STACK #250 August 2025

MUSIC FEATURE

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THE BOYS LIGHT UP I t’s the year’s most eagerly awaited Aussie album – Hilltop Hoods’ Fall from the Light . STACK sat down with Pressure and DJ Debris to find out all about it. The album was recorded in Adelaide, The kings of Aussie hip-hop are back with their first album in six years. Words Jeff Jenkins natural energy. Studio madness does kick in. But I think we were mindful of that. Debris: I think outsourcing the mixing is a safeguard. You can start losing perspective by the mix stage. Being able to give it to some one with fresh ears really helps. As soon as you release the album, you’re off to Europe for the Never Coming Home Tour.What sort of feelings do you have when you release a new album?

Pressure: There’s always a massive feeling of anxious anticipation, as well as elation and joy. Performing it is the payoff. Having that en ergetic exchange live is still one of the great joys of making music, being able to give the gift of live music to people. You have had a remarkable ride – six num ber one albums, ten ARIA Awards, and 23 songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100. Debris: The other day I was looking for something in my garage and there were a

Darwin, Melbourne, and New Zealand, mixed in Luxembourg, and mastered in New York. “Debris is a strange nocturnal creature, so he can handle every time zone around the world,” Pressure laughs.

What inspired the album title? Pressure: We had that song and title for the past two or three years. It definitely spoke to me. I guess there’s a bit of tall poppy syn drome woven into that. We’ve been at the top of our game for a long time, and it definitely feels that some people want to see us fall. That became the theme of that song.

This is your ninth studio album. Do albums get harder or easier to make the more you do?

Pressure: It’s funny, I like to think that we’re getting better at our craft. But having said that, they get harder to make because we’re more pedantic, there’s more perfectionism. And I guess there’s a weight of expectation – probably mostly from ourselves – that everything has to be as good or better than the last one. So, I think it might be harder, which is maybe why this record took six years to put together. The tracks are so dynamic. How do you know when a song is done? Debris: I call it the dot-point reduction. The first mix will come back, and I’ll have 30 or 40 dot-point changes to make. When we whittle that list down to four or five, I know we’re near the end. Is there a danger that you can over-think the recording process? Pressure: Absolutely. You can definitely over-write and over-produce until something becomes sterile and loses its

Armageddon – the Hilltop Hoods character, inspired by Iron Maiden’s Eddie – has been a recurring part of the group’s album artwork. “He was designed by a high school friend of ours, a super talented illustrator named Johnny Engelhardt,” Pressure explains. “We would never dream of doing an album cover without him, though my wife did recently point out to me that I’m probably a little too old to have an imaginary friend. But I say, dammit, you’re never too old.” lot of gold and platinum plaques. Each one has a lot of memories. Pressure: There’s been a lot of accolades, but there’s been more good memories than accolades. For me, it’s been all about the memories and friend ships that we’ve made. I feel privileged to have had such an amazing journey, and I get to do what I love for a living. That’s half the battle of life, right? COVER ME

Hilltop Hoods: DJ Debris, MC Pressure, and Suffa

Fall from the Light by Hilltop Hoods is out Aug 1 via Universal

Hilltop Hoods have had six number one albums – no Australian band has had more.

CHART FACT

46 AUGUST 2025

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