CHRIS COCO – ‘Feel Free Live Good’ i-D Online feature

http://www.i-donline.com/i-spy/feel-free-live-good-%E2%80%93-chris-coco

Feel Free Live Good – Chris Coco

Tracking musician, Chris Coco’s career becomes something of an investigative odyssey in musical eclecticism. Acid house pioneer in late 80s Brighton, a cult underground hit with Coco, Steel & Lovebomb’s “Feel It” (Warp records, ’94) and a shift into co-presenting BBC Radio’s seminal Blue Room after-hours show earlier this decade. A slew of chill-out compilations and solo albums, then tour DJ for Robbie Williams world tour in ’06. What?! Let’s just say this is one artist that covers a lot of bases. More recently, in partnership as The Normalites, with his gigging band, City Reverb and this month, a new solo album, Feel Free Live Good.

“This is for people who need music as soundtrack, for living, doing the washing up, eating, making love. It’s the proverbial album you can rely on,” he explains. It’s also deceptively simple, with more unfolding on each listen. Coco takes familiar musical idioms and merges them with other references so they become more than a sum of parts, more than a standard Ibiza chill track. Instead, something altogether more beguiling. A reflection of increasingly nomadic lives, running from city to airport, absorbing experiences on the fly.

Earlier albums have often featured an intriguing cast of contributors – Nick Cave singing the Velvet’s “Sunday Morning”, author Iain Banks and actor Patrick Bergman providing atmospheric monologues. The new album concentrates on fresh talent with Nick Cornu’s guitar on “My Beach House” as stand out example. Graphic artist, Anthony Burrill provides a compelling visual element. “Anthony’s work is so simple, so pure. It’s not over-thought, just really good. Everything you need is there.”

An equally apt description of Feel Free Live Good.

Feel Free Live Good is now out on Big Chill recordings.

chriscoco.com

Text Paul Davies