Hailing from the misty mountains of Asheville, NC, Marley Carroll has been making steady waves as a singular artist exceptionally gifted in the dark arts of composition, production and turntablism. Today, the acclaimed producer releases Starlings / Seven Crows, the first in a series of double singles leading up to Flight Patterns, his third full-length LP.
On Flight Patterns, driving wooden drums, deep basses, field recordings and plaintive analog synths provide the substrate for expansive songs with the kind of three-dimensional depth that invites immersive, intentional listening. In a departure from his glitchy early style, Marley expands his sonic palette to include meticulously crafted hints of downtempo, UK bass and slow-motion house, elevating his rhythm-forward electronica to sublime new levels reminiscent of Boards of Canada, Caribou, Tycho, and Four Tet.
On creating “Starlings,” which features spacey Moog leads and intricate footwork-inspired drums, Marley said:
“I wanted to evoke the feeling of a thousand multiform elements moving in unison. I wanted it to be fast, dense, elegant and layered and to rush across the speakers like birds in flight.”
“Seven Crows,” our premiered track of today also available for FREE Download here, is a sinister dub workout laced with yawning bass, melodic chimes and hazy vocals. When asked about it, Marley stated:
“I work from a small home studio in the mountains and the surrounding woods are a favorite hangout for large gatherings of territorial crows. I began to notice a spooky, ominous kind of intelligence emanating from these animals and once I started observing their behavior I became fascinated by their activities, their comings-and-goings, their gossip and concerns. There are little dramas in the bird world playing out all around us, all the time, if we are tuned in. When making Seven Crows I tried to channel the shadowy feeling that creeps up your spine when you know you’re being watched.”
Asked to describe his creative process on Flight Patterns, he explained:
“I feel like sometimes the best thing you can do is to go outside and point a microphone at the sky. Music studios are designed to be these perfectly-sealed enclosures where the environment is precisely controlled and you’re surrounded on all sides by a nest of reassuring technology. This album represents a widening of my perspective and a renewed appreciation for the astonishing totality of nature.”
NPR called Marley’s earlier music “gorgeously subdued glitch pop.” Pitchfork raved, “A lot of artists working to merge dance music’s propulsive complications with straightforward songwriting structures aim for something as simply excellent as this, and they often fail; however, Carroll hits a direct bullseye.” Not surprisingly, the dynamic electronic music producer, world-class turntablist, singer/songwriter and captivating live performer has shared the stage with similarly-minded peers like Floating Points, Bonobo, and DJ Shadow.
“Seven Crows” is available for FREE Download here.
Flight Patterns is out November 16 via Loci Records.
Cover photo by Nicole McConville Photography
