the_empath - Black Hole [Audiophob 042]

Coming in from the long-standing Audiophob label these days is "Black Hole", the latest full length album conceived by Mike Erkau a.k.a. the_empath who's been active in the electronic music scene under this moniker since 1999. Released on April 21st, 2k23 the new album, housed in a beautiful DVD-format casing, provides a new load of ten new tracks rolled out over a total runtime of 63 minutes, all of them more or less space-themed in terms of their titles which conceptually runs well with the sonic approach presented by the_empath who, starting with the opener "Darkstar", a collaboration effort with Heimstatt Yipotash, explores as a somewhat retrofuturist, yet thrilling universe defined by sci-fi-leaning ChillOut and Space Ambient, deep, floating and playful Electro structures, dark'ish, yet highly atmospheric Deep Listening Music as well as panoramic arrangements for advanced late night dancefloors ("Lost Your Cygnal"), cascading Ambient ("Star Cradle"), tender and dreamy IDM arrangements ("Hypernova") and even some large scale romanticisms for star rises observed on planets far far away ("Southern Hemisphere"). One for dedicated space lovers, fans of the legendary former German TV program HR3 Spacenight and x or avid collectors of slightly retrofuturist Ambient x Synth music.