C.O.C.O. is a duo comprised of Olivia Ness on bass and
vocals, and Chris Sutton (Dub
Narcotic Sound System bassist extraordinaire) laying down the
drums and additional vocals. Olivia's voice is soulful yet understated,
sultry and steady, a highly melodic component which color her fat 'n'
funky bass pulses. Chris gets busy on the traps with a highly
"Minimalism
is celebrated
and rhythm
is heralded." |
percussive approach; nailing the beat straight into the floor, he's
prone to sail into polyrhythmic flights of fancy with his entire kit
utilized. His vocal interplay, often spoken, cleverly balances the tunes
with an excellent subtle contrast. Minimalist in construct and approach,
the emphasis lies on the heady grooves being laid down, augmented by
sexy soul singing and early hip-hop styled shout-outs. Coming to mind
are E.S.G. and The Meters if they were stripped naked, or perhaps
the telepathic rhythms laid by Holger Czukay and Jaki Leibszeit of Can
if they were isolated from the rest of the group. Elements of dub soar
through the mix, most notably on "Beatdown", lending some trippy spice
to their funk stew. C.O.C.O. definitely have got the chops and
their taking it to the dancefloor.
 In
this day of dance clubs dominated by techno, C.O.C.O. could strike
a chord in people searching for vintage funk and soul in a modern group
for their boogie fix. Their sound is not foreign to indie rockers either.
Minimalism is celebrated and rhythm is heralded.
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