{"title":"Louis Cole","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"bf073","title":"Louis Cole - Time","description":"\u003cp\u003ePop quiz: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ: What do Quincy Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flying Lotus and a bunch of movie theatre janitors have in common? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA: They’re all fans of Louis Cole. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConfused? Don’t be. The Los Angeles based singer songwriter, producer and multi instrumentalist co-founded the alt pop\/electro funk band Knower in 2009 and the band bagged a spot at a special “Quincy Jones presents” series of gigs for up and coming bands in LA. “I guess he thought our music was cool so he had us come over and we played some arrangements of ‘PYT’ and ‘Bad’ in his living room,” recalls Louis. “I guess it was kinda like an audition. I was there with my midi keyboard and he was eating guacamole and rocking out… there were literally three people in the room, it was totally surreal.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Chili Peppers expressed their admiration on their recent world tour where Louis found himself playing support slots in Mexico City and across Europe. “I had no idea why I’d been asked to do a Red Hot Chili Peppers tour and I was backstage in Rome at the gig still none the wiser as to why I was there,” laughs Louis. “And then Anthony Kiedis comes up to me, looks right at me and says ‘Yeh I love that ‘Bank Account’ song. It’s super funky.’” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe is right of course - ’Bank Account’ is super funky and it was a game changer for Louis. He uploaded a split screen video of him performing the song (sporting a customised McDonalds uniform shirt no less) to his YouTube channel in April 2017 and, propelled by the candid and relatable lyrics - “I don’t want to check my bank account. I’m too scared to check my bank account” - it went viral. So far it’s amassed 2 million + views, the vast majority of those by folks equally fearful of viewing their account balance. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I honestly thought nobody was going to care about that song. I just put it up because I wanted to show people that I had been practicing keyboard,” he laughs. “I came up with that four chord progression and all I wanted to do in that moment was be good at that four chord progression… I didn’t care about anything else. Then I was driving to a gig and I just came up with those lyrics because they were absolutely true at that time.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe runaway success of ‘Bank Account’ was in part, accidental, but Louis has a history of DIY film-making and uploading humorous performance videos to YouTube - it’s integral to his creative being - so it was really only a matter of time before he hit the jackpot. He says he was inspired by his friend Jack Conte (Pomplamoose) a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur who released the majority of his music as home studio split-screen performance videos (or as Jack refers to them - “Videosongs”) posted to YouTube. “Jack gave me this big pep talk in about 2009, basically saying: ‘You HAVE to pursue your music as a career!’ So I owe him a lot,” smiles Louis. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs for the movie theatre janitors? Well they became fans via Louis’s contribution to the Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) - the third instalment in the Lego Movie franchise. Cole and regular musical sparring partner Genevieve Artadi wrote a perfectly pitched silly song for the soundtrack titled ‘Dance Of Doom’ that plays at the very end of the final credits when the only folks left in the theatre are the janitors. The YouTube comments explain the rest: “I was cleaning the theatre this movie was playing in… I’ve never laughed so hard during my shift in my life”; “I’m working in a small cinema and every time I have to clean up the hall after this movie I can hardly concentrate because the bassline is so awesome ^^”; and “This is the most absurd, screwball song I've heard in a long time. And I got to listen to it over a dozen times, while I cleaned the theatre.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCole, whose main instrument is the drums (“But having said that my whole purpose is writing music and that is definitely more keyboard based so maybe that’s my primary instrument?”) has a background in jazz although the music he writes bears little resemblance to jazz in any pure or classical sense. His connection to the movement is more abstract: “One thing that I still feel connected to, that I guess is the root of jazz is pure freedom… no limits… just what you’re thinking right at that moment… a pure blast of limitlessness”. Growing up he obsessed over drummers Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Nate Wood and Keith Carlock, but says he also draws inspiration from movies such as 2001 A Space Odyssey and Tron. His studio set-up is modest (computer, mic, midi keyboard) and he writes and records at home - there are drums in the garage and a piano in the living room. “So far I really suck at being in a real studio,” he says. “There are too many possibilities and it freaks me out.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Time” is Cole’s third album - a casual but addictive blend of quickfire, hook-laden electrofunk bullets and wistful, soft-focus balladry - and it’s compelling. \"A lot of it is little thoughts, that I made into big songs… blasts of inspiration that I was lucky enough to receive,” he explains. “But it all comes back to my mission to create deep feelings through music.