XS NOIZE are very, very excited to premiere the latest dazzling new single release, “Empty Handed” from London synthpop group, Empathy Test, released on Friday 24th May.
“Empty Handed” follows 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.”
“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 synthesiser 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 synthesisers 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.
Empathy Test is childhood friends Isaac Howlett (vocals and songwriting) and Adam Relf (production and composition). They perform live with the help of Christina Lopez (live drums) and Samuel Winter-Quick (live keyboards). This June, they tour the UK with Canadian Post Punk band Actors and in September, North America, with Industrial Pop act Aesthetic Perfection. They will also be appearing at selected festivals in Europe. All dates below.
“Empty-handed” will be self-released in digital and CD formats on 20th June 2019, with B-side “A River Loves a Stone” and remixes by ex-Black City Lights producer TRAAPS and LA artist and producer Ari Mason, plus the band’s customary 7” vinyl picture disc format, all of which can be pre-ordered right now from Empathy Test’s Bandcamp.
Listen to “Empty Handed” – BELOW:
Empathy Test Tour dates
Info & tickets: https://www.empathytest.com/shows
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
Be the first to comment