Formats
PRAH001LP - LP
PRAH001CD - CD
Details
Oliver Coates debut album ‘Toward The Blessed Islands’. Coates is a cellist who has worked with Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood, Massive Attack and performed with a number of our premier orchestras. He also released a version of Boards of Canada’s “In A Beautiful Place…” for Warp Records 20th anniversary box set. If you have open ears this album is a slow journey that envelopes and draws you in. Slowly melodies develop using tunings slightly out of the norm, as Coates says, “think Sonic Youth and their guitars”. The album was recording in varying spaces, taking David Byrne’s theory that 'music is made for spaces' and obviously providing a different outcome in each, with Coates opting to use churches, tombs, disused oil rigs and also incorporating field recordings of railway stations at night. Making no bones this is no easy listen, but it does pay off. The music rewarding your patience and concentration in allowing it to develop. There are some more gentle pieces on the album - see ‘Tommib Help Buss’ and the beautiful finishing track of ‘Another Day’. Coates is Artist in Residence at The Southbank Centre as well as someone that has performed ‘Music For 18 Musicians’ with Steve Reich (the things dreams are made of). This is clearly a musician who knows where he is going and what he is trying to achieve. We look forward to more. - Apiento (Test Pressing)