Sleepwalk interview: ‘We wanted to redefine the Sleepwalk sound’
Sleepwalk’s Andy Lehmann discusses the Swiss dark electro band’s new album “Dystopia,” released 30 May 2026 on Electro Aggression Records.
When it comes to Sleepwalk, I can’t help feeling a little nostalgic. I’ve been following the band since their very first demo, back when their music was still recorded on cassette tapes. Since their formation in 1992, this Swiss group has built a solid reputation within the international Dark-Electro and EBM scene. What began as a collaboration between Bruno Ruch and Oliver Spring evolved into a distinctive project that left its mark on the genre with albums such as “Door To Insomnia” (1995), “Nibiru” (2012), and “Tempus Vincit Omnia” (2017). With their signature blend of Dark-Electro, Industrial rhythms, ominous soundscapes, and uncompromising energy, Sleepwalk have remained true to their roots while continuing to evolve alongside the genre. Nine years after “Tempus Vincit Omnia”, the band returns with “Dystopia“, a double album that once again turns to the darker recesses of the human psyche. Thoughts, emotions, and human behavior run like a common thread through the fifteen new tracks, which combine Sleepwalk’s familiar Dark-Electro and EBM sound with remarkably accessible melodies. The second disc adds another dimension to the release, featuring a collection of reinterpretations of classic Sleepwalk tracks by prominent artists from the Electro-Industrial scene. With “Dystopia”, Sleepwalk reconnect with their roots, both in terms of their influences and their musical approach. Bruno Ruch and Andreas (Andy) Lehmann have joined forces on this new release, which is out on Electro Aggression Records. It’s been a long wait, but the result is sure to surprise even the most impatient Sleepwalk fans. In my opinion, this could well be their finest work to date, making it the perfect occasion to sit down with Andy Lehmann and talk about the band’s history, the making of “Dystopia”, and the journey that brought Sleepwalk back into the spotlight. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Sleepwalk interview
Q: your latest album, “dystopia”, was released on vinyl last year and is now also available on CD. Above all, however, it arrives after a long period of silence—something we weren’t used to from Sleepwalk. What happened during the eight or nine years following your previous album, “Tempus Vincit Omnia”? To what extent were those years a period of reflection and perhaps even a redefinition of the Sleepwalk project?
Andy: “Dystopia” was finished already in 2023. Due to circumstances beyond our control the release couldn´t happen earlier. The original plan was a release to celebrate the 30th birthday of Sleepwalk. The silence should have been shorter, but it wasn´t meant to be. But apart from that it was clear that we wanted to redefine the Sleepwalk sound, back to the roots with the technical opportunities of today.
Q: when did you start working on “Dystopia”, and what were the various stages you went through to bring the album to fruition?
Andy: We started working on “Dystopia” in 2021. Bruno sent me some demos and it took me a long time to create a vision what the result should sound like. It was a long period of testing some new things, but when I recorded the first vocals it ended in a rush. It was really a pleasure to see every song grow and we felt happy with the results. Arnte (Pyrroline) then provided the finishing touches.
Q: “Dystopia” is a title that seems to reflect our reality today more than ever. What does this concept mean to you, both as individuals and as artists, in a climate where music itself is undergoing major changes due to developments such as AI, algorithms, and increasingly automated forms of creation and consumption? And what exactly did you want to highlight with the title “Dystopia”?
Andy: I began to write the lyrics for “Dystopia” in Corona times. A period where we all had too much time to consume a lot of TV, social media and other disgusting stuff. And some people really went mad. And since then,
nothing has been the same. The world is in a permanent change and not in a good way. “Dystopia” used to be science fiction. But now it feels like we’re living in a dystopian world. That is what I want to express with that
title.
Q: Like many artists in the EBM and Dark-Electro scene, dark and brooding themes continue to serve as a source of inspiration—and I imagine this is no different for Sleepwalk. Given that Sleepwalk has been active for more than 30 years, however, I wonder how your perspective has evolved over the years. Surely you see things differently today than you did as young men in your twenties back in the 1990s?
Andy: Definitely. In the early years inspirations came from stuff like horror and splatter movies. At our last shows we played some really old stuff like “My Revenge” or “Suicide Minds”. Hearing and singing those
old lyrics feels strange, but we stand by the indiscretions of our youth. Today I try to write more in pictures, more complex. Inspiration comes from everything that surrounds us. I try not to limit myself. Image used to be everything; today, I don’t care about it.
