Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock ‘N’ Roll Band Hasar Takes The Stage

Hasar wants to move you

From the ruins of punk band Hórmónar comes Hasar — the solo project of Hórmónar drummer Örn Gauti, who specifically points out that he’s actually a guitarist. Hasar revives loud guitars and catchy hooks on their debut EP Gestalæti, out on July 7.

A plethora of Icelandic artists are known for breaking the mould and testing the boundaries of music. Then, there are others who stick to tried and true forms of musical expression. In English, Hasar means “action” — a fitting band name for an act rooted in gritty rock ‘n’ roll, emphasising fast-paced music and electrifying live performances. Come to think of it, Hasar’s music would perfectly suit as the soundtrack to a compilation of skateboarding wipeouts.

Örn Gauti Jóhannsson is the man behind the project. A musician and a trained actor, Örn Gauti is brimming with theatrical charisma and energy as he sits down with a lime-flavoured sparkling water in one corner of burgeoning Laugavegur bar Ellý.

“I wanted to demonstrate I wasn’t just a drummer and get an opportunity to be at the front,” says Örn Gauti. “I love attention.”

Rock and Grohl

Inspired by his own frustration with the local music scene, Örn Gauti describes the initial motivation for Hasar as a reaction to dull performances by local artists. He then took on the mission of making the music he thought was missing. “At the time when I started out, I thought there wasn’t enough energy at live shows in Iceland,” he confesses.

If the feeling’s there, just release it.

In a similar spirit as a certain disenfranchised ‘90s drummer, Örn Gauti went full Dave Grohl when recording his debut EP Gestalæti. Working in the studio of producer and musician Valgeir Skorri Vernharðsson (Celebs, Mammút), Örn tracked every recording by himself. Happy with the outcome, he set out to assemble the band.

“I mixed [Gestalæti] with Steini Milljón (In The Company Of Men, Uné Misere), who then asked me how I’d planned on doing this live,” Örn explains. After a few attempts, Steini and members of hardcore group Une Misere pitched in, backing up Örn during Hasar’s live performances.

“On the scale of heavy to soft, they’re quite up there, so they have to drop it down a bit when playing with me,” he says. “That produces an awesome amount of energy in the room.”

Self-described as the “stupidest guy in the room who knows the least”, Örn channels his energy into engaging the audience, while the band plays over-the-top riffs and thunderous drum beats.

According to Örn, the addition of new members was pivotal. “If the other guys wouldn’t have said yes to this, it wouldn’t be happening,” he confesses. “Being in a band is like a relay race. I had been trucking alone and it’s fucking exhausting. And then they’re such sledgehammers and bring me energy onstage. I wouldn’t be anything without these guys.”

Puzzling beginnings

When Hórmónar went on an indefinite hiatus in 2019, Örn started work on Hasar material alongside his drumming responsibilities. “I’d always been writing alongside Hórmónar,” he says, mentioning that one of Hasar’s first songs was conceived in 2013. “When you’re starting out making music, it’s difficult to finalise things. It can get difficult piecing music together, so that song is quite weird if you think about the structure. That idea translated into the mentality of Hasar — keep it simple, stupid. Don’t sit and ponder, ‘can this be different?’ If the feeling’s there, just release it.”

We’re here to kill and entertain.

The five-track Gestalæti EP is a torrential burst of music, employing influences from late ‘90s and early ‘00s punk, hardcore, and garage rock. “It’s a period in my life where I’m lost,” Örn explains. “I was very much out partying and dancing and being hungover.”

The resulting songs are a narrative journey through a night of Reykjavík partying. Exploring themes of vanity, self-confidence, self-deprecation and boredom, most of Hasar’s lyrics are written tongue-in-cheek. “I’m kind of allowing myself to hype me,” says Örn. “Just like, ‘I’m cool. I’m good-looking’ —  aware of that being a very stupid thing to say.

Serious fun

Although Hasar might seem like the outlet for unrefined bravado where loudness indicates importance, Örn straddles between perceiving it seriously and treating it with light-hearted fun.

“I’ve commented on it before and complained that Icelandic musicians are too artsy,” he says. “Being an arts educated man myself, I understand that. But it’s also supposed to be fun. I take myself and what I do seriously. At the surface level it can seem like stupid rock, but if you dive deeper, you realise that I do contemplate on my lyrics. I am thinking about the show as a whole.”

Hasar is currently in the studio working on new material. That doesn’t mean another release is coming, Örn is quick to point out. In the meantime, Hasar continues its path of destruction throughout Reykjavík’s live venues. “We’re here to kill and entertain,” Örn finishes. “The motto these days is, ‘one, two, Hasar.’ Kick the door down.”

Gestalæti is out now on streaming platforms. Catch Hasar performing at Röntgen during Innipúkinn Festival on August 3, and look out for a special Innipúkinn song in celebration of the festival, coming soon.