W: Karl Watson I: Ian Potter
Stripped of the noise, the lights, and the labels, what remains is the music that truly matters. The Lifeboat Playlist is a raw deep dive into the sonic DNA of the artists we love, forcing them to choose the ten definitive tracks they’d carry into isolation. It’s a survival kit built on gut-level resonance—a collection of anthems, heartbreaks, and high-octane riffs that define a lifetime. From stadium-sized roars to vulnerable late-night confessions, these are the songs that keep the fire burning when the horizon feels endless.
These ten tracks aren’t just influences—they’re blueprints. They represent the standards Hessian Renegade measures themselves against and the kind of songwriting that made them want to start a band in the first place. Each one captures something essential—whether it’s ambition, atmosphere, melody, or sheer conviction—forming the foundation of how they approach writing and performing today.
And then come the guilty pleasures: the embarrassing, private dance tracks that they love without shame, even if it threatens their street cred.
Here is the sonic blueprint that powers Hessian Renegade:
Cypress Hill – Throw Your Set In The Air
There’s such a threatening atmosphere to this track and that’s something Cypress Hill have always excelled at. The authenticity and believability Cypress Hill bring to their music was a big study for us, if Hip Hop is all about being real, they’ve always been one of the realest.
Boards of Canada – Music is Math
It’s hard to pick a track from BoC but ‘Music is Math’ is a solid showcase on what they do best. Nostalgia, boiled down; dream-like, otherworldly, almost alien in feel with sleepwalking rhythms, hypnotic and physically degraded synth melodies with bizarre samples sprinkled throughout.
Limp Bizkit – Pollution
This track has such a chaotic, unrelenting energy to it. Fred’s flow is menacingly manic, skipping gleefully along the top of some of the bands most aggressive work. This is peak Bizkit and has been a huge influence to us over the years in terms of emotion, energy and delivery
Sigur Ros - Sæglópur
Sigur Ros are a masterclass in layering and crescendo building; Sæglópur has the kind of peak that makes your hair stand on end. They know how to utilise orchestral instruments (and reverb!) and wield them like sonic weapons.
Chase & Status - Blind Faith
Just an absolute euphoric masterpiece, some real raise your hands up to grab the lasers vibes. One of those special tracks that just envelops you in it, helping you to forget everything else in the world.
Juno Reactor - Conquistador I & II
The gold standard of cinematic electronica. ‘Labyrinth’ is a huge mould of haunting world music, thumping techno, growling synths and atmospheric layers, all built on the foundation of movie soundtracks. It’s music that tells a story.
Faithless - We Come 1
A truly beautiful track. Some of Maxi Jazz’s best lyrical work supported by one of the most iconic synth lines in dance music history. Its simplicity is its greatest strength, and it always reminds us that sometimes less is more.
Bicep - Apricots
Best thing to come out during covid for me. I had them spinning back-to-back at the time and I’m still blown away with how well they pull off minimalist and progressive arrangements.
Massive Attack - Rising Son
One of the greatest songs from one of the greatest albums ever made. A masterclass of production and song writing from start to finish. The menacing atmosphere perfectly captures afterparty paranoia in a uniquely British way.
Chvrches - Lies
No band's first release has any right to be this good. Multiple albums later and I still come back to ‘The Bones of What You Believe’ regularly. Best synth pop to come out in decades.
While Hessian Renegade’s core playlist is a masterclass in atmospheric production and heavy-hitting riffs, everyone has a few tracks they bump in private that would completely wreck their street cred. Here is a look at the two glorious, unashamedly chaotic guilty pleasures they secretly love:
Scooter - J’adore Hardcore
We say guilty pleasure…but this is an absolute banger and we’ll fight anyone (verbally) that disagrees with us. As the saying goes “Life can be hard, but Scooter is harder”.
The Pinker Tones - Karma Hunters
Absolutely MUST be experienced through the music video; cartoon mice campaigning for government and shooting anthropomorphised instruments in the arse with arrows isn’t something to just listen to.