Shelley's on Zenn-La is a studio album by English cellist Oliver Coates. It was released on 7 September 2018 through RVNG Intl. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background Oliver Coates is an English cellist from London. After releasing Upstepping (2016), he got signed to RVNG Intl. Shelley's on Zenn-La is his third solo album. In between, he collaborated with Mica Levi on Remain Calm (2016), and with Laurie Tompkins on Ample Profanity (2018). The album imagines the defunct Stoke-on-Trent nightclub Shelley's Laserdome on a fictional planet called Zenn-La. It features contributions from Malibu, Chrysanthemum Bear, and Kathryn Williams.
The album was released on 7 September 2018 through RVNG Intl. Music videos were released for "Charlev", "A Church", and "Norrin Radd Dreaming".
Critical reception
Adam Badí Donoval of Bandcamp Daily stated, "With Shelley's, Coates abandons the vaporous ambience that typified his earlier work." He added, "Eschewing the avant-garde aesthetic, this album displays the producer's heart: ecstatic avant-pop blended with shades of IDM." Paul Simpson of AllMusic wrote, "More than just a worthy successor to Upstepping, Shelley's on Zenn-La reconfigures both modern classical and electronic dance music, producing a wholly original work which knows no boundaries." Aidan Daly of The Line of Best Fit described the album as "renewed proof of Coates' gift for flexing considerable technological and musical muscle without ever becoming alienating."
Accolades + Year-end lists for Shelley's on Zenn-La Publication List Rank Loud and Quiet The Loud and Quiet Best 40 Albums of 2018 Mixmag The Top 50 Albums of 2018
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Oliver Coates Malibu – spoken word vocals (on "Norrin Radd Dreaming") Chrysanthemum Bear – all other vocals Kathryn Williams – flute (on "Perfect Apple with Silver Mark") Rafael Anton Irisarri – mastering Andreas Lubich – vinyl cut WWFG – design
References
External links