Not too many songs leave listeners with a distinct full-body chill; one that both gives a strike of daring confidence from the devilish beat, but also makes one look over their shoulder — especially after a watch of the spooky horror-inspired music video.
Empires in Orbit — the genius artistry behind “Mother!” — started out in 2015 by Gary Mann, making a huge dent in the electronic scene with over 3 million streams across six albums. This year, however, brings in a brand new life for Empires in Orbit with the addition of Fe Malefiz as a vocalist.
Along with the single’s release, Empires in Orbit announced their upcoming album Audiodrome out on Aug. 14.
“Mother!” is dark and gothic, laced with enchanting vocals bound to transport listeners right into Mann and Malefiz’s compelling minds. The song starts out with synths and snares tip toeing around a sinister repetitive whisper of “Mother.”
As the song continues, Malefiz uses her deep, haunting vocals to uniquely explore the overwhelming feelings life can bestow onto you. The track feels like a swirling head storm of dark chaos, one that is bookended with Malefiz’s pleas for her mother to bring her to bed.
“‘Mother!’ is a song about a frightening world that often feels overwhelming and consuming, filled with inner demons that invite themselves in and refuse to let go. It captures a dark, almost devilish emotional state that weighs heavily on both body and mind.” -Malefiz
Empires in Orbit dropped a music video to go with “Mother!” on June 5, and it is as compelling as the song, if not more. Directed by Josh Waldby, Malefiz starts out walking through a cemetery, until the song’s beat drops and she gets chased until she falls suddenly, getting zombified in the process.
The horror-inspired video is the perfect pair to the already haunting song, and Mann said the vocals were so enthralling that is was easy to be inspired while filming:
“We’re both horror movie fanatics so we wanted the visuals to be as memorable as the song itself. Josh Waldby of Arvest Pictures was the only man for the job and he delivered more of a mini movie than a standard music video. The entire crew on that shoot was locked in and helped us create something truly special.”
“Mother!” is our first taste of what Empires in Orbit have to offer the world, especially before the release of Audiodrome later this summer, and it succeeds in every way. The genius duo of Mann and Malefiz have created sounds, melodies and videos so distinct and eerie that its hard to get them out of your head.
Empires in Orbit are excelling in creating music that has no bounds, and its time everyone gets on board.
Keep up with Empires in Orbit:
Bandcamp / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok
