In March 2018, Empathy Test embarked on a second UK tour, this time as main support for Covenant (Sweden) with their own headline shows in between. In April, the band performed in Russia for the first time, supporting DE/VISION in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg (full fan made video here) before performing at summer festivals in Germany (Plage Noire), Sweden (Subkultfestivalen) and Canada (Terminus), the latter being their first show in North America.

 

In May, Losing Touch again brought Empathy Test international attention, this time in Latin America and Spain, when it appeared in two separate episodes of Spanish language Netflix show Luis Miguel: La Serie, a biopic of the life of ‘80s Mexican superstar singer. Suddenly, Empathy Test had 14,000 Spotify listeners in Mexico. The USA at this point, was on 10,000.

 

In October 2018, Empathy Test performed in Poland for the first time, at Warsaw Dark Electro Festival with And One, She Past Away and Agent Side Grinder, before embarking on a second, more ambitious tour of Germany in support of new double a-side single Holy Rivers / Incubation Song, which they released on 31st October.

 

The EP premiered on XS Noize, who said: “it’s the contrast between uplifting beats and heart-rending lyrics that create a perfect melancholy, proving time and time again Empathy Test’s talent for making electro-pop music with depth, meaning and feeling”. Clash meanwhile, praised the new songs’ “shimmering synths, glacial electronics, and heartrending vocals”.

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In November 2018, legendary '80s singer and DJ Boy George (Culture Club) heard Empathy Test's music via Rusty Egan's internet radio show. He tweeted a video of himself (later deleted) dancing to Losing Touch and on November 30th, he tweeted a link to Empathy Test's Safe From Harm album on YouTube, saying simply, "this is a musical orgasm".

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>>>2019