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProudly DIY to date, Louis has built up an ardent fanbase for his own solo output and that of Knower who zig zag across the globe on tour. However in 2009 he met Dennis Hamm - keys maestro in Thundercat’s live band - who introduced Louis to Thundercat and Flying Lotus. “Dennis bridged the gap… he was the link. In fact, Flying Lotus asked Dennis if I would want to release something on Brainfeeder before he even asked me.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLouis’s new album features his friend Thundercat (with whom he worked on “Drunk” co-writing ‘Bus In The Streets’ and ‘Jameel’s Space Ride’) who returns the favour, contributing lead vocals on ‘Tunnels In The Air’. Genevieve Artadi and acclaimed jazz pianist and experimental composer Brad Mehldau also pop up on ‘When You’re Ugly’ and ‘Real Life’ respectively. Furthermore, ‘Last Time You Went Away’ features a 23-piece string orchestra - the Rochester Stringz from Eastman School of Music. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninjatune","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":44934132662431,"sku":"BF073","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":44934132695199,"sku":"BFCD073","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/products\/time-main.jpg?v=1736247199"},{"product_id":"bfdnl129","title":"Louis Cole - Quality Over Opinion","description":"\u003cp\u003eLouis Cole is a singer-songwriter and sickeningly talented multi-instrumentalist with a strong DIY aesthetic from Los Angeles, California. He is on a mission to create deep feelings through music and is the figurehead of an LA jazz-adjacent scene that includes Genevieve Artadi (with whom Cole co-founded the alt pop \/ electrofunk band KNOWER in 2009), Sam Gendel, Sam Wilkes, Jacob Mann, Dennis Hamm, Pedro Martins and more. He will release his new album “Quality Over Opinion” on 14th October 2022 on Brainfeeder Records. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e20 tracks deep, it was written, performed and produced on his own in his modest home studio, but Louis did invite a handful of close friends to contribute, namely Genevieve Artadi (“my no.1 music collaborator”); saxophonist Sam Gendel – Cole’s friend for 17 years; pianist Chris Fishman; Nate Wood from the band Kneebody; Marlon Mackey (“a pillar of the Bakersfield music scene”); and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. “This album is a representation of me trying to make the best, most powerful and listenable music I can. For myself and also others,” he says.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLouis’s main instrument is the drums and he has a background in jazz although the music he writes bears little resemblance to jazz in any pure or classical sense. His connection to the movement is more conceptual: “The root of jazz is pure freedom… no limits… just what you’re thinking right at that moment… a pure blast of limitlessness”. Accordingly Cole’s touchstones for “Quality Over Opinion” include boundary-pushing composers such as Gustav Mahler and György Ligeti alongside jazz icons like Miles Davis, the Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah, Morten Lauridsen (distinguished professor of music and American Choral Master) and Super Mario Kart. “There is no continuous thread of a story on this album, each song expresses its own moment in my life and time,” explains Louis. “I was inspired by joy, pain and the constant mission to pull something out of life around me”.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNew single ‘I’m Tight’ arrives hot on the heels of ‘Let it Happen’ – “a timeless modern power ballad classic” released earlier this month. In contrast, ‘I’m Tight’ is a sleek, laser-focused Funk rocket, based on an utterly irresistible bassline. “It comes from me recording about 100 different cells of funk, choosing my favorite ones and quilting them together into a song,” says Louis. “I had to practice the bass part a lot for this one,” he adds, smiling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCole’s insane musicianship is no secret – he’s been sharing performance videos on YouTube for a decade – growing a dedicated fanbase who appreciate both his craft and off-the-wall style. Drums, bass, keys… he has a monk-like attitude to practice and perfecting his art. Thundercat describes him as “one of Los Angeles's greatest musicians” and earlier this year invited him to play drums on his recent tour of Japan. The pair have frequently written together including on the aptly titled ‘I Love Louis Cole’ from Thundercat’s Grammy-winning album “It Is What It Is”,  ‘Bus in the Streets’ and ‘Jameel’s Space Ride’ (from Thundercat’s 2017 opus “Drunk”) and ‘Tunnels in the Air’ for Louis’ 2018 album “Time”. Flying Lotus has also expressed admiration for Louis, calling him “super inspirational” during the writing of his 2019 album “Flamagra”.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTouring incessantly, Louis sold out two shows at EartH Hackney (1k cap)  in London during his last UK tour. He has also appeared at North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Rock En Seine, Jazz a Vienne, Jazz à la Villette, Wonderfruit, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Maiden Voyage and more. Last year Louis embarked on his biggest collaboration to date with the Grammy-winning Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley, for a string of unique shows in the Netherlands, with more to come in 2023. This October he will tour the US with his big band.