C.O.C.O.

Up from the swamps of the death disco comes a new offering from the minimalist soul group all the heads called "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 - and 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 (the albums closer, aptly titled "The End"). The album's lead track is "Good", and the song is exactly that, combining nasty garage with an infectious dance floor rumble. "Your own secret way" is their most smooth, sultry and experimental recording to date, with Ness crooning over a rhythm composed solely of bass and found objects. "We gotta right" is a vicious call to arms, with Chris snarling personal emancipation to the sounds of furious toms and a bleeding bass guitar screaming for mercy. Not ones to pigeonhole themselves to the terrestrial, "Asteriods" is a light speed nuclear explosion of dance pyrotechnics that is sure to excite the inner cerebral cortex all the way to the vast stretches of the galaxy.

Don't be fooled if you feel that these eclectic descriptions sound like the mixtape of a mad scientist (it is), the message of Play Drums + Bass is clear and concise - the rhythm section is the foundation of the dance.

The digital version of this album is available from Bandcamp.