RIP ALC5
Posted: Fri Jul 9, 2010 9:59 am

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Coco Solid's long-time collaborator and producer ALC5 (Alan Cameron) recently passed away in Wanganui at his flat.

The Coco Solid crew (Coco, Ben, Han) will sadly miss him. He was fiercely independent and instrumental in Coco Solid's (and many other independent musician's) recordings, tours and success!

Coco blogs a memoir here: http://www.cocosolid.com/blog/

RIP ALC5

Coco Solid releases side project Bad Energy
Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:27 pm

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New-wave rapper Coco Solid and underground axeman Sam Moore (The NeverEnds, Skeletor) join forces to make the psychedelic future duo Bad Energy. The underground pairing release their album Tropic of Scorpio this December.

The Auckland pair have created a swampy electro-punk record combining a joint weakness for both 90’s girl-grunge, laidback stoner anthems and themes of a restless internal life.

Moore produced two stand-out tracks for Coco’s 2008 album The Radical Bad Attack. After gaining critical praise for their efforts the pair decided to take their surreal combination into a whole new world.

Over 2009 the pair recorded an outburst of tracks. Coco went beyond her signature mic and stepped behind keyboards, drums and guitar for the album. Tropic of Scorpio was produced and mastered by Moore who also plays guitar, bass, keyboards and drum machines. The results are tripped out synth tributes, DIY bangers and a punk Coco remix, singing about everything under the sun.

Their first single is Leave your life is acompanied by a hyper-colour brain wave video directed by Oriana Hansell-Pune. Check the video and sample tracks here: www.myspace.com/baddenergy

Buy the CD exclusively at Real Groove and digitally at Amplifier.

New single for Coco Solid
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:35 pm

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COCO SOLID
WEIGHT WATCHERS SINGLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQRJTVraV1M
Parallel Dance Ensemble (NZ rapper Coco Solid and Danish producer Robin Hannibal) have cooked up a new-wave disco ode to junk-food, Weight Watchers. It boasts a hyper-colour video that will give ‘eye-candy’ a whole new meaning. Directed by newcomer Lisa Dunn, it promises to leave your mouth watering.

The duo recently released a 12” on UK label ISM Records which sold out in under a week. This track follows their debut single Turtle Pizza Cadillacs a psychedelic disco-rap which stayed at #1 on the Radio Active Charts for four weeks this June.

Coco and Hannibal have recorded in Spain, Germany and New Zealand after meeting at the Barcelona Red Bull Music Academy 2008. Internationally, Parallel Dance Ensemble has already been compared to Tom Tom Club, MIA, Soft Cell and Cindy Ecstasy.

Coco Solid plays live in Auckland at the Toto Bacco & Montecristo Rooms at Someone Elses Party on Sept 19th with Collapsing Cities and the Naked and Famous. Tickets from www.NZtix.co.nz

New Coco Solid 12" out 16 May
Posted: Thu May 7, 2009 7:25 pm

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PARALLEL DANCE ENSEMBLE
“PIZZA TURTLE CADILLAC/ WEIGHT WATCHERS/GIGOLETTE 12”

(A1) “PIZZA TURTLE CADILLACS” (A2) “WEIGHT WATCHERS " (A3) "GIGOLETTE"
(B1) “PIZZA TURTLE CADILLACS/YAM WHO? REWORK " (B2) “WEIGHT WATCHERS/YAM WHO? REWORK "

Cat no: ISM001 / Release date: MAY 2009

Yam Who? proudly present their new record label ISM & its debut release from the Parallel Dance Ensemble. Already getting major attention and rightly so the PDE have all the potential to be 2009's underground crossover act.

'Pizza Turtle Cadillacs' features Coco Solid, a New Zealand born MC & already a star in her own right who has just returned from a worldwide tour. This independent MC has been rocking the airwaves for some time whilst also performing alongside the likes of Sway, Spankrock and SA-RA.

The hilarious tongue in cheek joint 'Weight Watchers' again from Coco Solid has all the hallmarks of the early Soft Cell material with Cindy Ectasy. Slightly sinister, funny as hell, with a funky lyrical flow and damn sassy too!

Produced by Robin Hannibal from Osuwu & Hannibal fame on Ubiquity Records this is his penultimate creation. Slightly reminiscent of the 80's groups Tom Tom Club, Pop Group and the Bush Tetras but sounding totally futuristic like MIA & or those upstarts the New Young Pony Club please take the time to check out the disco lazer sci-fi jungle video created by multi talented Aleks Sakowski on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFztieTu0H4

Robin's unique talent for quirky catchy & cool as hell perfect pop first caught our attention via the Osuwu & Hannibal 2006 album release on the American West Coast Ubiquity records. When we first heard Robin's new project PDE we flipped as its encompasses all the last 30 years of oddball, manic, funky, progressive & unique music that we admire & love so much.

Rounding up the package are the Yam Who? reworks. Ruff electronic disco funk is the only way to sum up their production for PDE. Retro, futuristic with touches of magic cosmic love dust and already receiving play from James Murphy (LCD), Maurice Fulton, Horse Meat Disco, Faze Action, Lindstrum, Prins Thomas, Metro Area & Daniel Wang.

Coco Solid new video and international tour
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:32 pm

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COCO SOLID RELEASES NEW TRACK ON EVE OF 2009 TOUR

Coco Solid releases a new disco-rap anthem TURTLE PIZZA CADILLACS on the eve of her international tour this March & April.

The track was co-written, played and produced by Copenhagen based producer ROBIN HANNIBAL (from Owusu & Hannibal fame) after they meet at the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona last year.

A 12” for the track will be released on YAM WHO’s new London label IZM RECORDS in April. It includes another track WEIGHT WATCHERS (released under their joint name.)

TURTLE PIZZA CADILLACS also comes with an epic stop-motion video, which has been six months in the making. Coco’s director of choice Aleks Sakowski (who has now made three videos for the femcee) has created a sci-fi jungle laser disco not to be missed. (Watch in HQ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFztieTu0H4

Coco will be rapping and rolling this March & April in Mexico, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Portugal and Tokyo returning to New Zealand in May.

Hot on the heels of the NYC electro-rapper PRINCESS SUPERSTAR covering her hook from DENIM & LEATHER, Coco will also be working on mix-tape SCARED TO DEF with Lisbon rapper MC VIOLET while she is away.

The worldwide tour continues what has been a great year for the Auckland musician. COCO SOLID received the APRA Professional Development Award for song-writing and the tour was supported by the NZ Music Commission’s Outward Sound grant.

Coco Solid is the New Zealand rapper seducing and shaking live crowds worldwide with her psychedelic raps, cut-throat style and lo-fi beats. Her sound is a bossy 80’s electro/rap, mixing a tough voice with her signature wit.

Coco Solid presses limited edition vinyl
Posted: Sat Sep 6, 2008 10:42 am

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Vinyl Release Party, Cocos Bar, Fort Lane, Auckland: 17 Sept
Red Bull Music Academy, Barcelona: 21 Sept – 3 Oct

COCO SOLID follows up her critically-acclaimed double album THE RADICAL BAD ATTACK with an underground vinyl pressing, due for release this month.
The limited edition 12” GRAFFITI GIRLS FOR LIFE will feature nine tracks from her chart-hitting June release. Pressed in pink and complete with special edition instrumentals, this is set to be a collector’s item for fans of the group.

The record will be pressed at Sydney’s VINYL FACTORY in Australia, just before its release-party: Wednesday 17th September. Coco, Erik and DJ Han Baby will perform at the aptly named COCOS BAR in downtown Auckland.

Following the release, Coco heads to Barcelona after being accepted into the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy 2008. The academy is host to 60 musicians from all around the world and is a chance for Coco to expand on her international collaborations.

The vinyl is available for sale at the launch party only. THE RADICAL BAD ATTACK is available online at www.itunes.com or www.amplifier.co.nz as well as all good record stores.

More about Vinyl Factory at www.vinylfactory.com.au & www.myspace.com/vinylfactoryaustralia

THE RADICAL BAD ATTACK reviews:

"Her magnificent mongrel beats and eloquent satirising of sex, materialism
and pop culture will have you thinking, laughing and dancing, all at the same time. Let's hope her next album's a triple." Grant Smithies - Sunday Star Times

"ludicrously brilliant… while many can claim their own sound Hansell truly has her own style, one she owns indefatigably…the creativity is rampant"
Jim Pinckney – The Listener

"Coco Solid proves that their wit, charm and downright sassiness is anything but a one-trick pony with the dance-floor driven Sex side and the more 'experimental' Science side. Awesome shit." Andrew Tidball - www.cheeseontoast.co.nz

The Radical Bad Attack
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:12 pm

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THE RADICAL BAD ATTACK Album In Stores: 16 June
MYSPACE SECRET SHOW Wellington: 18 June
ALBUM RELEASE PARTY Zen Bar Auckland: 21 June

Coco Solid strikes back with the upcoming release of her double-album THE RADICAL BAD ATTACK.

Coco Solid is set to bomb her cult international fan-base with the latest grand-concept album. Mixing psychedelic raps, 80's electro, booty-bass, dancehall, grime, punk and experimental noize, Coco is joined by over a dozen eclectic artists and flexes her musical muscle over 21 tracks.
The first disc (SEX) is dedicated to the dance floor with the second (SCIENCE) showcasing more experimental sounds.

The album features both underground and established names. The usual line up includes Erik Ultimate, DJ Han Baby and long-time punk producer ALC5, as well as some new recruits: Ex-Coolie Melissa West, The Grafitti Girls, Kidz With Guns, Flowsion, Agent Ali and DJ Exile all feature alongside producers DJ Jizmatron, Extravagangsta, Sam Moore and Alan Holt.

The futuristic single ELECTRIC LOVE reunites the award-winning team behind the Bnet hit CRIME FIGHTERS. With eternal partner in rhyme, Erik Ultimate and local producer (& Hungry Eyes member) DJ Jizmatron, they have pulled out another pioneering track... with an overwhelming music-video to match.
A MySpace Secret show in Wellington and an album release party in Auckland gives fans a chance to see the duo perform live for the first time in over a year. Myspace are also hosting online-video and album listening post exclusives leading up to the album release.

www.myspace.com/cocosolid

COCO SOLID preview new material exclusively for MYSPACE SECRET SHOW!
Posted: Tue Jun 3, 2008 12:23 pm

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COCO SOLID preview new material exclusively for MYSPACE SECRET SHOW!

Wednesday 18th June, Wellington FREE! www.myspace.com/secretshowsnz www.myspace.com/cocosolid

MySpace.com today announced that Coco Solid will perform songs from their new album exclusively at a MySpace Secret Show in Wellington on Wednesday 18th June, the first to be held in the capital. The gig will be the first for them since early 2007 and will be a special treat for fans as they preview material from their highly anticipated forthcoming album The Radical Bad Attack.

The first single, Electric Love (produced by Jizmatron) is released on the 3rd June and MySpace TV (http://vids.myspace.com/) have the online exclusive of its video by ground-breaking director Aleks Sakowski. The video can be viewed here http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=35310440 It has been over a year since Coco Solid and Erik Ultimate have played together. Amid rumours of calling it quits and Erik’s move from Auckland to Wellington, fans have been

left wondering if they would ever see them perform together again. MySpace are proud to reunite them for their first live appearance in support of the new album.

"I can't wait to bump the james in Erik's new home town. The only thing I like more than MySpace is secrets," says Coco Solid.

Double disk album, The Radical Bad Attack will be released on the 16th June, with a large line of special guests including The Grafitti Girls, Kidz With Guns, Flowsion, Agent Ali, DJ Exile and Melissa West PLUS producers Jizmatron, Extravagangsta, Sam Moore and Alan Holt.

The MySpace Secret Show in Wellington will see Coco Solid joined by their original Malaysian gangster DJ Han Baby and some secret appearances from guests on the album.

The infamous Coco Solid’s sound is a mix of psychedelic raps, 80’s electro, booty-bass, dancehall, grime, punk and experimental noise, mixed with their slow-burn politics and trademark monotone wit. Coco Solid won Best Hip Hop song for Crime fighters at 2007’s bNet awards and have been quoted as having “some of the smartest, most entertaining rhyming you’ll find anywhere” by Nick Bollinger of the NZ Listener.

MySpace Secret Shows are exclusive concerts held throughout New Zealand featuring some of the biggest international and local artists. The only way MySpace users can find out specific details about this and future concerts is by adding Secret Shows as a ‘friend’ to their profile via www.myspace.com/secretshowsnz. Entry is strictly limited on a first come first served basis.

For more information

www.myspace.com/secretshowsnz