Composer Oliver Coates on the cello, chaos and connection: ‘The best music is out there in nature’

Orchestrating a Life: The Eclectic Journey of Cellist Oliver Coates

Oliver Coates, a classically trained cellist, has carved out a remarkable career that defies conventional boundaries. From his early days playing on a cruise ship to his current status as a sought-after collaborator and composer, Coates' musical journey has been a tapestry of diverse influences and unconventional approaches. His latest solo album, "Throb, Shiver, Arrow of Time," showcases his ability to blend the classical and the experimental, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape that reflects the complexities of memory and emotion.

Blending Tradition and Innovation: The Multifaceted Artistry of Oliver Coates

Embracing the Unexpected: From Cruise Ships to Experimental Music

Oliver Coates' musical journey began in an unexpected setting – a cruise ship. As a young cellist, he found himself navigating the sway of the ship while performing the melancholic "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saëns. This early experience, which required him to adapt his technique to the rocking motion of the vessel, would foreshadow the eclectic and adaptable nature of his future endeavors. After his shifts, Coates would retreat to his cabin to explore the world of "Aphex-y glitchy music," a stark contrast to the formal setting of the cruise ship ensemble. This juxtaposition of classical and experimental sensibilities would become a hallmark of Coates' artistic approach, setting the stage for his multifaceted career.

Blurring Boundaries: Collaborations, Soundtracks, and Unconventional Performances

Coates' musical journey has been marked by a willingness to collaborate with a diverse array of artists, from magicians to filmmakers. His work as a key collaborator on Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack projects and his leadership of the London Contemporary Orchestra on Radiohead's "A Moon Shaped Pool" album have showcased his versatility and his ability to navigate the world of film and popular music. Additionally, Coates' own solo releases have explored the deconstruction of UK pirate radio and the outer reaches of static and saturation, demonstrating his penchant for pushing the boundaries of traditional cello performance.

Embracing the Ephemeral: Capturing Memories and Emotions in Sound

Coates' latest solo album, "Throb, Shiver, Arrow of Time," is a testament to his ability to capture the ephemeral nature of memory and emotion through sound. Inspired in part by his work on the soundtrack for the film "Aftersun," the album is a darkly glowing and often forlorn record that is "strikingly still but also swarming with hypersensory static detail." Coates' approach to this album was driven by a desire to explore how music could signify the feeling of a memory, blending fragments of semi-finished tracks with emotions from unrelated experiences. The result is a work that invites the listener to engage with the shimmering, aching quality that Coates sought to convey.

Embracing the Chaos: Integrating Life and Art in Glasgow

Coates' move from London to Glasgow has had a profound impact on his creative process. In the bustling city of London, Coates had become accustomed to "running around... saying yes to everything." However, in Glasgow, he has found a slower pace that has allowed him to be more present with his family and to invite the "chaos of life" into his creative endeavors. Rather than seeking "splendid isolation" to create his masterpieces, Coates has embraced the unexpected moments of beauty that arise from everyday life, whether it's his toddler daughter singing under a bridge or the rich folk music traditions of his wife's family in the Highlands and islands.

Collaborating with Intention: Scoring Films and Embracing Serendipity

Coates' work with directors has been a testament to his ability to navigate the world of film scoring with a unique approach. He describes his collaborations as a mixture of "psychology and polyphony," where the process of working intensely with another person can lead to moments of unexpected beauty and connection. This ethos is exemplified in his work with director Steve McQueen, who invited Coates to score his 2023 documentary "Occupied City" without the constraints of traditional film scoring. Instead, McQueen encouraged Coates to create music that was true to his own heart and experiences, a testament to the director's trust in the cellist's artistic vision.

Embracing the Ephemeral: The Enduring Power of Music in Everyday Life

At the core of Coates' artistic philosophy is a deep appreciation for the ephemeral and serendipitous nature of music. He believes that the "best music is actually out there in serendipity, nature, the forest," citing the beauty of a bird's echo off the trees as infinitely more captivating than anything he could create in a studio. This perspective has informed his approach to his own work, where he seeks to capture the unexpected moments of beauty that arise from everyday life, whether it's playing in a hospital or joining a choir with his wife. Coates' music, with its shimmering, aching quality, serves as a testament to the enduring power of sound to connect us to the fleeting moments that make up the human experience.