Artist: Lowfish Title: Hello Tinnitus / A Little Thing Gets By Label/Cat#: Suction Records / suction023 Format: 7-inch single, lim.200 Release Date: Sep 6 2011 Order from http://www.suctionrecords.com "Hello Tinnitus / A Little Thing Gets By" is a new 7" single from Canadian electro mainstay Lowfish, a preview of his forthcoming "Hypersensitivity" full-length. Lowfish is Gregory De Rocher, and this is suction023. Barring last year's "Memories..." album, a compilation of vintage archive recordings, this double-A-side 7" is actually the first new Lowfish release since 2008. While his last 2 albums could best be described as serene and clinical, electro at it's most austere, Lowfish's return to Suction Records, the label he co-runs with Solvent, also marks a return to a more melancholic electropop sound. This is not new territory for De Rocher, but it's been a while since we've heard this kind of direct, fragile emotion from Lowfish. In fact, with their slow, head-knodding 808 beats and wistful synthesizer melodies, these songs could best be described as electro-ballads. "A Little Thing Gets By" is almost cute, until the strings fade in - pure heartbreak. "Hello Tinnitus" meanwhile, is the most pure slice of synthpop that Lowfish has delivered since 2002's "Theme to Parked Cars", a firm Lowfish fave for many. While Kraftwerk remains the pivotal electro music reference, only a few electro artists can rival the masters' keen sense of melody and emotional depth — Lowfish is one of those rare electro artists, and this 7" makes that case clear.