THE EMPATHY EXAMS

INFO Ghent (B), May 1995. Arne™s band Kosjer D are up on stage, opening for the legendary Fugazi at a sold out Vooruit Ballroom. Dieter™s right there in the front, navigating the mosh pit. Ghent (B), April 1996. Dieter and Arne are in the crowd, grooving along to a 20 minute Stereolab encore. Indie rock newbies Orange Black, fronted by Dieter, opened for Stereolab earlier that same night at the infamous Democrazy club. Antwerp (B), December 2003. Arne (Styrofoam) and Dieter (The Go Find) are grinding away in Styrofoam™s home studio on what is to become šMiami›, The Go Find™s acclaimed debut release on Berlin electronica label Morr Music. Miami Beach (US), March 2004. Dieter and Arne are hanging out at a beachside hotel™s private pool. Two pale indie rockers feeling slightly out of place amongst a crowd of toned muscles and surgically enhanced bodies. That same night they™ll be sharing a stage with and watching electronica legend Richard Devine set his live rig on fire with lighter fluid at the legendary Swamp Thing all-nighter. Tokyo (JP), 2004. Dieter and Arne are blasting their way through a questionable version of The Pixies™ šGigantic›, no doubt fuelled by one-too-many shochu shots at a Shibuya karaoke club. It™s all part of the off-stage antics provided by the Styrofoam/The Go Find/Isan Japanese tour. Dieter Sermeus and Arne Van Petegem shared more than their fair share of life™s key moments, both on and off stage. It only seems fitting that they finally teamed up again in the recording studio as well, for the first time since collaborating on The Go Find™s šMiami› album back in 2004. šPresent The Empathy Exams› is their first truly collaborative album, five years in the making. A collection of songs ranging from unapologetic indiepop escapism with vintage synthesizers, rough and ready drum machines and singalong choruses dialed all the way up, to slow burning electronica with a generous shoegaze noise topping. These are songs about growing up in a small town and making your escape to the big city and the world and having actual families later on. Songs about life catching up with you, about lost innocence, about being nostalgic for the future. Tracklist 1. Take Back THe Moment 2. Disappear 3 Every Step 4 Close To The Knives 5 Through You 6 Loose Ends 7 Old Enough To Care 8 Nothing Is Impossible 9 Always Under My Skin 10 If It's A Symbol