Live stream
Amongst the chaos of a Saturday night in Ōtepoti, Pearl Diver was the perfect place to escape the Hyde Street goers and chill out to some slow jams, and up first was Dunedin’s own ambient folk-pop duo Hidden Ocean. During the preamble they encouraged the audience to sit down on the floor and get comfy, which made the gig feel cozy and laid back. Hidden Ocean’s music is dreamy and ethereal, with powerful vocals and soulful keyboard accompaniments. The lyrics are raw and emotional, and by far the worst part of the night was finding out that their songs aren’t available on any streaming platforms yet.
Then it was time for sloer, hailing all the way from Wānaka, who picked up where Hidden Ocean left off with some slow acoustic tracks and built up the sound as their set went on. Their sound blurs the lines between genres - incorporating elements of folk, pop and indie rock for a unique listening experience that left me wishing the setlist was just a few songs longer. I cannot recommend both of these bands enough and I’m so excited to see what they get up to next.
You can check them out on Instagram at @hidden_ocean.wav and @sloer_band for info on upcoming shows and new releases.
