Empatia ("Empathy") is the eleventh album from Spanish composer/pianist/producer Hugo Selles (not counting his albums with Psychic Equalizer, Duo Otero and other collaborators). Hugo is an artist I've been following enthusiastically since his 2012 debut as Psychic Equalizer, Memories From a Cold Place. A classically-trained pianist from an early age, Hugo is one of those artists who seems to be able to do anything musically and do it exceptionally well. Each new project has been very different from the others (except for the consistent artistic integrity!), and Empatia is no exception. Very dark and mournful, the seven original tracks address the theme of empathy or, as Hugo puts it, "the lack of empathy in our supposedly advanced modern world." The music for the album was written for two singers, celesta, piano and string orchestra, although not all of the players appear on every track. Hugo collaborated with Anne-Kristine Skov Andersen, a former classmate, on several of the pieces, and the other singer on the album is Reza Shayesteh, an Iranian artist who brings the improvisational character of traditional Persian singing to the mix. The seven tracks are a fascinating combination of instrumentals and vocals with lyrics that come from poems by Anne-Kristine.

Empatia begins with "Ecocide," which refers to the systematic destruction of nature and how that should be classified as an international crime. The piece begins with the sound of celesta - a light, bell-like sound - that soon becomes a very dark piece for cellos and other strings. The celesta returns along with the strings to mourn the loss of so much of our natural world - something we may never get back. "Sne" is the first of the vocal tracks. Sung by Anne-Kristine Skov Andersen, the song is about the break-up of two people who were once passionate about each other. Anne-Kristine's voice is very operatic and dramatic and is accompanied only by Hugo's piano. "Mare Nostrum" features Reza Shayesteh's vocals along with the celesta and is a memorial to the 19,000 migrant people who died in Mediterranean waters between 2014 and 2020. Tragedy pours from every note of this piece. "Glasskår" refers to the transition from childhood to becoming an adult, as well as leaving old family habits behind and healing old wounds. The string orchestra supports Anne-Kristine's passionate vocals. "Kodokushi" is a short piano solo that refers to a Japanese tradition pertaining to people who die alone and whose bodies are not found for an extended period of time - very dark and deeply felt. "Ndumui" is an Ottoman word for a devastating emotional pain that manifests itself in the stomach until it reaches the heart. An eight minute piece, most of the first half is performed by the string orchestra before Hugo's piano and Reza Shayesteh's voice add even deeper layers of emotion. The closing track, "Oleta," is just under one minute and features the three artists and string orchestra, telling a very personal story about empathy, friendship, respect, love, sadness and understanding.

Empatia is a very powerful work of art! With all that is going on in the today's world, I'm sure many people will find the music to be a cathartic emotional release. Empatia is available to stream and/or download on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes, and is available on many streaming services including Spotify and Bandcamp.