Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Remain Calm

Remain Calm is a collaborative studio album by English musicians Mica Levi and Oliver Coates. It was released on 25 November 2016 through Slip. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Last revised
Jul 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
820 w
Citations
26
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Remain Calm
Studio album by
Mica Levi and Oliver Coates
Released25 November 2016 (2016-11-25)
GenreExperimental1
Length27:51
LabelSlip
Mica Levi chronology
Under the Skin
(2014) 		Remain Calm
(2016) 		Jackie
(2016)
Oliver Coates chronology
Upstepping
(2016) 		Remain Calm
(2016) 		Shelley's on Zenn-La
(2018)

Remain Calm is a collaborative studio album by English musicians Mica Levi and Oliver Coates. It was released on 25 November 2016 through Slip. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.2

Background

Mica Levi is an English composer, record producer, and singer-songwriter.3 Oliver Coates is an English cellist.4 Remain Calm originates from the duo's NTS session in 2014.56 It consists of 13 tracks, clocking in at 28 minutes.7 Coates previously provided strings on Levi's soundtrack to the film Under the Skin.8

The album was released on 25 November 2016 through Slip.9 Music videos were released for "Barok Main"10 and "Dolphins Climb onto Shore for the First Time".11

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/1002
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar12
Clash7/1013
Drowned in Sound6/1014
The Line of Best Fit8/107
Pitchfork7.7/101
Resident Advisor3.7/515
Tiny Mix TapesStarStarStarHalf star16

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Remain Calm received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 9 critic scores.2

Paul Simpson of AllMusic commented that "It's not exactly a 'fun' album, but there is a sense of playfulness to it, and the duo seem excited to uncover such unexpected combinations of sounds."12 He added, "The result is an unpredictable, captivating listening experience."12 Thea Ballard of Pitchfork wrote, "Even as its mood slides from pensive to morose to quietly exuberant, this remains throughout one of the more enjoyable experimental releases this year."1

Accolades

Year-end lists for Remain Calm
Publication List Rank Ref.
The Quietus The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016
77
17
The Vinyl Factory The 50 Best Albums of 2016
22
18

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mica Levi and Oliver Coates.

Remain Calm track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Pre-Barok"1:57
2."Bless Our Toes"2:32
3."Dolphins Climb onto Shore for the First Time"3:29
4."Schoolhouse"0:42
5."Dragon in the Mist"1:10
6."I'll Keep Going"3:45
7."Xhill Stepping"3:35
8."Fight in the Men's Toilets"0:27
9."Barok Main"3:12
10."County H"1:27
11."New Wren Kitch"2:37
12."Say Goodbye to Everyone"0:35
13."Mob of Waters"2:20
Total length:27:51

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.19

  • Mica Levi – performance, mixing
  • Oliver Coates – performance, mixing
  • Erik Nyström – recording
  • Beau Thomas – mastering
  • Leah Walker – artwork
References

References

  1. Ballard, Thea (3 December 2016). "Mica Levi / Oliver Coates: Remain Calm". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  2. "Remain Calm by Mica Levi". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  3. Phares, Heather. "Mica Levi". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  4. Simpson, Paul. "Oliver Coates". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  5. Bowe, Miles (14 September 2016). "Mica Levi teams with cellist Oliver Coates on LP Remain Calm". Fact. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  6. Day, Laurence (15 September 2016). "Mica Levi and Radiohead cellist Oliver Coates collaborating on new LP". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  7. Cleeve, Sam (14 November 2016). "Mica Levi and Oliver Coates soundtrack a different world entirely". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  8. Eede, Christian (12 October 2016). "WATCH: New Mica Levi & Oliver Coates Video". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 24 September 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  9. Pearce, Sheldon (14 September 2016). "Mica Levi and Radiohead Collaborator Oliver Coates Announce New Album, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  10. Slip (25 July 2017). "Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - 'Barok Main' [SLP035]". YouTube. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  11. Slip (25 July 2017). "Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - 'Dolphins Climb Onto Shore For The First Time' [SLP035]". YouTube. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  12. Simpson, Paul. "Remain Calm - Mica Levi, Oliver Coates". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  13. Butler, Will (13 December 2016). "Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - Remain Calm". Clash. Archived from the original on 19 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. Adcock, Lee (24 November 2016). "Album Review: Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - Remain Calm". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  15. Blanning, Lisa (30 November 2016). "Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - Remain Calm". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  16. Lubner, Rafael (30 November 2016). "Mica Levi & Oliver Coates - Remain Calm". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  17. "The Quietus Albums Of The Year 2016, In Association With Norman Records". The Quietus. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  18. "The 50 best albums of 2016". The Vinyl Factory. 14 December 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  19. "Remain Calm | Mica Levi & Oliver Coates". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
External links