Cello supremo, electronic artist and New dad, Oliver Coates shares the first and last records He bought and the one He always returns to…
FIRST
John Tavener/Steven Isserlis
‘Svyati’
(Rca/Bmg, 1997)
“An important moment for getting into holy minimalism, and also cello with deep voices. There’s a near constant E drone in the bass voices. I remember seeing this live on TV on the Mercury Awards in the 90s, it was marketed with a crossover slant and John Tavener appeared alongside Jools Holland saying, ‘I don’t know why I’m here’.”
LAST
Yung Lean
‘Stranger’
(Year0001, 2017)
“Blissful. I’ve been getting into this more with each listen, especially at night, looking after a newborn. The little baby loves these space lullaby sounds, so dreamy with the rapping and singing. Then, coincidentally, I was introduced to Yung Lean [Swedish producer, Jonatan Leandoer Håstad] over email, so we’ve discussed the Highlands and wild boar. Jonatan is a remarkable person and an artist who is also a cultural engineer.”
ALWAYS
Autechre
‘Incunabula’
(Warp, 1993)
“There’s a schooling in sound that comes from listening to Autechre regardless what you go on to do. All these sounds and musical materials stay with you and the lucidity of the arrangements mean you can hear the thoughts clearly. No one is trying to prove any points or say anything, but the tracks obey their own laws. My favourite is ‘Eggshell’ for the central melody. There is a 15-minute live version of ‘Kalpol Intro’ on YouTube which is a life lesson for sustaining energy, never letting go.”
