Empathy Test - Safe From Harm | Losing Touch

It is safe to say that the British electropop duo Empathy Test have won over fans and critics alike since they began their musical career with Losing Touch. The debut album blended elements of 80s melodic pop, New Wave grooves, alongside atmospheric synths that swept the hearts of listeners all across the globe. We at Brutal Resonance were caught smitten by the duo when their second EP Throwing Stones was released just a few months later awarding the EP a legendary 10 out of 10 whereupon Kjetil Haugen stated, "No words can justify how good this duo from London really is," citing production values, artwork, music, and vocals were nothing less than amazing. While everyone was clamoring for more music from Empathy Test aside from the Throwing Stones Remixed album, Empathy Test would not return until nearly two years later with a double sided single. 

Demons | Seeing Stars were the first two songs release by Empathy Test leading up to this release. When I first heard Demons I fell in love with these gentlemen all over again - these were and still are songs that could make a grown man cry. Whereupon their older material was a touch darker and gloomier, Demons | Seeing Stars carved the way for a brighter, uplifting sound that had me blasting it as a detox in my car on my way home from a stressful day of work. A string of brilliant singles continued to follow as Empathy furthered their musical journey including By My Side, Bare My Soul, and Everything Will Work Out. 

However, with both members of the band understanding their maturation and technical mastery of electronic music and themselves, Empathy Test decided to dish out a double whammy. Rather than releasing a single debut album, Empathy Test went back through each of their well crafted songs and remastered them for a full on re-release that made me feel like THIS was the first time I've discovered Empathy Test. 

Hitting the play button on Losing Touch (not to be confused with their EP of the same name) reminded me of the mastery and excellence Empathy Test achieved three years ago with their two debut EPs, but also showed me how far they have come since then. The remastered song on Losing Touch such as 'Kirrilee', 'Last Night On Earth' and the title song have never sounded better and I won't complain about this. Even the aforementioned Demons - arguably my favorite song from Empathy Test - has gotten a facelift for the re-release. It goes to show that Empathy Test is always moving and always pushing themselves to greater heights and limits. 

Losing Touch also sees two never before seen songs come into play titled 'Siamese' and 'Sleep'. These songs were initially recorded back in 2015 but are seeing the light of day now, and what a perfect time to reveal them to the world. They do not sound out of place on Losing Touch and fit right within the dream-world Empathy Test gently guides each and every listener through. 

After giving Losing Touch a thorough listening, I took a deep breath as I entered Safe From Harm. This amount of perfect should not exist in one gigantic package but Empathy Test makes it so. Starting off with a remastered version of the dream-pop masterpiece 'Bare My Soul', I journeyed through an impeccable array of electropop filtered through gorgeous textures and ideal rhythms. Safe From Harm sees a couple of more remastered songs such as 'Seeing Stars', 'Vampire Town' amongst others but just as with Losing Touch listening to these songs was just as - if not, more - pleasant than the first time I discovered Empathy Test. 

You can hear the difference in Empathy Test's newer songs such as 'Everything Will Work Out', 'Trampoline', and 'All It Takes'. A certain amount of ambiance always flows through the songs keeping the songs in a soft state of Heaven that's rooted to the ground. It goes without saying that the vocals present within the album are the best that has come from Empathy Test thus far; they're focused, moving, and just as blissful as the music side of the album. Seeing a voice as an instrument is a rarity for me, but when I listen to Empathy Test I can only find myself allured by this voice as I would any sound coming from a synthesizer, guitar, or digitally crafted work. 

There has been a ton of blood, sweat, and dedication put into this double release that I can only begin to imagine. Perhaps it's Isaac and Adam's childhood bond they've kept all these years and the understanding of one another that comes from it that allows Empathy Test to be made of pure magic. Whatever it is it is not something that I can rightfully fathom. Their hard work and dedication has paid off big time. Together they have created not only what will probably be the best release of the year, but also one of the best releases I have ever heard in my entire life. Empathy Test is legendary. 


Nov 14 2017