In the shifting shadows of Brussels’ thriving electronic underground, ULTRA SUNN—duo Sam Huge and Gaelle Souflet—continue their ascent with the announcement of their sophomore album, The Beast In You, set for release this fall via Artoffact Records. Fresh off the heels of their acclaimed debut album US, the pair have unveiled their new single “Wrong Floor,” a moody preview that marks an intriguing evolution in their brooding dance-driven repertoire.
“Wrong Floor” immediately presents a subtle shift from ULTRA SUNN’s usual energetic and aggressive EBM sound. While it maintains the same ethos as the duo’s debut album, US, which thrived on urgent, pulsating beats designed to energize dancefloors, this latest single thoughtfully explores a more subtle and shadowy territory. Here, the baroque sigh of organ synths drapes the track in melancholic grandeur like a ballroom brimming with vampiric nobility, underpinning a minimalist structure that leans toward the sparse austerity of coldwave. The song’s pulses and bass synth, courtesy of Gaelle Souflet, are honed expertly here, reverberating with restrained intensity and conjuring memories of Wolfsheim’s darkest synthpop moods through Sam Huge’s lordly vocal delivery.
There’s still a heartbeat of classic EBM and Darkwave rhythms, yet it’s tempered, revealing a nuanced blend of darkwave’s moody melodicism, laced with stark coldness. The resulting atmosphere is less a direct club anthem than a cinematic plunge into emotional vulnerability—exactly as the band describes: a “slow-motion fall into a dreamlike state.” The lyrical inspiration, rooted deeply in Sam’s personal narrative—his mother’s struggles with addiction—adds a layer of poignant, dreamlike despair to the music’s already haunting fabric.
Visually, the track comes paired with evocative artwork from Brussels-based visual artist Moe Loko, whose handmade illustrations promise to accompany each track of the forthcoming album, amplifying the record’s themes of personal struggle and transformation. Loko’s imagery of mirrored faces and medicinal motifs aligns perfectly with the single’s surreal exploration of beautiful danger.
Listen to “Wrong Floor” below:
The Beast In You itself promises to continue this thematic introspection, with ULTRA SUNN openly diving into deeper, rawer emotions than previously explored. The album’s ten tracks, including earlier released eponymous lead single “The Beast in You,” hint at darker, more textured sonic spaces. Titles like “Fluorescent Sun,” “Guardian of Your Dreams,” and “You Came With a Blade” foreshadow a grippingly visceral journey.
Drawing upon their Belgian heritage, ULTRA SUNN proudly weaves threads of classic EBM and Belgian new beat throughout the album, a sonic homage to their country’s storied electronic legacy. Yet the duo deftly merges reverence with reinvention, carrying the aggressive, analog intensity of pioneers like Front 242 and DAF into contemporary terrain with fresh, meticulously structured compositions.
The album’s visual dimension underscores ULTRA SUNN’s interdisciplinary vision, blending electronic music with high fashion, performance art, and activism—areas where the duo have consistently made their mark. The album’s sleeve displays both Sam and Gaelle armored in the shining gleam of medieval armour attire, symbolic of confronting internal battles and transformations.
“The photo you’re seeing was taken by our longtime friend and photographer Kris Parenti, who always manages to capture our energy and follow us into every visual direction we dream up. For this shoot, we wanted to wear armor because that’s what this record feels like: protective, powerful, mythical. A sound made for night creatures and those who fight against obscurantism in all its forms.”
The Beast in You is out October 3rd. Pre-Order Here.
Tracklist:
- The Beast in You
- Fluorescent Sun
- Wrong Floor
- Hard Feeling
- Fever and Denial
- L.A. Drags
- Sugar Crash
- You Came With a Blade
- Guardian of Your Dreams
- Golden Vein
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