23rd May 2019 - UK Electronic-Pop band EMPATHY TEST is pleased to announce the release of their limited edition EP, EMPTY-HANDED
Availble on limited edition digipack CD, 7" vinyl and digital formats on 20th June!
Following the success of double A-side single, "Holy Rivers / Incubation Song", which has racked up over 150,000 streams on Spotify since its October release and was praised by Clash Music for its “shimmering synths, glacial electronics, and heartrending vocals”, London synthpop group EMPATHY TEST returns with a second, tantalising taste of their upcoming third album, in the form of new single "Empty-Handed.”
Track List:
1. Empty-handed
2. A River Loves a Stone
3. Empty-handed (TRAAPS Remix)
4. A River Loves a Stone (Ari Mason Remix)
Empty-Handed presents another sonic leap forward for a band that has never been one to tread water when it comes to their sound, presenting a harder, darker style whilst simultaneously tipping their proverbial hat to the Synthwave scene that helped launch their career back in 2014. An arpeggiated synthesizer provides a relentless momentum from the get-go, while the deceptively simple composition gradually builds to its epic conclusion.
Opening line, “My heart is an empty vessel / Drifting out to sea” sets the tone both lyrically and emotionally. It’s about being unable to give a partner the emotional support or commitment they need and the feeling of emptiness that comes with that. As always, Empathy Test delivers a perfect marriage of music and emotion, the sudden flourishes of strings and synthesizers rushing past like spirits in the night.
There’s a sense of urgency here that has not been present previously, as well as an innate confidence that suggests the third album, which comes after the simultaneous release of two debut albums Losing Touch (Remastered) and Safe From Harm in November 2017 and is slated for release in early September, might just be the band’s most accomplished to date."
UK tour with Actors
June 20, 2019 - Trillians - Newcastle
June 21, 2019 - Voodoo Rooms - Edinburgh
June 22, 2019 - Ivory Blacks - Glasgow
June 23, 2019 - FAC251 - Manchester
June 26, 2019 - Maze - Nottingham
June 27, 2019 - Esquires - Bedford
June 28, 2019 - Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton
June 29, 2019 - O2 Academy Islington - London
June 30, 2019 - Exchange - Bristol
Festivals
June 09, 2019 Wave Gotik Treffen, Germany
Aug 11, 2019 Mera Luna, Germany
Aug 15, 2019 W-Festival, Belgium
North American tour with Aesthetic Perfection
Sept 06, 2019 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA
Sept 07, 2019 - Club Red - Mesa, AZ
Sept 08, 2019 - Rock House - El Paso, TX
Sept 12, 2019 - Amp Room - San Antonio, TX
Sept 13, 2019 - Elysium - Austin, TX
Sept 14, 2019 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
Sept 15, 2019 - The Church - Dallas, TX
Sept 17, 2019 - The Goat - New Orleans, LA
Sept 18, 2019 - Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA
Sept 19, 2019 - The 926 Bar - Tallahassee, FL
Sept 20, 2019 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
Sept 21, 2019 - Will’s - Orlando, FL
Sept 24, 2019 - The Milestone - Charlotte, NC
Sept 25, 2019 - Fallout - Richmond, VA
Sept 26, 2019 - Dangerous Pies - Washington, DC
Sept 27, 2019 - Voltage Lounge - Philadelphia, PA
Sept 28, 2019 - The Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY
Sept 29, 2019 - ONCE Ballroom - Boston, MA
Sept 30, 2019 - Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY
Oct 01, 2019 - Coalition - Toronto, ON
Oct 02, 2019 - Howlers - Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 03, 2019 - The Event Center - Cincinnati, OH
Oct 04, 2019 - Small’s - Detroit, MI
Oct 05, 2019 - Reggie’s - Chicago, IL
Oct 06, 2019 - Club Anything - Milwaukee, WI
Oct 07, 2019 - Warehouse - LaCrosse, WI
Oct 08, 2019 - Red Sea Lounge - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 09, 2019 - Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
Oct 11, 2019 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
Oct 12, 2019 - Area 51 - Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 14, 2019 - Pub 340 - Vancouver, BC
Oct 15, 2019 - Highline - Seattle, WA
Oct 16, 2019 - Paris Theater - Portland, OR
Oct 18, 2019 - Brick and Mortar - San Francisco, CA
Oct 19, 2019 - Lodge Room - Los Angeles, CA
Biography
Since Empathy Test’s conception in January 2013, the independent London electronic pop duo has produced two stunning, four-track EPs and a steady stream of memorable singles which have won them both critical acclaim and a legion of dedicated fans worldwide. Their unique brand of cinematic synth pop has been featured by the likes of Vice, Netflix, HBO, MTV, XFM, KCRW, BBC Introducing, Clash, Idolator, Earmilk, PopMatters and many more.
In 2017, the band began a crowd funding campaign to fund the self-release of two debut albums, ‘Losing Touch’ and ‘Safe From Harm’. The PledgeMusic campaign was 661% funded and the band raised over £26K to release the two albums via digital, CD and vinyl formats. To date, Empathy Test has sold nearly 1,500 copies of each album on CD and 300 on vinyl.
After touring extensively in Europe and beyond, Empathy Test released the first taste of their forthcoming third album (set for release in September 2019) in October 2018, in the form of a new double a-side single Holy Rivers / Incubation Song. Clash Music wrote that the new material, featuring "shimmering synths, glacial electronics, and heartrending vocals", illuminated the band's "potent creativity".
Empathy Test are childhood friends Isaac Howlett (vocals) and Adam Relf (production). Isaac performs their songs live with the help of Christina Lopez (drums) and Samuel Winter-Quick (keyboards).
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