Review: Commodo - Space Cash [MEDI071]

If there's one thing that can be called certain in the UK's underground today, it's that when Commodo turns his hand over no one really knows what they're about to see but they know they're going to be impressed. Commodo writes songs: simple build-drop-breakdown-drop-fade structures are nowhere to be seen, and the constant rhythmic and melodic switches that drive each track forward are the basis of that intrigue that keeps the listener drawing for his releases.

'Long-awaited' probably doesn't do this release justice; lead track, '$pace Cash', opens in field recordings and scattered drums - an eery top line drifting into eternity - before being sucked into the moodiest bassline this side of 2012. It's difficult to describe this riff without using the word 'swagger'. The flipside sees the West Yorkshireman take the tempo down a few notches, whilst still maintaining his definitive sample-based approach to heavily-syncopated swing. 'Straight Reptilian' bounces, plays with the idea of a 4x4 beat and then decides that it can be much more interesting than that; 'Wish', meanwhile, is the sort of three and a half minutes that Zomby, or his fans at least, probably wishes he could still make, and manages to employ an 808 without it sounding like something that's been done before.

It's refreshing to see Deep Medi supporting these more boundary-pushing endeavours, and the recent punt taken on Swindle's debut LP might suggest a willingness to convert more of their single artists into full-length producers - there aren't many producers who can truly pull of an album, but we'd happily put money on Commodo being one of them.



Commodo - Space Cash [MEDI071] will be released on July 29th and is available to pre-order now.

W.