Originally from London,
Oliver Coates is a cellist who has worked with a wide variety of artists from the classical, alternative, experimental, and electronic music worlds, in addition to composing his own innovative solo work. His debut album, 2013's Towards the Blessed Islands, included interpretations of pieces by composers ranging from
Iannis Xenakis to
Squarepusher. His subsequent works have further blended his contemporary classical and electronic influences, with 2016's Upstepping and 2018's
Shelley's on Zenn-La creatively incorporating elements of British techno and garage. Aside from his solo work,
Coates has worked extensively with
Mica Levi, in addition to appearing on albums by
Radiohead,
Actress,
Laurel Halo, and others.
Coates was classically trained at the Royal Academy of Music, earning the highest grades in the university's history, and performed with orchestras including Aurora Orchestra,
London Contemporary Orchestra, and
the London Sinfonietta. He began experimenting on his own, composing solo work inspired by the harsh, barren electronic music of
Autechre. He collaborated with composer
Mira Calix on several pieces that were released by Warp (also home to
Autechre) on the 2008 CD The Elephant in the Room: 3 Commissions.
Coates also collaborated with
Calix on a cover of
Boards of Canada's "In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country" for the Warp20 (Recreated) compilation in 2009.
Coates won the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award in 2011 and became an Artist in Residence at London's Southbank Centre. He played on
Nico Muhly's 2011 album Seeing Is Believing, as well as the soundtracks for
There Will Be Blood and
The Master, both composed by
Radiohead's
Jonny Greenwood.
In 2012,
Coates collaborated with composer
Leo Abrahams on an album of electro-acoustic experiments titled Crystals Are Always Forming. He released his debut solo album, Towards the Blessed Islands, in 2013. The following year, he released
Another Fantasy, an EP featuring his interpretation of the title track, composed by house producer Bryce Hackford, as well as two remixes by Hackford himself. He also played on
Mica Levi's award-winning soundtrack to the science fiction film
Under the Skin, which was released in 2014.
Coates contributed to
Radiohead's 2016 full-length,
A Moon Shaped Pool, and according to the group's leader,
Thom Yorke, the cellist played a major role in shaping the album's sound. During the same year,
Coates released his second solo album, Upstepping, which was heavily inspired by British dance music (particularly '90s techno groups like
Orbital as well as U.K. garage) but created almost entirely with cello and electronic processing. He also collaborated with
Levi on an album titled Remain Calm.
In 2017,
Coates and
Eliza Carthy released a split 7" single containing interpretations of songs written by
Levi, in her Micachu guise.
Coates signed to
RVNG Intl., and his first release for the label was an LP of Canticles of the Sky, a composition by
John Luther Adams. This was followed later in 2018 by
Shelley's on Zenn-La, an original work inspired by IDM and rave culture. Also in 2018,
Coates played on albums by
Actress and
Laurel Halo, as well as soundtracks composed by
Jonny Greenwood (
The Phantom Thread) and
Daniel Pemberton (
One Strange Rock). ~ Paul Simpson