For the last decade, Copenhagen’s underground club circuit has, like many other global cities, been dominated by techno. It was the sound of urban decline, its industrial warehouse spaces-turned-venues offering an escape from late-stage capitalism through frenetic polyrhythms and otherworldly textures. But, as ever, the wheel keeps on turning, and today’s youth are seeking a new soundtrack to their now global-facing, digital existence.
“What’s interesting about Copenhagen’s music scene right now is how many different styles and backgrounds are shaping the direction things are taking,” Sebastian Gabe, Thinh T. Petrus Nguyen, Šarūnas Kilius and Roserne Sonne tell Dazed, who founded the new Unearth club night in 2023 in response to the changes they saw taking place in the Danish underground. “There’s a broader palette, with references from around the world being recontextualised through a local lens.”
From psychedelic DJ and Yung Lean’s Sad Boys alumni Gud, to the eccentric funk sonics of local Danish DJ G2G, to the emotive, diasporic samples of Denmark-born, Korean DJ Ryong, a key dichotomy underpins Unearth’s club nights: hyperglobal in its inspirations, but hyperlocal in its relevance. Where the previous techno scene primarily took inspiration from their bleak Scandinavian surroundings, Unearth celebrates a new wave of diverse global voices within Copenhagen’s sonic landscape.
“We felt there was a need for community, a place where we could come together around these new sounds and ideas,” says team Unearth of their reasons for founding the club night. “The inspiration came from music around the world, but the identity has always been anchored in Copenhagen – this global-local exchange is at the core of what we do.”
These global inspirations are writ large across Unearth’s primarily post-2000s, net native crowd. From OG Drain Gang merch to internet-adjacent ‘opium couture’, replete with pink wrist warmers and baby blue tactical vests, attendees draw on the visual influences of artists like Snow Strippers and Surf Gang. Both visually and sonically, Unearth is a far cry from the industrial techno scene of years gone by.
Take a look at the gallery above for a deeper look inside Unearth’s sonic revolution.