Tropic of Cancer debuted way back in 2009, with the 10″ single ‘The Dull Age’/’Victims’. This record – a majestically poised synthesis of Suicide-style drum patterns, plangent guitar lines and vocals not so much sung as sighed – was released on Downwards, the label best known for defining hard British techno in the 1990s with releases from the likes of Surgeon, Female and Regis (aka label boss Karl O’Connor). Downwards would go onto rep a number of American shoegaze and goth-influenced acts – among them Dva Damas, Pink Playground, The KVB and The Vivids – via its DO series, but at the time ‘The Dull Age’ appeared a striking anomaly in the label’s catalogue. Best of all, virtually no information about who actually made the record was available – Juan Mendez was vaguely known to have played a role, but who was the grave-looking girl pictured with him on the insert? The origins of the record seemed as mysterious as its contents.
Following a handful of tentative live shows, Lobo became more visible, and her ultimate control over the project better understood. Their second 10″ for Downwards, ‘Be Brave’, which found them embracing pop song-form and switching up undead andante for full-throttle motorik (taken even further on a remix by Cabaret Voltaire‘s Richard H. Kirk), arrived at the beginning of last year, and turned heads. This was quickly followed by their first 12″, the The Sorrow Of Two Blooms, on London-based Blackest Ever Black [full disclosure: founded by FACT’s Kiran Sande], a deeply moving and exquisitely executed EP that deservedly became a word-of-mouth underground hit, vastly expanding the band’s audience while also helping establish the label.
WIN
Thanks to the wonderful people of DEATH # DISCO, Blitzgigs is giving away a double pass to see Tropic of Cancer at Berghain. To grab your free tickets, email us here at winwinwin@blitzgigs.de with your full name and the answer to the following question:
Which is your favourite song from Tropic of Cancer?
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