Hailing from the eclectic avenues of Wuppertal, Germany, Ultrablut is crashing through the barriers of genre with a defiantly punk attitude and a sound that’s a kaleidoscope of fury. The quartet, consisting of Christian Lansky, Leonardo Bardelle, Markus Kresin, and Basti Bauer, thrashes through the punk spectrum while taking cues from black metal and sludge to form a sound so fierce it’s untameable.
ULTRABLUT has swiftly captured the imaginations and ears of the underground. Their debut EP, released digitally in February 2024, saw its physical embodiment through a collaboration with the cult-followed Santa Diabla DIY label, with its initial tape run vanishing within hours.
Their inaugural EP, titled “Teneriffa,” hints at no specific narrative connection but aligns intriguingly with the band’s darkly tinged aesthetics, dubbing their unique sound as Canarian Black Metal.
Lansky’s lyrics—infused with a political sharpness addressing toxic masculinity and societal absurdities—employ a narrative finesse that skirts direct confrontation, opting instead for a more evocative and storied approach.
ULTRABLUT now stands at the threshold of further explorations, with new compositions brewing and a second pressing of their debut EP underway.
For a deeper glimpse into the minds behind this tumultuous soundwave, and to unravel the enigmatic and politically charged lyrics that define their tracks, check out the full interview with ULTRABLUT below.
Can you give us a rundown on the origins of Ultrablut? Who´s involved in this project, and what sparked the creation of the band?
Basti: Ultrablut are Christian Lansky, Leonardo Bardelle, Markus Kresin and Basti Bauer.
Lansky and Leo have been playing together in Grim van Doom since 2011 and Leo is also playing in Morast. Basti and Markus got to know each other while teaching guitars and bass in a music school after playing in several local bands (Winston, Darjeeling…) with various musical styles. But we’ve all known each other for years and always loved each others projects and bands.
The spark for creating Ultrablut came from Lansky, who had the idea to form a band where nothing concerning sound and genre was set in stone, except for having a punk attitude.
Your sound is a unique blend of post-punk, black metal and sludge. How did you land on this eclectic mix of genres?
Basti: Well, I think you forgot Rock’n’Roll and Surf in your listing, but jokes aside…. The mix of genres you heard in our songs is the logical, authentic and quite normal result of us writing music together.
I love the Beach Boys as much as I love Sonic Youth, Markus loves Mac DeMarco as much as he loves Death, Leo loves Massive Attack as much as he loves The Bronx and Lansky loves Bohren und der Club of Gore as much as the Viagra Boys – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, really. If we decided to commit to being a Sludge or a Post Punk band or whatever, we’d get very bored with our own music, to be honest. Maybe we are just a run off the mill Punk band, because we really feel like we’re free to do whatever we want, much like the Bad Brains or Fugazi long before us. But we really appreciate that people recognize and appreciate that!
The name Ultrablut stands out. What´s the story or meaning behind it?
Basti: There is no particular story or meaning behind it. It just sounds good and has a superlative and the word for “blood” in it.
Why the title “Teneriffa” for your album? Is there a special connection or story there?
Basti: There is no particular connection or story behind the title. “Teneriffa” makes an appearance in the song “Sog”, but that’s just a coincidence. We thought that it would be a good title for an EP of a band that has some black metal vibes, so we can say that we play Canarian Black Metal.
What themes do you explore in your songs?
Lansky: The themes can be anything really! For example “Schwebebahn Blues” is basically dadaistic nonsense if you will…it’s about random chatter by random people in our Wuppertal-exclusive tram. Other songs can be quite political, touching serious issues in our modern times like problematic societal norms or toxic masculinity to point out something here. It really depends on how the music speaks to us. I can’t really explain what it is, but once a new song is finished or close to…we as a band can tell if the vibe requires a serious topic or if I as the lyricist will go crazy or personal or whatever.
Choosing to sing in German over English is an interesting decision. What motivated this choice for Ultrablut?
Lansky: I never did it before and I felt it’s just the right choice for this band.
How is the scene in Wuppertal? Any local bands you´d recommend?
Basti: The scene in Wuppertal is quite big and diverse, but also very intimate. Of course it’s not as big as the scenes in Cologne, Berlin or Hamburg. Artists from Wuppertal always seem to struggle a bit more when it comes to reaching audiences, finding labels and bookers etc.
Stammtisch Flutwelle is a very interesting project from Wuppertal. Markus is publishing great music with his solo project Krakus. Tom Taschenmesser is also to be recommended. And if you don´t know him by now, check out Peter Brötzmann. He was a legendary Free Jazz and Noise artist that worked with Heather Leigh on his last album and sadly passed away some months ago.
With such a successful start, selling out your tape pre-order in just a few hours, what´s next for Ultrablut in the coming months?
Basti: We are planing to play some more shows. In September we’ll be playing at the Swamp Fest in Berlin. We’re really looking forward to that.
After recording the EP we’ve been busy writing new songs for our debut album. A second press of our EP is on the way as we speak btw!
You´ve mentioned that your lyrics are quite political, touching on issues like toxic masculinity and problematic societal norms, but with a narrative twist. Can you share more about your approach to lyric writing and storytelling?
Lansky: You know, most younger people still have this one person in their families… the one person who’s got (let’s call it) a “strong opinion” and is overtly verbal about his or her racist or sexist views. Sadly we live in times where these folks are still trying to impose their worldview on their children, nephews and nieces… Depending on their age or worse, the whole family being soaked in this kind of patriarchal structure, it’s hard for those kids to speak up. Some of them might carry this burden into adolescence and end up having trouble coping with all that. That´s what “Glaskinn” is all about: speaking up against this kind of bullshit!
“Abwärtskopf”, on the other hand, can be seen as a possible result of such a patriarchal upbringing. Especially on boys, as the stuff toxic masculinity is made of: a lack of self-confidence coupled with the inability to self-reflect. This is the stuff mysogyny is stemming from as well. Often leaving you with a penchant for materialism in the process. Also gyms are full with this type of guys – that’s what makes the song go full circle in it’s manic ending…
Sometimes topics like these are so sad that it is better to convey them in a humorous way…jumping into character…tell a story…but sometimes not.
I often discuss these things with my wife before turning them into lyrics. It helps me to shift my perspective and to reflect on things that have been spoonfed to myself by society as well as by various people in my own upbringing.
With your first live show in the books and more music set to release, how are you feeling about Ultrablut´s journey so far.
Basti: Our journey so far has been going really well! We feel very lucky and are happy that people show so much interest in our music. We played a fantastic release show and we’ve been invited to Berlin to play Swamp Fest. Needless to say, we’re really grateful for all the good things that came our way.
We’re also having loads of fun when we’re playing and creating music together. Bottom line, we’re just good friends that have a really good time hanging out and playing together in Ultrablut.
