Louis Cole Announces Innovative ‘nothing’ Live Album With Metropole Orkest

Producer and composer Louis Cole announced a new live album, nothing, captured with The Netherlands’ Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley. Cole previewed the record due out on August 9 via Brainfeeder with “Things Will Fall Apart.”

Culled from Cole and Metropole Orkest’s live performances with minimal overdubs, nothing “fuses breath-taking classical orchestration with dance music, pop, and jazz sensibilities,” as per a press release.

The press materials further detailed the Cole/Orkest collaboration:

Many still see Louis Cole foremost as a drummer. nothing, Cole’s fifth album and his third on Brainfeeder, 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.

Cole also handled mixing duties on nothing, a Herculean task which he enjoyed.

“I was sad when the mixing was over,” he said. “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.”

Additionally, the press release detailed the preview track “Things Will Fall Apart.”

Taking inspiration from big band horns, “Things Will Fall Apart” is exemplary of Jules Buckley and Louis Cole’s respective musical genius and talent,” as per the press release. “With Cole’s feather-light vocals overlaying an exciting orchestration of funk percussion, strings, horns, and barbershop back-up vocals, this momentous single paves the way for his musical evolution showcased by nothing.

Watch the performance video for “Things Will Fall Apart” below:

Louis Cole is returning to Germany and The Netherlands this fall for more performances with the Metropole Orkest. Check out the itinerary with ticket info below.

nothing Tracklist:

1. Ludovici Cole Est Frigus
2. Things Will Fall Apart
3. Life
4. It All Passes
5. Cruisin’ for P
6. A Pill in the Sea
7. nothing
8. Who Cares 1
9. Who Cares 2
10. Wizard Funk
11. Weird Moments
12. High Five
13. These Dreams are Killing Me
14. Shallow Laughter : Bitches (orchestral version)
15. Let it Happen (orchestral version)
16. Doesn’t Matter
17. You Belonged