FRIENDS CORNER
"Coffee Protection Society"
I love their music. Jim Fish played the grand piano on the CD "Only love matters: music for Soft Diamond Light". which is part of the Soft Diamond Light gift package.
“More well-brewed Australian sounds from the production/ song writing team of Jim Fish and Pete Veliks. Their technique is simple: write a bunch of good songs, get some classy singers into the studio, play the instruments and produce the songs yourself - hey presto, you have an album of sheer class. "What Else is There?" is the best Burt Bacharach-style song Burt never wrote.”
Bruce Elder - Sydney Morning Herald
THE LATEST CPS ALBUM
"Eleven Over Eight"
A common question being asked in cafes these days is, "Just what is The Coffee Protection Society all about?"
"Just Trying to Make Music, the name of the opening track on their new album Eleven Over Eight seems to hold the key. Which in turn begs the question, "Just what kind of music are they trying to make?" "Music for coffee lovers, friends of coffee lovers - even tea drinkers", says Pete Veliks, who, like Jim Fish, is half of the CPS. "There seems to be a common misconception that people in cafes want to hear wallpaper music. We believe they deserve to hear great songs while they drink their coffee. We aim to address that."
Fighting words, but does the music deliver on this promise? Let's delve a little deeper into Eleven Over Eight....
The album has eleven songs sung by eight singers, hence the name. Some of the singers are nothing short of illustrious: Dave Mason (the Reels), Linda Janssen (Wicked Beat Sound System) and Brendan Gallagher (Karma County) to name three. Also featured are Virna Sanzone and Elana Stone, two eminent Sydney jazz singers, and Darren Percival - one of Sydney's best soul/ R&B singers, whose contribution on
this record is superlative.Musically? Well, the album sweeps from the aforementioned funky opener to a Bacharach-style ballad within its first two tracks and never glances back. Brendan Gallagher chimes in on track 3 - Leisure Man - a laid-back ode to insouciance. Then out of nowhere come the booming bass and eighties synth lines of Pack Your Bags. Just what are these guys on? "Coffee", says Jim Fish, who wrote nearly all of the songs and co-produced the album with Veliks.
As for how they got such notable and talented vocalists on board, Veliks says "Well, we just sent them the track, and if they liked the song they were happy to sing it. It was really just a matter of asking." He adds, "We were very lucky that such great singers believed in the project enough to get involved" No doubt. There is a thread of excellence running through this record, and in a time when the trend is to keep it all homogenous, here is a fascinating collection of songs which is anything but.
Eleven Over Eight is a sophisticated record which manages both to stimulate the brain cells and induce a feeling of ease and contentment - not unlike coffee itself.
Chris Frost - Firefly Interactive
Responsible for developing this site.
Alessandra Wollaston - Pollen Media Partners
Responsible for the graphic design and production of the Soft Diamond Light gift package.
Mardi Mylrea
Artist of "Matter of Light I" oil painting used for Soft Diamond Light gift package. Based in Sydney.
Chris L. Jones
Photographer for Soft Diamond Light gift package.