boundaries and refusing to be boxed in.
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Twice Dark, “Savage Media” explodes with this unfiltered, razor-sharp intensity—what’s the visceral vibe you’re hurling at listeners, and how does it mirror today’s chaos?
When I was on tour last year we played a show in Knoxville, TN at a place called Barley’s. We played with 3 solo acts who were very influenced by EBM, Industrial and New Beat. I was blown away by them (HEALNG, Spectral Bodies and New Romantics). I instantly knew what I wanted my next EP to sound like.
I wanted it to be intense, with lots of percussive elements that you could dance to and is very influenced by bands like Front 242, Skinny Puppy, FLA, etc. With the Welcome to the Night Show EP I think I’ve achieved that, especially with Savage Media. SM is about technology taking over our lives inch by inch and keeping us alone. It’s like a Black Mirror episode that hits a little too close to home.
Let’s unpack the origin: was there a specific cultural flashpoint, late-night fury, or personal reckoning that birthed “Savage Media”?
With the EP Welcome to the Night Show I wanted to express my political views and anger at the state of our nation. Most of the EP is about the big orange baby in the white house and the horrors his cabinet has caused but Savage Media is about technology and our increasing dependence on it. I can’t say there was one moment that defined the creation of Savage Media, it was more an ongoing observation that I’ve been noticing for years.
From raw demo scribbles to polished assault, paint the creative journey: what breakthroughs or detours shaped its savage core?
I knew I wanted the EP to be heavy but I also wanted it to be electronic and not rely on guitars like my previous output. I studied what synths and gear were used in 80’s synthpop and industrial and got plugins that emulated those sounds and styles. The Arturia Emulator II was a big one but there’s also a Linn Drum Emulator, a Juno, and a Yamaha DX7, among others. This is where I started as well as getting classic samples like the Carl Orff Orchestra Hit from Carmina Burana or the amen Break.
Who were the sonic co-conspirators, producers, guests, or wild influences, that fueled the track’s relentless drive?
On the Welcome to the Night Show I didn’t have collaborators like I did with my previous release, Telekinetic. I did everything myself on this release, even Mastering. I know that’s frowned upon but I recently learned how to Master music so I wanted to use my new found skill set. I do have musicians helping me with remixes however.
So far I have Don Hogle from Truly Lost and New Void (Cincinnati & LA) and Phillip Olympia from Virgin Birth (Louisville) helping with remixes. As far as influences, there are influences from crime novels, electronic music from the 80’s and the dystopia we find ourselves in.
The title alone cuts deep, what’s the real-world commentary or hidden narrative woven into those biting lyrics?
It’s really just about how glued we are to our technology, me included. Smart Phones, Computers, AI, Chat GPT, streaming music / movies and social media all come together to isolate us from each other and in many cases keep us from thinking for ourselves. It really doesn’t get much deeper than that.
Any experimental effects, brutal drops, or gear hacks that make “Savage Media” feel so weaponized?
I don’t know. I’m not really that knowledgeable about audio engineering so I don’t really know what’s considered experimental or brutal. I’m 100% self taught. I started with Sound Edit 16 in the mid 90’s and worked my way up to Audacity then Bandcamp then Logic Pro. I took the most rudimentary course on mixing and mastering and I don’t follow any forums on audio recording so I truly have no idea if my approaches are common or experimental.
In Twice Dark’s discography, this feels like a turning point, how does it evolve your sound or signal a bolder era?
Yes, it truly is, I wanted to do something new and different for me. I was making mostly Trad Goth for the last 5 years but that’s really not where my heart is in terms of music. I love electronic music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and I wanted to start reflecting that more.
I listen to synth pop most of the time and other than that, its genres like Electro Industrial, Belgian New Beat and Italo Disco. I wanted to make an EP that reflects what I actually listen to on a daily basis and I think I achieved that. For my next release I think it will be very synth pop.
What were the biggest creative battles or euphoric “nailed it” moments bringing this to life?
The vocals. I’m not sure if I nailed it but it was a different approach for me for sure. I usually sing but this time it was closer to rap, in the sense that I’m just ranting to the beat. With one exception, Darkness, the whole EP is like this and it was super fun to figure out. I used a lot of distortion and very specific echo and vocoder. I’ve never used Vocoder before so there was a learning curve for sure. I’m very happy with the end product though.
With its timely edge, why is “Savage Media” the anthem the world needs blasting right now?
I think now more than ever people need to consider how much time they spend with technology as opposed with actual other people or enjoying a walk without looking at your phone the whole time. Or, writing an email without the help of a Gemini or Chat GPT.
We used to get by just fine without computers for most things and I think people largely forget that. I think AI is potentially very very dangerous and it doesn’t seem like society is taking that possibility seriously. There’s far too much trust in our Commercial / Corporate overlords, we should question everything. Trust but verify may be too risky. Don’t trust until verified, should be the motto in a world where money is the most important thing.
What’s simmering next: visuals to match the savagery, live rampages, or album follow-ups?
I have some remixes of Savage Media coming as well as the Welcome to the Night Show EP coming later this summer. Then I plan on putting in some time on a book on electronic music I’ve been working on. It will focus on lesser known bands from the late 80’s – early 90’s in all electronic genres. I’ve done several interviews and a ton of research so far. Hopefully I can get that finished in the next 2 years. In that time I also hope to come out with a synth pop album.
