I’ve wanted a Subtronics tattoo for years, but couldn’t capture the feeling his music gives me. Then I found the Brainwave Project by master tattoo artist, Okan Uckun, co-creator of Monolith Studios in Brooklyn, NY. I seized the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visualize the experience of listening to Subtronics with a fine-line tattoo of my brainwaves. So that’s how I got my feelings while listening to “O.P.U.S.” tattooed on my forearm by the same artist Subtronics uses!
What is the Brainwave Project?
Okan Uckun researched his Brainwave Project over six years to design software that utilizes an electroencephalogram (EEG) to translate brainwaves into fine-line images. The EEG’s electrodes pick up electrical pulses from the brain and record the data. Brainwave technology can be used in more ways than just music. One can use an EEG while kissing your lover, visualizing a beloved memory, or even eating your favorite food!
There are five types of brainwaves of varying frequencies linked to different types of brain activity.
- Delta (0.5-4 Hz): Deep sleep, subconscious processes
- Theta (4-8 Hz): Creativity, imagination, meditation
- Alpha (8-12 Hz): Calmness, mindfulness, inner balance
- Beta (12-30 Hz): Focus, concentration, mental activity
- Gamma (30+ Hz): Complex thinking, expanded awareness
Uckun created four tattoo templates for the EEG readings, allowing him to capture brainwaves continuously throughout the listening experience. The brainwaves integrate into the artistic templates in a variety of designs and waves. The tattoo collector chooses the final design from several options generated during the listening experience. This ensures each tattoo design is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the tattoo artist, the collector, and the musician.
My Brainwave Process
Uckun helped me get prepped and answered my questions before putting the EEG on me. I listened to “O.P.U.S.” three times. During the first play, I was surprised to feel the machine working. When I evoked a strong emotion, I felt the frequencies pulsing from the machine, like a flickering buzzing sensation on the forehead.
Once I got used to the feeling from the EEG, the second and third listens were more comfortable. My body knew what to expect, and I fully immersed myself to feel the music. I kept my eyes closed and surrendered my mind to the experience.
The process felt highly emotional since “O.P.U.S.” has deep meaning to me. It was a strangely intimate experience to show my raw emotion in front of someone I had only briefly met before. Uckun showed care and understanding, bringing me tissues and giving me space, while generating the digital designs of my brainwaves.
Out of the four brainwave designs, I was immediately drawn to the circle. Uckun is known for his master technique in fine-line work, which requires ultimate precision to successfully tattoo on skin that curves and stretches without noticeable imperfections. Tattooing a perfect circle is a challenge, but it seems second-nature to him.
“The circle design used in the tattoo is one of my favorite designs,” Uckun explained. “It represents time. The bold line at the center symbolizes the present moment. The thinner lines around it represent the past. Some of those lines fall outside the comfort zone, while others stay within it—some reflect mistakes, others reflect truths. But no matter what the past holds, it all contributes to who we are at our best in the present. The circle is a symbol of that—it represents the self.”
My Brainwave Meaning
My circular brainwave tattoo represents the ongoing process of overcoming felt from the music of “O.P.U.S.” While some obstacles are external, others are invented by my own mind. There’s no start or end for the journey of becoming who you are, represented by the circle. The design honors my past, present, and future self with gratitude.
When I listen to “O.P.U.S” during the buildup, I feel each heartbreak, every loss, and all of the grief that comes with being human. There were times I didn’t believe I would survive the immense pain I experienced, and couldn’t envision a future with me in it. But when I listen and I close my eyes, I see my entire life flash before my eyes; I feel the drop all at once!
During the second half of the drop, my energy changes. I feel myself stepping into my power; I envision the life I want for myself and feel empowered to create it. My feelings illuminate the hope I held onto subconsciously in my darkest moments, and I’m overcome with gratitude. I remember how strong I am, and always have been, even when I wasn’t able to feel it. What an honor it is to be there for myself, to witness and embrace every version of her.
I even reached out to Subtronics for his reaction to the Brainwave Project. “I think that is so incredibly beautiful, and honestly, it’s so touching to hear one of the ways this could be interpreted,” Subtronics shared. “It really is powerful the way the art can almost communicate like that. For me, “O.P.U.S.” came from a flow state, a place of expressing my current emotions and following what was pulling on my heartstrings as I was experimenting.”
