Johann Hjorleifsson

Freelance

Johann Hjorleifsson

About

Paiste Artist Since
January 2003

Nationality
Iceland

Main Affiliation
Freelance

Other Affiliation
Salin

Follow Artist

„I have been using Paiste cymbals my whole life, for me there is no other choice. The Paiste sound is something I absolutely love and within the selection offered I can find all variations I need for the different music settings I do. Simply the best cymbals out there!“

Setup

Johann Hjorleifsson

Cymbals listed from left to right

14" Masters Dark Hi-Hat
20" Signature Traditionals Light Ride
22" Signature Traditionals Light Ride
20" Signature Traditionals Medium Light Swish (discontinued)
18" PST X Swiss Medium Crash

Johann Hjorleifsson

Cymbals listed from left to right

14" Signature Dark Energy Hats Mark I
19" Masters Dark Crash
22" Signature Traditionals Medium Light Ride
12" Noise Works Paper Splash Hats (discontinued)
18" Masters Dark Crash
18" Twenty Thin China (discontinued)

Videos & Pics

hjorleifsson_johann_kit.jpg
hjorleifsson_johann_kit.jpg

Biography

Johann Hjorleifsson is one of the most in-demand drummers in Iceland. He keeps busy working with leading artists in both the pop & jazz circuits and in between. He is a first-call session drummer for recording and live concert work, and his playing can be heard on countless albums to date. Johann played drums in Iceland’s super popular group Salin hans Jons mins and has worked with numerous others like; Stefan Hilmarsson, Bjorgvin Halldorsson, Emiliana Torrini, Eyjolfur Kristjansson, The Reykjavik Big Band, Robben Ford, Maria Schneider, Bob Mintzer, Studmenn, Larry Coryell, Magnus Kjartansson, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, The New York Voices and Bruce Kulick, to name a few. Johann has also performed on countless TV shows and well known musicals like; Mamma Mia, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar and Little Shop of Horrors.

Setup Cymbals

  • Details

    Sizes: 18", 20"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Medium

    Sound character: Aggressive, bright, energetic, trashy. Medium range, complex mix. Responsive feel, explosive attack. Powerful, cutting effect cymbal for exotic accents. A good cymbal for noisy crash riding at higher volume levels.

  • Sounds
  • Details

    Sizes: 14", 15"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Medium

    Sound character: Full, rich, energetic with a definite dark side. Crunchy, with a meaty bite. Very wide range, very complex mix. Extremely balanced, very responsive feel. Full dark, rich, shimmering, biting open/closed sound. Beautiful, fat, meaty, crisp, cutting chick sound. Fast, responsive, articulate with excellent feel and playability. An immensely versatile hi-hat that combines finesse and articulation with raw energy and cutting power.

  • Sounds
  • Details

    Sizes: 18", 22"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Medium

    Sound character: Dark, warm, strong, exotic, sizzling, earthy. Wide range, slightly complex and dense mix. Fairly soft, responsive feel. Great for explosive, strong, dark accents. Complex, washy ride sound. A modern China cymbal with a wide spectrum for various musical applications. “The China is nearly smooth”, states Vinnie Colaiuta.

  • Sounds
  • Details

    Sizes: 10", 8"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Warm, airy, snarling, silvery. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft feel with a very responsive, explosive splash sound. Low tuned effect cymbal for lively accents in moderate volume. Well suited for hand-playing. Vinnie Colaiuta explains: “They are sweet, they are these kind of punctuation marks in the background.”

  • Sounds
  • Details

    Sizes: 16", 17", 18", 19", 20"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Dark, warm, smoky. Medium wide range, complex mix. Buttery, soft feel with quick response. Rich, dark, mystical crash sound with tender clarity. Extremely lively cymbal for broad accents and crashes in intimate to semi-loud settings. Well suited for delicate ride patterns or mallet swells. «For those guys who really appreciate just having a cymbal that can do everything, the larger Dark Crashes can do anything. Very crash-able, and if you want to ride on them, they will give you all the ride patterns in the world.» - Gregory Hutchinson

  • Sounds
  • Details

    Sizes: 14", 15"
    Volume: Soft
    Weight: Medium

    Sound character: Dark, full, soft, multi-layered. Medium wide range, complex mix. Soft, responsive feel. Velvety sizzling open sound. Rich, dark chick sound. A sensitive hi-hat perfectly suited for light to medium heavy use within Jazz, Blues, Country and other acoustic music styles.

  • Sounds