Biography
C.O.C.O. emerged when funk enthusiasts and roommates Olivia Ness (vocals, bass) and Chris Sutton (vocals, drums) joined forces in 2000 to channel their passion for classic grooves from Sly & the Family Stone, the Meters, and E.S.G. into fresh material. By that time Sutton had already spent several years on bass with Dub Narcotic Sound System, whereas Ness had picked up the instrument only the previous year after first applying her skills in the short-lived local group Decoy Decoy. The pair thereby joined Olympia, WA’s established lineage of duos—exemplified by K Records acts Kicking Giant, the Softies, and the Need—beyond the region’s familiar D.I.Y. ethos.
Sutton described the project as “born of beats and blood,” supplying the former through his polyrhythmic breakbeats on drums while Ness delivered the latter via deep bass tones and her sensual yet feisty singing. Beyond their core funk roots, C.O.C.O. also drew from Can, Talking Heads, the B-52’s, Motown, disco, and punk, aiming to craft a stripped-down, organic counterpart to electronic dance styles such as techno. The call-and-response between Ness’s sung lines and Sutton’s spoken ones echoed Tom Tom Club as well as the later examples of King Kong and Call & Response; although reggae and hip-hop interested them, the duo largely steered clear of rapping and toasting. Subtle echoes of 1970s and 1980s British acts like the Slits, the Pop Group, and PiL, with their African influences and dub leanings, can likewise be detected.
Even within the Northwest’s lively scene, C.O.C.O. carved out a distinct presence. Following basement rehearsals, their first public performance took place at a house party in the manner of the Gories’ own lo-fi blues-rock burst Houserockin’. A subsequent intimate gig alongside singer/songwriter Dennis Driscoll drew fewer than ten attendees yet caught the ear of Sutton’s Dub Narcotic Sound System colleague and K Records co-founder Calvin Johnson, who promptly offered studio time. Despite having played only two shows, the pair accepted and tracked their material at Dub Narcotic, completing one song written the day prior and finishing vocal parts for two others during the session itself; the entire recording wrapped in two days, after which they immediately prepared to tour. Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, also impressed, added them to the eastern leg of her trio’s fall U.S. dates.
Their self-titled debut album arrived in October 2000. Two years later came the more polished The C.O.C.O. Sound, fusing angular post-punk in the style of Au Pairs with sultry alternative pop reminiscent of Luscious Jackson through concise tracks propelled by primal beats, slinky vocals, and J.B.’s-styled shout-outs. Following a five-year break, the duo resurfaced on September 11, 2007 with Play Drums + Bass and again hit the road to ignite dance floors and sustain old-school funk energy.
Sutton described the project as “born of beats and blood,” supplying the former through his polyrhythmic breakbeats on drums while Ness delivered the latter via deep bass tones and her sensual yet feisty singing. Beyond their core funk roots, C.O.C.O. also drew from Can, Talking Heads, the B-52’s, Motown, disco, and punk, aiming to craft a stripped-down, organic counterpart to electronic dance styles such as techno. The call-and-response between Ness’s sung lines and Sutton’s spoken ones echoed Tom Tom Club as well as the later examples of King Kong and Call & Response; although reggae and hip-hop interested them, the duo largely steered clear of rapping and toasting. Subtle echoes of 1970s and 1980s British acts like the Slits, the Pop Group, and PiL, with their African influences and dub leanings, can likewise be detected.
Even within the Northwest’s lively scene, C.O.C.O. carved out a distinct presence. Following basement rehearsals, their first public performance took place at a house party in the manner of the Gories’ own lo-fi blues-rock burst Houserockin’. A subsequent intimate gig alongside singer/songwriter Dennis Driscoll drew fewer than ten attendees yet caught the ear of Sutton’s Dub Narcotic Sound System colleague and K Records co-founder Calvin Johnson, who promptly offered studio time. Despite having played only two shows, the pair accepted and tracked their material at Dub Narcotic, completing one song written the day prior and finishing vocal parts for two others during the session itself; the entire recording wrapped in two days, after which they immediately prepared to tour. Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, also impressed, added them to the eastern leg of her trio’s fall U.S. dates.
Their self-titled debut album arrived in October 2000. Two years later came the more polished The C.O.C.O. Sound, fusing angular post-punk in the style of Au Pairs with sultry alternative pop reminiscent of Luscious Jackson through concise tracks propelled by primal beats, slinky vocals, and J.B.’s-styled shout-outs. Following a five-year break, the duo resurfaced on September 11, 2007 with Play Drums + Bass and again hit the road to ignite dance floors and sustain old-school funk energy.
Albums
