Album Notes

"On through the crowds of repressed inmates, shaking their fists at the thought of escape, you and I could live like the first day we breathed the light and felt the Earth shake."

This single verse from "The Open Landscape" on Emptyself's self-titled debut CD provides a snapshot of all the inspirations contained within this work of art. A collection of songs that reveal the search for beauty amidst the tragedies of the modern world. Flowing from romantic awe at the vibrancy of youth to the struggle to understand heartlessness, this album somehow manages to be intensely personal, political, and philosophical at the same time, while feeling vulnerably honest throughout.

Emptyself is hauntingly beautiful music from artist/producer Eric Johanson, featuring lush acoustic and electric guitars, trip-hop and industrial beats, and intelligent, visionary lyrics. Fans of Portishead, A Perfect Circle, Massive Attack, Zero 7, and Nine Inch Nails should give Emptyself a listen. Emptyself's self-titled debut CD was released 5/27/05, and is already being received well by the underground music press:

"Emptyself is a very solid release from a man who has a knack for providing the world with a unique brand of rock music. In his latest effort he tackles the softer side of rock, but makes it manageable for even the heaviest of metalheads." - I Ate Your Microphone (iaym.com)

"A very impressive mixture of Industrial and Progressive Rock sounds form a symbiotic relationship, and through the nihilistic and depressive themes mastered by Johanson, the product is darkly beautiful to the core, and its aura is enough to drag even the most optimistic of listeners down into the void of human regret which Johanson evokes within thin walls of superior sonic production, balanced guitar playing, and unconventional synthesizer manipulations." - Indie Music Project (IndieMusicProject.com)


Known for his underground, intellectual rock band Cire, Johanson created Emptyself as a new outlet for expression. The inspiration for this new project came in the form of several songs that defied normal genre classification, and yet were strangely accessible at the same time. Wanting to keep the visions pure, Johanson decided against the usual band format, instead using the open palette of sampling and synthesis to tastefully compliment the songwriting. The result is a sound that might be described as "dark R&B". This sound derives itself from a wide range of musical influence in everything from blues, trip-hop, psychedelic rock, to eastern music.

Formerly based in New Orleans, Emptyself recently relocated to Auckland, New Zealand following the flooding of his New Orleans studio in Hurricane Katrina (08/29/2005). Johanson continues writing and recording while being inspired by the land of the long white cloud.

*[This is an ENHANCED CD featuring lyrics, bonus art & MP3s]

See also: Cire, Eric Johanson's progressive art-rock band.
cdbaby.com/cire
www.cire.tv