It's almost a shame to single out an individual release from jungle producer Coco Bryce for review. He's quite prolific for one, but also, like most producers, his scattered catalog, taken on the whole, just represents a total vibe that you're not going to be able to tap into if you're only familiar with a single here or there, or even only an individual EP. What I jive with when it comes to Coco and what is consistently true about his output, is that he's one of those fellas who can do nearly anything with only the bare essentials of ingredients. He's the kind of DJ who can pick up a lowly and timid beat or bass line and show it the TLC it needs to become a fully-fledged banger. His mixes tend not to be overbearing or bracing either, which is refreshing for someone who makes his bread and butter from breakbeats. With all that out of the way, I have to admit that I have a special affinity for his 2019's Night on Earth EP. The production is very damp and dubby without getting all gumshoey and turgid. Instead, the basslines sound dry as a bone, like they've been baking in a brick oven and acquired a tasty, black char. These dry-roast beats are then drizzled with zesty synth timbres until they glisten like freshly cut gems. While honoring the chill detachment of the night, there is a roaming romance to the music that belies inhibition- like the wandering eye in a Jim Jarmusch joint, the listener will find themselves trespassing innocently into others' lives, witnessing the climax of some epiphany decades in the making, only to be whisked away by the caprice of the wind and transplanted into another scene of dramatic intrigue transpiring on another continent. Night on Earth has a restless essence that is somehow both persistent and subdued, embodying the subtle electricity of a tranquil city street squeezed between the bustle of the drag and a row of refurbished storehouses, each with a rave blowing up its basement or boiler room. The serenity between storms. An equator of calm linking living adventures. You're smoking a cigarette while you're waiting for a cab; it's cool but not so brisk that you need a jacket; a text comes in from someone you just met at a bar; they're already at the next hop and are warning you about the line... you really like them and think their friends are fun too. It's a good night on this lonely rock.
Keep it crisp and clean with Fresh 86 from Red Eye Records, or make it massive with Coco's own label Myor.
