The Sorrow of Two Blooms

Last year I had simultaneous exposure to Downwards label owner Juan Mendez, fellow blogger Camella Lobo, and their band Tropic of Cancer within a one-week span. It was a domino effect that lead me to befriend the two characters that interplay in all three facets mentioned. I hung out with Juan one night while he was in LA for business, and we chatted up a storm while outting at The Echo for Part Time Punks. He opened me up to his world of influences, many of which were new to my ever-seeking musical ears (most notably, Robert Rental). Camella and I keep in correspondence via the Internet whenever we notice similar gushings over new emerging acts in the goth, post-punk and broader indie-sphere, and her amazing blog has struck me on repeated occasions as being the most similar in spirit and interests as my own. Both also share an aesthetic appreciation for all things dark and noir in theme, and have healthy work ethics I admire in an increasingly post-Internet, lazy-artist landscape. This blossoming acquaintanceship is certainly one that I've been eager to expand on, as the couple remind me in a lot of ways of my existing best friends, William and Brandie Hart - creative, stylish, cordial and impeccable art/music taste. Fortunately, it seems the two are migrating back to LA after a stint away, which means I'll be picking their brains in-person some more.

(artwork for the upcoming The Sorrow of Two Blooms EP)

So, with back story in mind, imagine my pleasure when my ears got a hold of the couple's newest musical offering, their upcoming 3-song EP The Sorrow of Two Blooms out soon on Blackest Ever Black. The release comes on the heels of a new Downwards single entitled “Be Brave” and 2009's “The Dull Age” b/w “Victims” 10". The three songs that comprise the newest EP are the duo's strongest to date, taking the minimal-wave and colder industrial elements of their previous releases and adding a dense haze of foggy atmosphere via synth-swells and heavily-echoed vocals. Opener “A Color” is already my favorite piece of music in their catalog, with a steady repeat cycle pumping through my digital music library. The track brings to mind ethereal qualities similar to some of my favorite drone masters. The classic 808-style back-beat clicks away as waves of Korg-strings wash in time with Lobo's lulling baritone. The continuous slow sway makes it feel like a lost Suicide and Spectrum collaboration fronted by a heroin-induced Nico. This, of course, is meant as a compliment, and knowing Mendez and Lobo a bit, they'll take the comparison as such. “Temporary Vessels” and “Dive (Wheel of the Law)” closely follow suit, giving the release a very cohesive quality overall and quickly moving it up the ladder as one of my favorite releases of the year thus far.

Give it a listen yourself, provided via SoundCloud:
Tropic of Cancer - A Color [Blackest Ever Black, 2011] by Blackest Ever Black

Do yourself a favor and don't sleep on this release. While they've already received attention and praise from several larger music blogs and magazines, Tropic of Cancer are about to become the buzz of the underworld crowd. Check out the official video for the tune “Be Brave”, currently available at select online music stores like Boomkat and soon to be available via the Free Loving Anarchists distro.