Overmono and the Rise of Emotional Electronic Music

Words: Josh Fundafunda

There are certain album covers that almost tell you they are going to be a ten out of ten. When I first saw that vibrant blue sky backing one of the duo’s playful Dobermans, with shiny sheet metal separating the two, I knew I would love this album.

This was my first experience listening to Welsh electronic duo Overmono. I was going in blind, and only a few minutes into the opening track “Feelings Plain”, I was fully on board.

Their music feels nostalgic and futuristic at the same time - a collision of UK garage, breakbeat, deep house and emotional electronic music that somehow manages to sound intimate despite its huge scale.

Much like SAULT’s anonymous British music collective, Overmono’s music thrives on atmosphere, texture and emotional ambiguity rather than obvious commercial formulas.

Who Are Overmono?

The two brothers, Tom and Ed Russell, both had established music careers long before the formation of Overmono.

After coming together to release their first collaborative project in 2016, they have consistently been putting out some of the most exciting electronic music in the UK underground scene.

Individually, their backgrounds lie in gritty techno and harsh drum and bass respectively, but together they bring a much brighter emotional energy to the dancefloor.

"In short, it is a collection of melancholic breakbeat tracks that somehow make you feel euphoric and emotionally devastated at the same time..."

The best way I can describe their sound is bittersweet melancholy. Many of their songs carry an undercurrent of sadness, but the infectious melodies and hypnotic drum loops always manage to pull joy from it.

Now almost a decade into the Overmono project, the brothers have built a solid catalogue of songs and EPs that continue to influence modern UK electronic music.

Going through their discography, you can follow the recurring imagery of their now-iconic Dobermans across the covers of their most creative work.

Why Do Overmono Use Dobermans on Their Album Covers?

The recurring Doberman imagery has become inseparable from Overmono’s identity. Developed alongside long-time visual collaborator Rollo Jackson, the photographs always capture an oddly expressive vulnerability in the dogs that mirrors the emotional tension inside the music itself.

The visuals perfectly match Overmono’s sound - sleek but fragile, aggressive but strangely comforting. Their shorter projects, particularly Everything U Need and Cash Romantic, remain some of the clearest examples of this aesthetic working in harmony with the music.

There is no filler on these releases, just back-to-back electronic tracks packed with emotion, movement and experimentation. They feel like the first stages of a sound Overmono are now beginning to fully pioneer within modern UK dance music.

The emotional intimacy within their production also mirrors the growing movement toward more vulnerable and atmospheric modern music explored throughout the resurgence of jazz in modern music, where texture and mood often matter more than traditional genre boundaries.

Overmono’s Good Lies and the Evolution of Their Sound

That brings us to Good Lies, the duo’s acclaimed full-length album. From what I can tell, this project is Overmono fully solidifying the sound they have been refining for years.

In short, it is a collection of melancholic breakbeat tracks that somehow make you feel euphoric and emotionally devastated at the same time. Sampling plays a huge role in their production style, although much of it is limited to fragmented vocal performances.

Most of the album’s warped synths, droning basslines and intricate percussion are built entirely from the Russell brothers’ own production work.

It speaks to their expertise. Building your own recognisable sonic identity within electronic music is incredibly difficult, but Overmono have achieved it naturally. Much like Budgie’s pioneering production work, their music feels deeply rooted in texture, rhythm and atmosphere rather than obvious spectacle.

Their attention to texture and low-end detail feels particularly suited to intimate listening spaces too, especially as demand grows for venues centred around immersive audio experiences and carefully curated sound systems, much like the rise of modern hi-fi listening bars around the world.

The Best Tracks on Good Lies

The track “Calon” opens with a blisteringly heavy rhythm that feels almost pulled from an Amapiano playlist. Filtered vocal samples and driving kick drums quickly build the energy into a gloomy but strangely uplifting deep-house groove.

Meanwhile, “Sugarushhh” moves in the opposite direction entirely. Besides a few subtle hi-hats, the song is built almost entirely around synth textures, basslines and drifting vocal samples.

It feels less like a conventional song and more like a fully immersive experience.

"Sparse hi-hats, distorted vocal fragments and muddy basslines create hypnotic grooves that feel immersive rather than overwhelming..."

One of the album’s hardest-hitting moments arrives with “Is U”. Thin hi-hats and sharp snare claps establish a cold rhythmic framework before bright synth chords slowly begin to emerge from beneath the surface.

The melodies gradually build and harmonise before exploding outward with an overwhelming rush of emotion.

This constant ebb and flow between melancholy and euphoria is what makes Good Lies so captivating. The pacing never feels repetitive, even during the project’s darker and moodier moments.

Why Overmono Stand Out in Modern Electronic Music

Tracks like “Vermonly” demonstrate just how restrained Overmono can be. Rather than constantly chasing explosive drops or festival-ready climaxes, the duo often pull back at the exact moment listeners expect release.

The result is deeply atmospheric electronic music filled with tension and emotional weight. Sparse hi-hats, distorted vocal fragments and muddy basslines create hypnotic grooves that feel immersive rather than overwhelming.

Thankfully, the album’s final track “Calling Out” delivers a satisfying emotional payoff.

"For listeners searching for electronic music that feels atmospheric, melancholic and genuinely innovative, there are few acts doing it better right now than Overmono..."

Bright synth leads, energetic percussion and soaring vocal samples gradually dissolve into a much softer and more reflective closing melody.

It is this emotional sophistication that separates Overmono from many of their contemporaries. While much electronic music can feel disposable or algorithmically designed, Overmono’s work feels handcrafted and deeply human.

Their genre-blurring approach to sound also shares similarities with boundary-pushing modern artists such as Tirzah and trip9love’s experimental sonic landscapes.

Final Thoughts on Overmono

Overmono are carving out a space for themselves on some of the biggest stages in electronic music without sacrificing the uniqueness of their sound.

Their music manages to feel emotionally vulnerable whilst still functioning perfectly inside clubs and festival spaces - a balance very few electronic artists truly achieve.

It is no surprise that their fanbase continues to grow rapidly, and if their recent single “Blow Out” is anything to go by, the duo are only just entering their creative prime.

For listeners searching for electronic music that feels atmospheric, melancholic and genuinely innovative, there are few acts doing it better right now than Overmono.