Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Hatif
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
For Markus it was David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. And Arabic music at home. Those two worlds never felt contradictory.
Johan grew up with MTV, when music videos added something to the impact of a song, at least for a kid sitting in front of the telly.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Markus had been playing in bands for years. At some point he wanted to try something different. And Johan had been making mostly instrumental music on his own. Hatif was an attempt to seriously get into song structure and vocals. That shift changed everything.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
We met through a mutual friend. Johan was brought in to help produce Markus’s band, but that didn’t happen. Instead we started something new together during the pandemic, exchanging files and ideas online. The project became Hatif.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Electronic, tense, and melodic. Often dark. We don’t follow a fixed genre but it’s never difficult to listen to. Someone described it as a landscape at dusk, or a colorized black-and-white film. That feels about right.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
That disagreement is productive. Our creative process is a constant clash between different tastes and ideas. For many that could feel like a problem, now we know it’s the reason the music sounds the way it does.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
We work with synthesizers and build compositions from melodic and harmonic ideas. Johan handles much of the production while Markus brings the initial melodic and lyrical material, though it’s not always like that, there are no rules. The process is usually remote, sending files back and forth until something clicks.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Early Elliott Smith.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Markus has Arabic heritage, and those melodic influences seep in naturally. Duality creates a tension in the music. Beyond biography, we’re heavily influenced by the news, politics, and what’s happening around us. Human struggle is a recurring subject.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
We don’t try to tell people what to feel. But if something stays with them after listening, that’s enough.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That you can’t predict how people receive something. Songs you think are your strongest get ignored. Others you’re less certain about become someone’s favorite. You keep making music anyway.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
In a free Palestine.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
With regard to our sense of smell, preferably a living one.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hatifband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hatifband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hatifband
Facebook: https://facebook.com/hatifband
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hatifband
X: https://twitter.com/hatifband
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hatifband.bsky.social
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6t1JX1BsXK05brFzW12Q5R
Bandcamp: https://hatif.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hatifband
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
More music, more shows. We recently released a new single, Arm’s Length Away, the first from a forthcoming EP. There’s more coming.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That the music is consistent without being predictable. We follow our own logic, even when it doesn’t fit neatly into any particular box. Our music is often categorized as dark alternative. While we understand the comparison, we find that label a bit too narrow. Perhaps the term indie fits our spirit better.