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninjatune","offers":[{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":44934134694047,"sku":"BF129","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":44934134726815,"sku":"BFCD129","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/products\/quality-over-opinion-main.jpg?v=1736247176"},{"product_id":"bfdnl146","title":"Louis Cole (with Metropole Orkest \u0026 Jules Buckley) - nothing","description":"\u003cp\u003eMany still see Louis Cole foremost as a drummer. nothing, Cole's fifth album and his third on Brainfeeder – released on 9th August 2024 – is bound to change that impression. Collaborating with the Metropole Orkest and Jules Buckley, he rejected the well-trodden path to orchestral renditions of his greatest hits and instead opted to compose a suite of brand new music for this project – bigger, bolder, and more expansive than ever. Yes, there are nods to his GRAMMY-nominated 2022 album Quality Over Opinion, but 15 of the 17 tracks included here are brand new. This is jazz. This is classical music. It's got that funk. You'll hear synths and loops. You'll hear a band and live drumming. There's a world class orchestra playing. Some pieces are ultra concise, whereas the sprawling ‘Doesn’t Matter’ surpasses the ten minute mark. To Cole, jazz has always been the one place where you can really let go of all expectations – on nothing, he is putting the music where his mouth is.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThe Metropole Orkest proved to be the ideal partner for this endeavor. Over the course of its 80 year history, it has worked with legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny, and Herbie Hancock – exactly the kind of border-crossing mentality Cole was looking for. Add into the equation the conductor, arranger, curator and composer Jules Buckley and this really is a triple threat of epic proportions. Buckley is a unique and rare breed of artist – a GRAMMY winner who has redefined the rulebook of orchestral music and the role of a conductor. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eTogether, the ensemble embarked on a multi-date sold-out tour through Europe with the 50-piece orchestra, Cole's band, as well as guest stars like his long-time creative partner Genevieve Artadi. With the exception of a few vocal re-recordings and instrumental overdubs, everything you'll hear on nothing was culled from these ecstatic live dates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is remarkable because, almost until the very end, nothing was not actually an album. It was a collaboration, a series of concerts, a cross-over between two worlds. Cole had been eagerly waiting for an opportunity like this for years. His father had been a big classical music fan and as a kid, he'd absorbed a lot of that. Once he got the call to work on a project involving an orchestra, he instantly “went hard” with the writing. The finished recording encompasses 17 tracks and stretches across more than an hour of music – and still, a few more tracks had to be left on the cutting room floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCole was looking for something very specific. The challenge was to create music that had a deep emotional impact, while also being really simple and straight-forward. Already at the earliest stages of his orchestral ambitions, he had tried and failed to achieve this ideal. It would remain an obsession for years. Even when nothing was still a live project, it didn't seem like he would be able to pull it off. And then, at the very last minute, Louis decided to give it one more go. One night, he sat down at the keyboard and instantly realised: “This is it!” He struck on the ideas and themes which would become the pivotal title track of the album. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJust as with many of the orchestral pieces, there was a clear vision of the feeling and the sound he was looking for. For “Ludovici Cole Est Frigus”, he based everything on a 30-40 chord progression at a pace of “one chord at a time”. Then, he went back in with the pencil tool and Logic, finding and weaving together little melodies. It was a slow, assiduous process. But working with an outside arranger was never an option: “It was the only way I was ever going to be happy with the results. This is my pure vision. It doesn't get blended in or mixed with anyone else's.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaving already written and arranged the suite, Cole is also very proud of the mixing, an epic task in its own right. For a full nine months, he selected the best takes, tweaked the sonic balance and adjusted frequencies until the orchestral parts really shone. “I was sad when the mixing was over,” he laughs, “Sometimes, when I'm mixing my own solo stuff, I'll feel like a song needs a little magical dust. But mixing an entire orchestra and your own rhythm section, there's so much human energy! You don't have to add any magic. It was there the whole time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enothing is released on 9th August 2024 via Brainfeeder Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninja Tune","offers":[{"title":"2xLP (Exclusive)","offer_id":45366229827743,"sku":"BF146X","price":34.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2xLP","offer_id":45366229794975,"sku":"BF146","price":34.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":45366229860511,"sku":"BFCD146","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/files\/0035798519_10.jpg?v=1736246329"}],"url":"https:\/\/merch.ninjatune.net\/collections\/louis-cole.oembed","provider":"Ninja Tune","version":"1.0","type":"link"}