When the Utrecht-based trio of Rene Verdult and brothers Micha and Milan Heyboer chose their artist alias, they couldn’t have known it would manifest itself as a destiny to be fulfilled. But for Black Sun Empire, their title has become their fate. Known to many as the leaders of the harder, heavier and more experimental end of drum & bass, Black Sun Empire has grown into more than an artist project. Now Black Sun Empire and its offshoot, Blackout, is a record label and events empire with a reach that stretches across the globe and has seen its three-man namesake spearhead a whole generation of new artists.

Black Sun Empire began making music together in 1993, but it wasn’t until drum & bass reached its peak in the mid-‘90s that the trio truly found their footing. In that formative period, Black Sun Empire drew heavy inspiration from the darker side of the genre, a movement pioneered by London-based imprints like No U Turn, Grooverider’s Prototype Recordings and Ed Rush & Optical’s Virus label. By the time the Internet revolution opened a path for non-UK drum & bass acts to be fully embraced by the scene, Black Sun Empire had perfected their craft and began to deliver a distinct and different sound that they could truly call their own.