Sleeperhold Publications Belgium Vinilo y CD

Review: Chicago born, Brooklyn based producer Max Ravitz is quite known for his dusty goth(am) house and techno experiments; easily recognised by their brazenly compressed/saturated analogue aesthetic that sound like live jams. It's more of the same on his new offering: A side cut "Learned Behaviour" is the most 'straight-ahead' we've ever heard Ravitz with this tunnelling, hypnotic and absolutely heads down affair that soon evolves via some classic house chord progressions and mad 909 snare theatrics. The bittersweet and melancholic "Diminished Feeling" is more typical of his earlier style on such heralded EPs like his Opal Tapes debut Body Issues: the sound of a lonely Bushwick loft space on a Friday night. The lush and atmospheric "Looking Outside" provides a welcome ambient moment for this fine EP. Yet more fantastic work from him this year, following up the three part epic Several Shades of The Same Color on Ghostly International.

Review: This year has seen Tropic Of Cancer stealthily plot a successful course for total infiltration of our affections, with some well chosen releases laying down the foundations of expectation for the band's much vaunted debut album, slated for release on Blackest Ever Black next year. This eminently collectable three track release for Belgian imprint Sleeperhold will no doubt jostle for first place with that wonderfully atmospheric 12" on Mannequin and split HTRK release on Ghostly for best Tropic Of Cancer release of 2012. It's "Children Of A Lesser God", the final exquisite track that will floor most people, capturing Camella Lobo and company at their most powerful. Spartan drum machines and nerve tingling guitars form the backbone of this stunning seven minute track as Lobo's undeniably plaintive delivery sinks ever deeper into the murky recesses.