Industrial rock duo Empires in Orbit—the creative partnership between multi-instrumentalist Gary Mann and vocalist Fe Malefiz—has officially shared their latest single, “Cat Eyes.” This release serves as a high-energy follow-up to their previous track, “Mother!,” which provided a haunting look at the complexities of the modern world. As the duo prepares for the launch of their forthcoming album, Audiodrome, “Cat Eyes” stands out as a bold, bilingual exploration of sound, blending elements of rap and pop into a cohesive industrial framework.
Reflecting on the track’s development, Gary Mann admitted that the song almost didn’t make the cut. “I almost scrapped this song before giving it to Miriam to write vocals to,” Mann recalled. “I wanted to challenge myself to write a horror trap song and thought I did an okay job, but it was so simple I didn’t think it would work. Miri said send it anyway and we’ll see what happens. Turns out, it’s our banger. Funny how that works.”
Fe Malefiz added depth to the song’s thematic inspiration, noting that she channeled a specific, chaotic energy during the writing process. “I wanted a song with a comic energy and had the character of Harley Quinn in mind,” she explained. “Psycho, mentally ill but super sexy and cute—maybe it’s more about myself than I should admit, haha.”
With Audiodrome set for release on August 14, “Cat Eyes” offers a compelling preview of what fans can expect from the duo’s evolving sound. The album is currently available for pre-save, and listeners can follow the band’s journey as they continue to push the boundaries of industrial rock.