Sonic Cult Biography

Founded in the early 1990s by guitarist Øssi Wika, Sonic Cult was an alternative hard rock project blending industrial metal with the psychedelic edge of 70s hard rock. Conceived as Wika’s response to the shifting musical and cultural landscape of the time, the project was a deeply personal exploration of new directions in sound and songwriting. Although it never evolved beyond a series of 4-track demo recordings, Sonic Cult captured Wika’s creative energy during a transformative era.

Backstory

Sonic Cult began in Trondheim while Øssi was pursuing a degree in musicology. Financing his studies by giving guitar lessons, he was introduced (by his students) to a much harder style of music than he had previously been exposed to. This genre shift inspired Wika to channel those influences into Sonic Cult, crafting a sound that was both raw and experimental, reflecting the turbulence of the early 90s music scene.

After relocating to Oslo in 1995, Øssi attempted to reestablish the project. From his crude home studio setup based on an AKAI S1100 sampler and an ATARI 1040ST running Emagic Notator (later known as Logic), he recorded a three-track demo in his home studio. The drum tracks were recorded in a professional studio owned by Tore Ylwizaker. Despite these efforts, securing the resources to move the project forward proved challenging, and Sonic Cult eventually fell dormant.

Upcoming Release

Today, Øssi is revisiting the original Trondheim and Oslo demos, re-recording and reimagining the music with modern production tools while preserving its raw intensity and experimental spirit. This revival offers a long-awaited glimpse into a body of work that has remained unheard for decades and signals a new chapter for Sonic Cult.