Our September pick for Sheffield Spotlight is the amazing Seigfried Komidashi and his beautifully intense track ‘act ii, scene one’, from his new album ACTS I + II.
The track, also known as ‘dodging the belt !’, features a wonderful combination of lo-fi sound and komidashi’s poetic, rich lyricism. The chaotic start to the track see’s Komidashi declare “the revolution will not be livestreamed” over a sample of unknown origin. Then, at the 25 second start, the beat kicks in; a subtle but almost menacing beat which perfectly compliments komidashi’s muted, nonchalant voice. Komidashi’s singing is definitely the highlight of the song, being very reminiscent of Earl Sweatshirt, able to capture so much emotion in his voice whilst sounding almost emotionless. The cut-up sample that plays over Komidashi’s singing blends into the sound rather well, creating an almost lead guitar-esque sound over the rest of the track.
Komidashi’s typical talent at lyricism is well on display in the track, with repeated references to a future revolution. However, komidashi contrasts this abstract, intense idea of revolution with small-picture, real-world references to everyday life, referencing Etsy, OnlyFans, and the world of dating. This creates a wonderfully complex, layered track, matching the complex production.
The rest of the album is equally as fantastic as ‘act ii, scene one’, but we could only focus on one track. However, we urge everyone to listen to the album, which can be found on Spotify and Bandcamp. ACTS I + II might be one of the best things to come out of Sheffield in the last few years.