Newcomer Miguel Romero, from Metepec, Mexico, makes music and performs live under the CSMCDL moniker (or CosmicDeal). He just released his new EP, Away From Home, the follow-up to his 2014 I Miss You EP, and it includes five short songs that are concise enough to let us know what he’s all about. According to Romero himself, he gathered stories and experiences from his trips and used them in the studio as a starting point for each of the songs included here, which are all supposed to tell different stories.
There’s a general future bass feel, and it’s apparent he’s fond of UK rhythms, but still he manages to introduce influences from different origins in a short amount of time. The title track is a dark and skipping number with a hint of UK garage that could be a good soundtrack to a car chase in a futuristic dystopian movie, with its boomy bass and accentuated dynamics. On the downside, the vocal contribution from singer Kitty doesn’t work quite well in this context, as she sings a melody that doesn’t sound like it belongs. The song is actually accompanied by a colorful music video, filled with mesmerizing, glitchy footage of rapidly-changing fluids.
On “Shameless,” he jumps right into trap waters, sounding large and luxurious, and adding some R&B romance to the mix. These R&B qualities are further magnified on the fourth track, “Forever is a Long Time,” which includes some sexy guitar work by collaborator Emmanuel Barón. The song has a sultry but totally danceable vibe. If what you want is a slow dance, closer “Body Language” may just be what you’re looking for. Nikolas Murdock glides up and down the track with his voice, over a start-and-stop beat that’s adorned with pizzicato strings that elevate the whole song.
Then, there’s “Nothin’ But U,” where we find him experimenting with a personal take on juke and its fast tempo. It’s bright and festive, and brings the EP to its peak in terms of energy. It’s a little frustrating that the songs don’t last enough to let him elaborate on the ideas he’s presenting in each of them, but still – it’s a good collection of music and it shows that musically, he’s got something to say.