Hi Invisibles of the night.
Another episode of my own format about #darkmusic. I invite you again to do it yourself and spread some alternative music here on Hive. What you consider to be the darker side of music, no matter the genre. Do your own version and tag me, thanks 💀
Today I wanna talk about one of my greatest influences for my own music project and my songwriting:
Ultra Sunn
Ultra Sunn are an electronic duo formed in 2019 by frontman and multi-instrumentalist Sam Huge and keyboardist/producer Gaelle Souflet.
The genre with which their music is identified is Coldwave. Basically it is a derivative of the classic German EBM but with a substantial difference. EBM (Electronic Body Music) offers a very aggressive sound that can be associated with techno with a darker side, sometimes enriched by sounds from industrial. It is a genre often listened to by lovers of the goth, kinky and BDSM environment who prefer electronic sounds instead of those of a classic band.
Coldwave starts from an EBM base and joins the darkwave imagery but with a very minimal approach, so instead of adding new elements, it removes them. Here is the most appreciated song by Ultra Sunn to understand what I'm talking about:
As you can hear, the song is basically built just on few elements: a drum machine; a very strong and full bassline; a distant pad to create that "cold" atmosphere of the genre; and a deep, low, reverberated voice. Then we find some kind of high synth responsible for carrying a melodic progression that makes the song recognizable.
This is the formula that Ultra Sunn have adopted since their debut with the EP Night Is Mine and that they continue to carry forward with the EP Body Electric of the same year, Kill Your Idols in 2023 and this year's latest work, US.
As they say, a winning formula never changes. It is precisely their ability to obtain complete songs, a full and powerful sound with so few elements that has made them a reference for the way I think about my music.
When I have the doubt that I am adding too many elements I ask myself "what would Ultra Sunn do?". And I start to remove and focus on making the sounds that I am already using more effective. And it always works, if you know how to do it.
For this reason you won't find big changes in their sound from their debut to their latest work.
One important thing to say to understand this genre is that it is a typical European music expression. EBM was born in Germany and enormously influenced every dark electronic act from all the countries nearby. In fact, Ultra Sunn come from Brussels, in Belgium, where techno and electronic music is basically a national resource.
Probably you'll find this sound a bit repetitive after three songs but you have to consider the best way to enjoy this music, and that's LOUD in a dark club, DANCING on the dancefloor. Close your eyes and let the rhythm possess your legs... yeah, that's the way! 🔥
I had the chance to see them performing live and it's been amazing to let their music flow through my body, push away all the thoughts and problems and just focus on the moment with all my being.
That's a painkiller for my soul 🖤
And that's all for today, hope you enjoyed this new alternative kind of music. Let me know what you think about it in the comments and maybe write your own post about your conception of #darkmusic 😉
Cheers 🦇
Hey, as you may have understood, I make music too! It's an hybrid between electronic, darkwave and rock. If you'd like to know more, visit my website harbiter.com or my Instagram