​Frontal Boundary: ‘Hollow’ Explores Emotional Turmoil Through Industrial Collaboration

Frontal Boundary, a dark electro trio based in Los Angeles, has steadily gained traction in the industrial music scene for its emotionally charged compositions and aggressive electronic production. Originally conceived as a solo project, the group has developed into a collaborative effort marked by a more refined and layered sound. Their latest release, ‘Hollow,’ a joint single with established act Unter Null, marks a significant milestone in the band’s creative trajectory.

Released in March 2025 through Remission Entertainment, ‘Hollow’ arrives at a time of renewed interest in industrial and electronic subgenres, particularly those addressing themes of psychological unrest and technological alienation. The single combines high-intensity rhythms with introspective lyrical content, placing it in conversation with broader cultural concerns around mental health and personal identity. As industrial music finds new relevance in contemporary discourse, Frontal Boundary’s work positions them as one of the genre’s more notable emerging voices.

Artist Biography and Musical Journey

Frontal Boundary began in 2002 as the solo project of Brendin Ross, who initially used the moniker as an outlet for personal expression through instrumental electronic music. The project remained largely under the radar until the release of ‘NeverEnding’ in 2008, a self-produced demo that introduced Ross’s foundational sound—minimalist yet emotionally driven compositions that hinted at darker thematic undertones. After a period of dormancy, Ross returned in 2012 with ‘Electronic Warfare,’ an album that reflected both his evolving production skills and a more direct engagement with personal hardship. The album drew from his experiences with grief and emotional struggle, establishing the project’s signature focus on psychological depth layered over aggressive sound design.

The project took a new direction in 2019 with the addition of vocalist Krz Souls. This collaboration shifted Frontal Boundary from a one-man studio project to a performance-ready act. Their first release as a duo, ‘The Fall’ (2021), received attention for its atmospheric tension and expanded vocal range, earning them a modest but growing following within the dark electronic community. In 2023, synth programmer and producer Jaysen Craves joined the lineup, completing the current trio and adding further complexity to their live and recorded sound.

This newly solidified lineup culminated in the release of ‘Shutting Down’ in 2024, an album that broadened their stylistic range while continuing to explore emotionally charged themes. The album was noted for its blend of cinematic introspection and rhythmic aggression, signaling the group’s readiness to move beyond the underground circuit. With each release, Frontal Boundary has refined its aesthetic while remaining rooted in the emotional and thematic concerns that first defined Ross’s early work. The collaboration with Unter Null on ‘Hollow’ represents the latest step in that evolution, underscoring the group’s increasing relevance in the wider industrial and electronic music scenes.

‘Hollow’: A Visceral Portrait of Collapse and Catharsis

Released on March 27, 2025, ‘Hollow’ presents a notable collaboration between Frontal Boundary and Unter Null, one of the most respected names in the aggrotech and industrial music scenes. The single is both a continuation of Frontal Boundary’s thematic focus on emotional turbulence and a refinement of their sound, combining high-tempo beats, distorted synths, and layered vocals into a cohesive, club-ready track with a darker emotional core.

‘Hollow’ is centered on the emotional residue left by personal conflict, grief, and internal collapse. In a statement accompanying the release, Brendin Ross explained the song’s conceptual framework: “Years of heartache, depression, betrayal, love, animosity, passion—the good times and the bad—all accumulate into one thing: sound.” The track’s lyrics do not merely reference emotional hardship; they structure it as a kind of sonic architecture, using repetition, noise, and intensity as expressions of psychological fatigue and resilience.

From a production standpoint, ‘Hollow’ is tightly constructed, with precise sequencing and vocal layering that reflect the experience and technical skill of both acts involved. The addition of Unter Null brings a distinctive sonic counterbalance, complementing Frontal Boundary’s emotional delivery with sharper, more abrasive textures. The overall sound is aggressive yet polished, situating the track within the aggrotech tradition while demonstrating an awareness of contemporary production standards common in darkwave and post-industrial music.

The accompanying video, directed by Christopher Lee Trueman, extends the song’s thematic concerns into a visual language of distortion and duality. Using mirrored imagery, flickering digital overlays, and claustrophobic framing, the video depicts fractured identities and internal dissonance, reinforcing the song’s central themes of psychological fragmentation. The aesthetic references to digital decay and reflection position ‘Hollow’ within broader artistic conversations about self-perception in the digital age, where identity is often filtered, mediated, and splintered.

The release includes remixes by influential artists such as Rotersand and Leæther Strip, further situating ‘Hollow’ within a network of well-regarded voices in the scene. These remixes not only extend the track’s reach but also underscore its versatility, allowing it to move fluidly between different corners of the electronic music landscape—from dancefloor settings to more introspective listening spaces.

