Upstepping is the second studio album by English cellist Oliver Coates. It was released on 13 May 2016 through Prah Recordings.
Background Oliver Coates is an English cellist from London. Upstepping is his second solo album, following Towards the Blessed Islands (2013). In a 2016 interview, Stephen Bass, the founder of Prah Recordings, recalled, "I firmly believed that a lot of people whose music I respect from the dance world would really love Oliver's first album, so I wanted to do something that was going to catch the ears of those people." Most sounds on Upstepping originate from the cello which he played and then processed digitally. The album was released on 13 May 2016 through Prah Recordings.
Critical reception
Gareth James of Clash described Upstepping as "a bizarre, ambitious and outrageously good record." Tom Fenwick of Loud and Quiet commented that it "blends stark electronica and experimental classicism into a magnificent album, which sees Coates skirt the edge of perfection." Bekki Bemrose of AllMusic wrote, "Unsurprisingly, it's a work that has seen him likened to the late Arthur Russell, and on the strength of this collection, it's a deserved comparison." Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH stated, "Because of the ebb and flow, that movement between frenetic and calm, Upstepping makes a strong and lasting impact."
Accolades + Year-end lists for Upstepping Publication List Rank Loud and Quiet The Loud and Quiet Top 40 Albums of 2016 MusicOMH musicOMH's Top 50 Albums of 2016
Track listing
Notes The vinyl edition does not include "Rise & Fall".
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Oliver Coates – production Lawrence Lek – artwork Fraser Muggeridge – design Paul Rafferty – layout
References
External links