Raving has been one of the most transformative, healing experiences of my life. Dancing offers the freedom to transform feelings through movement and alchemize the emotions the physical body may be holding onto. The body keeps score, but the dancefloor is the best place to shed the heaviness of the world. Similarly, my new brainwave tattoo is an experience of mind-body connection, bringing movement from inside my mind to the outward ink on my body. Pain and emotion are transformed into living art.
The tattoo session lasted about three hours, with a handful of intermissions to play with Madonna (Uckun’s dog). I am ecstatic about the final result of the tattoo and wear it with pride.
Beyond The Ink: A Word With The Artists
Shae McCormack: The concept behind Brainwave is truly unique—it introduces a whole new perspective to tattooing. What originally inspired this project?
Okan Uckun: Honestly, it started with a simple question: What if a tattoo could come directly from the mind, without any filters? I’ve always been fascinated by the invisible forces around us—emotion, thought, energy. The Brainwave project was born out of this curiosity. I wanted to create something that wasn’t just about visuals but about presence, capturing a raw moment from someone’s inner world and turning it into a permanent form on the skin.
This isn’t just a design. It’s a physical imprint of a personal mental state. Every wave has meaning, making each tattoo truly one of a kind.
SM: Can you walk us through the process of bringing Brainwave to life—from idea to execution?
OU: It took time and a lot of trial and error. We used EEG technology to scan the brain’s electrical activity while the person was in a specific emotional state—listening to music, meditating, or even thinking of a memory. That data was then visualized in real time and turned into a generative form. But I didn’t want it to just be a graph—I interpreted that wave and transformed it into something timeless. A shape that holds weight, even without context.
SM: Had you listened to Subtronics before working on this project? What were your impressions of his music?
OU: Subtronics and I actually met years ago, but to be honest, I listened to his music for the very first time just a few hours before tattooing him. Dubstep wasn’t a genre I followed closely, so I wasn’t familiar with his work until my studio manager told me who he was and that I had to listen. When I first heard it, it felt pretty intense compared to the music I normally listen to, but over time, I really started to enjoy it.
One of the most amazing experiences was during our first collaboration. I had the chance to listen to his entire Fractals album before it was released, and I created individual designs inspired by each track. Every morning, I would start the day by listening to one of his songs and try to translate how it made me feel into a tattoo design. It was a special process, almost like interpreting sound into form.
SM: Subtronics creates what many describe as maximalist bass music, while your tattoo style leans toward minimalism. How do you express more through less?
OU: I’ve always believed that what you leave out is just as important as what you include. Minimalism isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing only what’s essential. With tattoos, especially, the skin does a lot of the talking. One fine line in the right place can feel louder than a page full of details. So when paired with something as maximal as Subtronics’ music, it creates a beautiful contrast—two extremes coming together to make something balanced.
SM: What was it like collaborating with Subtronics? Any moments from the experience that stand out?
OU: Working with him has been amazing. We first collaborated for the Fractals album, and then again during the Antifractals Tour. We even worked on a few merch designs together. I have to say, both he and his team have been incredibly respectful and thoughtful when it comes to working with artists. Everyone was great, and through that collaboration, I had the chance to meet so many wonderful people and new tattoo collectors.
I look forward to doing more projects together in the future.
SM: What’s one song—by any artist—that hits you on every level, all at once?
OU: If I had to choose just one song, I think the soundtrack of my life would be “Passenger” by Deftones featuring Maynard James Keenan. I feel everything that belongs to me in that song—every emotion, every memory. It captures something so deep and personal, it almost feels like it was written from my own experience.
SM: Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share about the Brainwave project—creatively or emotionally?
OU: I think this is just the beginning. Brainwave has reminded me that tattoos can go even deeper. We live in a time where technology and art are merging in ways we’ve never seen before. But the goal isn’t to impress, it’s to connect. I hope that Brainwave inspires people to think about tattoos not just as designs, but as experiences. Stories told through frequency. And I’m excited to continue exploring that.
SM: Thanks for everything, Okan!
