The_Empath – Black Hole (Album – Audiophob)
Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, IDM,Experimental.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Mike Erkau started dealing with Electronic music in 1993. Thirty years later he can look back at different productions and now strikes back with his first new studio album since 2015. “Black Hole” also is his debut album on Audiophob. As the title might indicate it’s a conceptual work which took many years for the artist to achieve.
Content: The_Empath invites the listener to a ‘retro-futuristic’ Electronic travel. The Ambient-Electro side is the guiding line through the album which has been mixed with contemporary IDM influences. More than once I got the sensation listening to the fictive mix of Tangerine Dream and Clock DVA. The work is however driven through an impressive astral dimension reinforcing the concept of the ‘black hole’. Heimstatt Yipotash, =mp45= and Mortaja contributed each to 1 track.
+ + + : This album sounds as an impressive come back. It took years for The_Empath to achieve this work but it sounds as a true accomplishment. The tracks are characterized by total sound intelligence; the mix of vintage sound treatments reinforcing the ‘astral’ dimension of the work and IDM parts. The work sounds complex and yet easily accessible. The addition of rhythms even bring some tracks into dance. The work reveals different great songs but you can’t get away from “Lost Your Cygnal” and “Hypernova”.Last but not least I also want to say a word about the artistic digipak (DVD format).
– – – : I don’t see true minus points here.
Conclusion: The concept of this album remains a true mystery which never stops fascinating scientists. This feeling has been perfectly adapted into great music.
Best songs: “Lost Your Cygnal”, “Hypernova”, “Southern, Hemisphere”, “Utopia with =Mp45=,” “Ergosphere – with Mortaja”.
Rate: 9.
Artist: www.subroom.com / www.facebook.com/the.empath.music
Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob
About The_Empath
The_Empath is a solo project of German musician Mike Erkau, who started making electronic music in 1993. He is also involved with the projects Trackologists, Cosmic Noise Crew and Stimulus Response, and worked as a VJ with XABEC between 2005 and 2015, including a performance at Maschinenfest 2008 in Krefeld.
“Black Hole” is The_Empath’s first new studio album in eight years. In a Side-Line interview, Erkau said the concept originated in 2016 from collaborations with musicians he met at festivals, and that the album’s darker material, including “Lost Your Cygnal” and “Ergosphere,” was shaped by personal events between 2020 and 2022. “Black Hole” is his debut release on Audiophob.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
