Hilroy is clearly a night owl, staying up late to write tracks such as “Dreamland” for the rest of us. The slow, smoky tone of Talks After Ten is a counterbalance to the 3:30 tea break, as the liner notes suggest it be played at 3 a.m. The earlier “Spiral Clap” by Inf and nephew Captain Waves is more laid back, with the pleasantly retro flavor of ambient disco-era strings. Saxophone, ocean sounds and happy timbres back up the claim. The latest single, “Portsea,” comes from Inf, Stan Forebee & Tomas Delfgaauw, and is billed as “the ultimate summer of ’20 soundtrack.” We’d agree if summer were only 2:24, but thankfully, despite the pandemic, it’s the usual three months. While the compilations offer an overview, the artist sets offer insight into the individual flavors. They can be divided into four sections: two singles, 14 EPs (some as short as 4 minutes long, most in the 15 minute range), two short albums (around 30 minutes each) and two seasonal compilations, Spring Nights and Summer Days, which will eventually be joined by Autumn Nights and Winter Days. Now let’s dance across the label’s 20 releases for 2020 before they get away from us. We’re very in tune with the label’s vibe, which coincidentally is communicated here via vibraphone. The birds return on “How is your Karma?” The title / opening track refers to tea, while a 2018 album by one of the label’s founders serves as an ode to coffee. But wait, there’s more! The trio (rocomoco is two) also released 3:30pm earlier this year on the same label. Even closer “After the darkness” skips the darkness itself and gets right back to the sunrise. The slower “When the Birds Fell Silent” offers a reflective break in the middle of the EP, but the reverie returns in the gentle horns of “I’ll be right with you.” Hint as they might of night, rocomoco & The Hidden are too warm to unnerve. As birds (freed from the aviary?) frolic in the brook, the mind slips away to peaceful premises. They are, as they say, wishing the clouds away, a possible reference to Sesame Street but a more direct nod to the art of the daydream. The EP follows an arc, dancing around the entry and exit of birds, who serve as a metaphor of light. This is music to soothe and surround, marked by a sense of safety. The EP begins with the sound of a key in a lock, followed by piano, a gentle entry. But before we get there, let’s give credit where credit’s due and start with rocomoco & The Hidden, whose Wishing the Clouds Away enchanted us from the get-go with fantastic art and engaging beats. Offering music for chilling, dancing, and/or driving, the imprint has been releasing a steady stream of artist albums, EPs and seasonal compilations, the latest of which is Summer Days. Founded in 2016 by Elleodin (Laura Mason) and LeVirya (Leon Permentier) as a venue for their own music, it swiftly expanded to become the 21st century version of Hed Kandi.
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Specializing in instrumental hip hop, trip hop and downtempo, this Netherlands imprint is actually three: Aviary Bridge, Aviary Day and Aviary Night.
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(Of course, saying that we “discovered” the label is like saying Columbus discovered America by this we mean we found something great that had been there all along.)
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This is one of our favorite discoveries, and now we’re hooked. After four years and 124 releases, it took a 12-minute EP to draw our attention to the incredible Aviary Bridge label.