BELOW ZERO: “Coming Up to Breathe”

Ritual of Wounds

Emerging from the U.S. dark electro and industrial scene, Unter Null presents “The Rise from Ruin [and the Ritual of Becoming]”—a work of emotional exhumation set for release on June 26, 2026. The title itself hints at it: this is not about archiving, but about transformation. “In a way, it feels like reopening old wounds,” says Erica Dunham, “but also as a reminder of how far I’ve come.” What was once pain, anger, and loss is now a reflection of “resilience, growth, and transformation.”

Between Ruin and Realization

She describes the old recordings as “a diary of a very intense period.” Back then, music was “my way of processing everything—pain, disappointment, loss.” Today, she hears not only the hurt but also the growth: “The music hasn’t changed, but I have.” Looking back, she recognizes patterns of self-sacrifice and emotional overload. “I thought I just loved deeply—today I see how much of myself I sacrificed for it.” That, she says, is the true insight behind this release: not nostalgia, but clarity.

The Reality of Being Overwhelmed

This emotional rawness is particularly evident in the lyrics. Speaking about “Destroy Me,” Dunham says, “That came from a very unhealthy relationship where I always gave more than I got back.” It’s not a stark pain, but “erosion—you lose yourself bit by bit.” Looking back, she also describes “Martyr” not as provocation, but as “emotional bleeding.” Not a fantasy of violence, but the feeling of “having lost one’s own boundaries for someone who never saw them.” What’s important to her today is the realization: “Back then, I confused loyalty with self-sacrifice.”

Ritual of Becoming

Looking back, Erica now sees that period as a process: “Music was survival back then.” She couldn’t put many things into words, so she turned them into songs. “Those were the words I couldn’t say in real life.” The subtitle “and the Ritual of Becoming” reflects this transformation: “‘Becoming’ isn’t a moment; it’s a lifelong ritual of loss and new beginnings.” Today, she looks back on that past with compassion: “I would tell my former self: You don’t have to earn love through pain. Trust yourself. You’re stronger than you think.”

Jan Schütz (Meersein)

Lineup:
Erica Dunham – vocals, keyboard
Krz Souls – drums

Watch the video for “Coming up to Breathe”: