Music Review: Koko Dozo: Feel The Zuzz

Putting Koko Dozo or their recent five track EP, Feel the Zuzz, on a particular genre shelf with a clean, neat label is a difficult task.

That pounding, repetitive rhythm could convince you to slide them into the dance category, but what about those eighties pop hooks and keyboard riffs? And let's not forget the obvious disco sparkle and the inexplicable urge to pull on some polyester while listening. The minute you're comfortable with all that, you'll be haunted by an inkling you've been transported to another time, place, or maybe even world.

Don't let that scare you away; you'll be missing out on something special.

Koko Dozo has some real star power behind the name. Polarity/1 plays multiple instruments and produces while Amy Douglas brings her four-and-a-half-octave voice to the recording studio along with exceptional piano playing and songwriting skills. I guess exceptional talent goes without saying, though. Without it, jamming together all the elements I've describe into a five-track EP might give the listener a hot, sticky mess. With these three artists at the helm, the end result is highly polished and refreshing instead.

Highlights include "Spaceman," "Gangsta," and "Grab Ya." From the opening rhythms of "Spaceman," the listener knows they're in for something completely different than the normal dance/electronica fare. A hybrid cross of something basic and primal, yet sleek and shiny, it's sure to fill the dance floor of any club it's played at. With a title like "Gangsta" you might expect to hear some hip-hop influences. Even though you'd be wrong, you won't be disappointed. This track also highlights those other-world influences I mentioned. The synthesized arrangements transport you to I'm not quite sure where, but it's filled with disco lights and a giant glitter ball spinning over a crowded dance floor. "Grab Ya" does just that, with an opening that takes you from that distant planet to a South American rain forest.

So, first and foremost, Feel the Zuzz is an electronica/dance EP, but it is tinted with so many other influences that it should appeal to many audiences that don't frequent the clubs. Keep your eyes peeled on these pages, as we will be launching a contest in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you're into the space-aged, eighties-tinged dance sounds, then check out Koko Dozo and the EP.

Koko Dozo's Feel The Zuzz Track Listing:

• "Spaceman
• "Lay That Body Down"
• "Gangsta"
• "Grab Ya"
• "Bastards In Bazbador"