After two #1 singles on the German Alternative Chart (DAC) with "House of Cards" and "Endless Night", Howlett has pushed into darker terrain with Eggshell. Melodically, it has an anthemic, haunting quality, while the beats give it an almost industrial edge. Daniel Myer (Liebknecht, Architect, Covenant etc.) has also left an audible footprint with his production and mixing. 

"Eggshell can be seen as a companion-piece to Empathy Test's Demons", says Howlett, "and inhabits a similar realm, atmospherically. Penned around the same time, it's one of the few songs I've written that's told from someone else's perspective - it's the response of the silent partner in Demons."

If that's not enough to capture the imagination of Empathy Test's legion of loyal fans, the fact that this is perhaps the closest Howlett has come compositionally to Empathy Test, will no doubt cement Howlett's solo work as a viable alternative in the absence of anything new from the aforementioned duo.

Eggshell already has some buzz around it, having been performed live several times by Howlett at his solo shows earlier in 2025, but this September to December he is also performing it, along with the follow-up Ghosts of the Tsunami (releasing on Halloween, 31st October) with Empathy Test on their biggest European tour to date.

At a lengthy, but not unwarranted run-time, of 5+ minutes, the release includes a more concise "radio edit" to appeal to those with shorter attention spans. However, to appreciate the full scale of this epic track, the original version is recommended.


Eggshell (Radio Edit)

Isaac Howlett is a British-born musician now living in Linz, Austria. He's best known as the singer / songwriter behind the internationally renowned synth-pop band, Empathy Test, as well as for his collaborations with Aesthetic Perfection ("Save Myself") and Bop x Subwave ("Storm in a Teacup").

Working with US producer Walter Kazmier, Isaac self-released his debut solo single, a synthwave-tinged, dance floor-ready track called "House of Cards", on 28th of February, 2024. It reached #1 on the German Alternative Chart (DAC) and #2 in the bestselling synthpop tracks on Bandcamp.

Isaac Howlett's second solo single, "Endless Night" arrived on 13th December 2024. It debuted at #2 on the DAC and #3 on the Klangwald Radio Chart. Synthpop Fanatic included it in their "10 best synthpop songs of December 2024", praising its "...beautiful vocals and heartfelt lyrics", while Blitzed Magazine described it as "an ethereal gem". 

For his third solo single, Eggshell, Isaac headed in a darker, punchier direction, mixing synthpop with elements of Industrial co-producing alongside Daniel Myer (Haujobb, Liebknecht, Architect, Covenant, Devision Redux). The third single debuted at #1 on the German Aternative Chart (DAC) and #2 on the Klangwald Radio Chart. It also peaked at #13 (Germany), #15 (Sweden) and #31 on the iTunes Alternative chart.

A fourth solo single, also co-produced and mixed by Daniel Myer, will be released on 31st October, 2025.

"crystal pure hypnotic vocals" NewRetroWave

"dreamy synths and buzzing bass” Obscure Sound

“upbeat and invigorating” - At Cost Magazine

"Stunning" - Synth City

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