Viewed in full, ‘Hollow’ marks a focused and confident step forward for Frontal Boundary, sharpening their blend of emotional weight and aggressive sound. Rather than shifting direction, the track refines their core identity into a form that feels both more polished and more direct than ever before.

Resonating with Fans and Critics Alike

‘Hollow’ has received a largely positive response from both critics and listeners, with praise centering on the track’s emotional intensity, collaborative strength, and technical execution. Within the industrial and dark electronic music communities, the single has been described as a standout release, signaling Frontal Boundary’s growing credibility as a force within the genre. Its reception reflects the duo’s increasing ability to balance accessibility with thematic depth, drawing in new audiences while maintaining their appeal among long-time fans of the scene.

​Critics have commended the collaboration between Frontal Boundary and Unter Null on ‘Hollow,’ highlighting the seamless integration of Frontal Boundary’s melodic elements with Unter Null’s intense, rhythmic complexity. Reviews have praised the track’s robust structure and sincere lyrics, positioning it as a pivotal addition to Frontal Boundary’s discography. The production quality, characterized by precise sequencing and emotionally resonant vocal layering, is frequently cited as evidence of the group’s artistic maturity and the positive impact of its current lineup.

The combined critical and audience response to ‘Hollow’ indicates that the track not only meets genre expectations but exceeds them in areas of emotional complexity and production quality. For Frontal Boundary, the reception serves as a validation of their current creative direction and a clear indication that their evolving sound is in alignment with the interests of a discerning, international audience.

Industrial Music’s Past and Present

To understand the cultural weight of ‘Hollow,’ it is essential to place Frontal Boundary within the broader continuum of industrial and dark electro music—a genre that has long served as a medium for expressing social anxiety, psychological unrest, and the friction between humanity and technology. Emerging in the late 1970s with acts like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, industrial music was conceived as a transgressive response to mainstream aesthetics, employing mechanical noise, experimental structures, and confrontational themes. Over the decades, it expanded to include subgenres like electro-industrial, EBM (Electronic Body Music), and aggrotech, each evolving in tandem with shifts in cultural mood and technological progress.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the scene began to embrace more polished production styles and emotionally driven content, particularly as digital audio workstations and online platforms allowed independent artists greater creative control and distribution reach. It was within this shifting landscape that Frontal Boundary first emerged, initially as a solo outlet for personal expression and eventually as a group reflecting the genre’s transformation toward melodic complexity and introspective themes.

Los Angeles, the band’s home base, has historically played a significant role in shaping the sound and visibility of industrial and electronic subcultures in North America. Home to influential clubs, festivals, and labels, the city offers a fertile ground for acts navigating the border between underground credibility and wider recognition. In this environment, Frontal Boundary has contributed to a local scene that blends traditional industrial aesthetics—abrasive sound design, cybernetic imagery, themes of alienation—with newer concerns such as identity fragmentation, digital disorientation, and emotional trauma.

The band’s thematic focus aligns with a broader cultural moment in which music is increasingly used to articulate personal and collective experiences of instability. With ‘Hollow,’ Frontal Boundary taps into a lineage of music that not only confronts discomfort but does so with a calculated intensity. Their work stands as part of a larger generational movement within dark electronic music—one that seeks to blend the cathartic violence of sound with the nuance of emotional narrative. In doing so, they reflect both the historical trajectory of the genre and its continued relevance in a digitally fractured world.

Conclusion

Frontal Boundary’s ‘Hollow’ arrives at a defining moment for industrial music—one in which the genre’s hard-edged legacy is being reshaped by emotional transparency, personal storytelling, and a renewed cultural relevance. The single’s raw intensity, shaped in collaboration with Unter Null, reflects a movement toward music that confronts inner chaos with structure and purpose. It is this fusion of confessional depth and sonic precision that sets the track apart, positioning Frontal Boundary not only as a rising force within the dark electronic scene but as a band responding meaningfully to the complexities of the present cultural landscape.

Their growing body of work signals a clear intent to move beyond the constraints of genre while remaining grounded in its foundational influences, shaping a sound that balances emotional weight with technical precision. ‘Hollow’ clearly demonstrates what industrial music can achieve when it leans into both vulnerability and innovation—offering not only a reflection of internal disarray but also a compelling reminder of the human voice within a fractured, noise-saturated world.

We invite readers to share their reflections on ‘Hollow’ and the music of Frontal Boundary. Have their songs accompanied you through difficult moments, inspired creative work, or left a lasting impression at a live show? Join the conversation in the comments below and tell us how this band’s journey resonates with your own.