Formed in Utrecht in 1997, Black Sun Empire brings together Rene Verdult and brothers Micha and Milan Heyboer. Milan and Micha met Verdult at school when they were about 15; after he showed them how to produce with a computer and synthesiser, the three began making music together. Their early productions drew on techno, breakbeats and trip-hop before the group moved into drum and bass, taking inspiration from Ed Rush & Optical, Dillinja and Photek.
The trio’s sound is associated with neurofunk and techstep, as well as dark, driving drum and bass. Their first single, The Rat / B'Negative, came out in 2002, followed by the album Driving Insane in 2004. Cruel & Unusual arrived in 2005, with Endangered Species following in 2007. The track “Arrakis” later featured in a trailer for the game EVE Online.
Black Sun Empire released Lights and Wires in 2010 and From the Shadows in 2012; the latter received strong critical and commercial success. The group’s work has included collaborations with Noisia and Foreign Beggars, as well as the 2014 EP Hideous Remixes with Noisia. In 2015, Black Sun Empire joined State of Mind for the EP Until the World Ends. The group’s 2017 album The Wrong Room features Pythius, State of Mind, Audio and Prolix.
The trio operates Black Sun Empire Recordings, Obsessions and Blackout Music NL. Blackout Music was created to bring the group’s activities under one roof and concentrate on a sound the members wanted to pursue. Their later releases include the 2019 single Obsolete [UKF10], the 2022 single Savage Planet with State of Mind and the 2023 single Omnivore (Black Sun Empire Remix). In 2025, Black Sun Empire released the single Twain Wolves (Black Sun Empire Remix) with Burr Oak and the single Tremor on Blackout Music NL.
