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Up from the swamps of the death disco comes a new offering from the minimalist soul group all the heads call C.O.C.O. Olivia Ness (bass, drums, vocals) and Chris Sutton (drums, bass, vocals) have been tapping the primal groove for a while now using only the most basic of instrumentation, but this time our explorers have decided to travel to the outer limits of the beat.C.O.C.O's mission is simple: "Play Drums + Bass" and that credo was the inspiration for their third ? without a doubt their best - record. The musical spectrum continues to expand into the nether regions of dub reggae (for a tribute to the late great Tamara Dobson) all the way to the sunny side of surf rock.

Chris and Olivia, City of Olympia, that is C.O.C.O. The C.O.C.O. Sound, harder to define. Chris Sutton is also known for his work as bass player in Dub Narcotic Sound System. In C.O.C.O. he plays the drums, with Olivia on the bass. This is their second album, and it continues their heavy emphasis on the dance quotient in music, exploring different sides of the funk. Using the bare minimum, stripping it down to the bass and drums, breaking it down to it's essence, but being fully soulful and melodic at the same time. It is a sound refined, yet garagey. A mix of Stax southern soul and thee Headcoats; a sound equally influenced by the Gories, ESG, & Trouble Funk. Their high energy live shows always have the dance floor crowded."Olympia's C.O.C.O. sneaked up on me recently when the group's eponymous CD was being played over the sound system of a local bar. It was booty-licious: what I had initially tapped my toes to and then dismissed as a fun, somewhat silly two-piece (drum, bass, pretty pop/soul/R&B vocals) suddenly sounded like a truly inspired work of art. I went home and put my own copy on. I couldn't stop dancing. I decided while dancing that C.O.C.O. is one of the sweetest, baddest motherfuckers to happen in the Northwest in a long time: Olivia Ness' bass lines are stellar, hook-laden and inordinately danceable; Dub Narcotic Sound System's Chris Sutton plays his kit like he's tied to Ness but still loose and inspired; and both of the members' vocals, while they appear too infrequently, are money each and every time. Bring your propensity for smiling brightly and having much fun." - Jeff DeRoche, The Stranger

Rhythm: a regular recurrence of stress. This is the subtext of C.O.C.O. and their implied mission statement. Olympia's newest dance minimalists celebrate musical blueprints and sonic architecture via drum 'n' bass in its organic and blissfully booty-shaking form. 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 percussive approach; nailing the beat straight into the floor. 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. Elements of dub soak through the mix, and they're taking it to the dancefloor. "Olympia's C.O.C.O. sneaked up on me recently when the group's eponymous CD was being played over the sound system of a local bar. It was booty-licious: what I had initially tapped my toes to and then dismissed as a fun, somewhat silly two-piece (drum, bass, pretty pop/soul/R&B vocals) suddenly sounded like a truly inspired work of art. I went home and put my own copy on. I couldn't stop dancing. I decided while dancing that C.O.C.O. is one of the sweetest, baddest motherfuckers to happen in the Northwest in a long time: Olivia Ness' bass lines are stellar, hook-laden and inordinately danceable; Dub Narcotic Sound System's Chris Sutton plays his kit like he's tied to Ness but still loose and inspired; and both of the members' vocals, while they appear too infrequently, are money each and every time. Bring your propensity for smiling brightly and having much fun." - Jeff DeRoche, The Stranger