Fourth release on the Black Ops sub label from the SLEAZYBEATS crew... While in Europe for a tour slash trip last year, Andy Hart (of Melbourne Deepcast fame) met up with Max Graef (Berlin’s golden boy) in Berlin, they hit it off like Batman and Robin and got dirty in the studio together very successfully. They've been pinging ideas and tracks back and forth ever since, which led to the duo releasing some awe-inspiring dusty deep house together on Box Aus Holz (Graef’s own label), Melbourne Deepcast and recently on Ali Ooft’s FOTO imprint. It didn't take long for the Black Ops camp to cotton on and squeeze the splendid ‘Heavy Setters’ EP out of this odd couple, the fourth release on the Sleazy Beats offshoot project. The A side of the record is reserved for Biting, the delightful inaugural venture of the EP – and perhaps the most groove-oriented of the bunch. Set at a leisurely pace, it combines moody, hazy organs with a classic bass and loose woodblock claps. Hart & Graef tease us with some well-placed soul/jazz vocal samples before properly unleashing things at the breakdown with a jazz cat banging on about his take on all things hip. Flip over for title track Heavy Setters, where you’ll find the full-on and lights off affair of the EP. Reaching immediately for the jugular, Heavy Setters pulls you under and doesn’t let go for 7 glorious minutes. A repetitive keynote arrives on the kick and remains firmly on display here, while open cymbal highs are cemented within the heavy drums and a sci-fi flashback sample. Things get ever so deep for a second at the halfway break before kicking back to the nasty. A monster slice of chuggy deephouse that works a real treat on a packed floor. Also on the B is ‘Pass the Mortek’, a bongo-laced groover that climbs nicely alongside more open cymbal brass and another crisp organ line. Not too intense but also wary of venturing too deep, Hart & Graef create a killer groove with vocal snips and heavy-ass keys. One of those tunes that is perfect to take a dj set in either direction, right up to the next level or down a notch, depending on mood, vibe etc. Small pops and crackles from sampling from a dusty turntable add to the overall charm of the record and the lovely lady winking at you from the center sticker seals the deal here. A great EP then, and a great addition to the Black Ops roster.