We haven’t seen a lot of multi-track releases from Russian neurogrind master Cod3x of late, with his last EP Illegal Sound on Eatbrain in 2018. He has, however, released lots of singles and collabs, featuring on compilations from Eatbrain, Bad Taste, Major League and even Blackout, right after Illegal Sound came out. It’s clear he’s been saving the good stuff for his new Rock the Show EP, out April 10 as it does, indeed, rock, although it might be rocking livestreams rather than shows at present.
Rock the Show is only three tracks but Cod3x manages to pack a lot of diversity into the EP. The title track is hyper-fast and pulls a great old school rap lyric sample to give some classic funky breaks flavor as well as its namesake, although said flavor is really subtle within the tightly, whip-accurate sound design; you can really only hear it in parts of the snares and the buildup. “The Perfect Organism,” on the other hand, is classic Cod3x. Cinematic, ominous and snarling with heavy bass.
Lastly is a gem of a track and our Bassrush premiere today, “Sorry But I’m Rollin,” and yes it is a roller. This track is interesting because it sort of straddles the styles in the other two tracks, combining some old school funk with laser-focused modern neuro sound design and a theatrical/gamer-inspired intro and breaks. It’s got a lot of fun and different syncopation as well, toggling back and forth between a number of rhythm lines, a technique that also makes the track sound quite gamer-esque.
It seems combining styles in this way really works for Cod3x, as “Sorry But I’m Rollin” may be the highlight of the whole EP. Rock the Show has a little something for everyone across the spectrum of all three tracks, but “Sorry But I’m Rollin” really shines with all its switchbacks, syncopation, time signature layering, funk and, of course, “rollin.”
Rock the Show drops on Eatbrain this Friday, April 10. Click here to pre-order on Beatport exclusive.