Q: Staying with that change in perspective, how do you view the many evolutions within the Electro scene, particularly on the technological front? I imagine that developments in technology have had a considerable
impact on your studio setup and on the way you approach recording, sound design, mixing, mastering, and production in general?
Andy: We use a mix of old and new equipment. It’s always interesting to try out new things and see how they work in the setup. However, developments are moving so fast that it is easy to lose track. Sometimes it’s also worth looking for a sound that ultimately makes the song perfect. I like the fact that there are so many diverse options available these days. The choice is then left up to each individual.
Q: Personally, I consider “Dystopia” to be your best album to date. How do you view the album yourselves? And how critical are you of your own work—and of each other’s contributions?
Andy: Even though we like every album—some more, and others less in retrospect—we agree with you. “Dystopia” feels like the essence of all strengths of Sleepwalk united on one album. We are very critical with ourselves, but fewer with the other. We encourage each other to stick to an idea. We give each other honest feedback. That’s important to work respectful together.
Q: How does the collaboration between the two of you actually work? Do you have clearly defined roles, or is the creative process more fluid? And did anything change or evolve in the way you worked together while composing “Dystopia”?
Andy: Bruno is responsible for the music and I for lyrics, vocals and sometimes samples. That has been working well for years, so we haven’t changed anything.
Q: A word about the “Dystopia” bonus disc. “Interpretations” turned out to be less a collection of remixes—with the exception of three tracks—and more a series of covers or reinterpretations by a wide
range of artists. How did this idea come about? And where do you draw the line between a remix, a
cover, and an interpretation?
Andy: Personally I am not a big friend of remixes, unless they are truly exceptionally good. Somebody, I can´t remember who, asked us if he can do a cover version of one of our songs. We loved that idea. In preparation of our 30th birthday we liked the idea to ask some more friendly bands and projects and then the whole thing took on a life of its own. And if you ask me, the results are great. In my opinion a remix has only fragments of the original song, that could be a melody, a bassline, vocal parts, samples. The original song does not have to be recognizable. A cover should be exactly the original song performed by another artist. An interpretation can contain new elements, maybe an added melody or new lyrics, but should be mostly like the original. That’s it.
Q: How important is the live aspect for Sleepwalk today, and what does your live activity currently look like? After such a long period of relative silence, does performing live still feel like a core part of the project?
Andy: The live aspect is really important. And yes, it feels like a core part of the project. Unfortunately we have not enough opportunities to play live. We would be grateful for inquiries from all over the world.
Q: Finally, what does the near future hold for Sleepwalk? After “Dystopia”, do you already have a clear idea of where you want to take the project next?
Andy: We aren’t worrying about that beforehand. We always do what feels right to us in the moment. We surprise ourselves—and hopefully you, too.
About Sleepwalk
Sleepwalk formed in Bern, Switzerland, in 1992 around Bruno Ruch and Oliver Spring, joined early on by Andreas “Andy” Lehmann. The project released “Immortal Disease” in 1994 and its debut album, “Door To Insomnia”, on Khazad-Dûm in 1995, followed by “Black Diagnose” (1999), “Torture Chamber” (2002) and the compilation “Retrospect 94-96 (The Early Years)” (2003). “Rapid Eye Movement” followed on Scanner in March 2004. Oliver Spring left the band in 2005.
Sleepwalk returned in 2011 with the EP “Revenge Of The Lost”, followed by the concept album “Nibiru” in 2012, both through Scanner. The band signed to Electro Aggression Records for the double album “Tempus Vincit Omnia”, released 3 January 2018 with a bonus disc, “Addendum Est”, carrying four extra Sleepwalk tracks and eleven remixes.
After a Bandcamp-only prelude, “Remakes”, on 11 April 2026, Sleepwalk returned with “Dystopia” on Electro Aggression Records on 30 May 2026: fifteen new tracks by Bruno Ruch and Andy Lehmann, backed by a bonus disc, “Interpretations”, collecting covers and reinterpretations of earlier Sleepwalk material by other Electro-Industrial scene artists, including Pyrroline.
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