Pat Carroll takes us through Sydney's Coogee
Off the back of his new EP, Branching', Pat Carroll plays tour guide and takes us through some of his favourite spots in Sydney's Coogee.
Immersive, escapist and atmospheric are just some of the words that can describe Sydney producer Pat Carroll and his refined musical sound. Having first appeared back in 2018, he has become one of our very favourites thanks to the many evocative, richly detailed soundscapes he creates with each and every release, and his latest offering is no exception to this very high standard. Titled Branching, this three-track EP is the same Pat Carroll we've come to love over the years, but with a newly refined and invigorated artistic identity.
Including the Ivy-Jane Browne featuring 'Return Me', the title track and a song called 'Tectonics', Pat Carroll explores his production skills and takes them even further. Channeling the likes of Four Tet, Bonobo or closer to home with Juno Mamba, he fuses experimentalism in with his electronic soundscapes, honing his sound while remaining ambitious in his search to include new elements and styles into his work. As a result, the songs are evocative, emotive and heartfelt, maintaining an emotional intensity that is palpable throughout. Almost hypnotic or meditative in how easy it is to get lost in his work — even in the breakbeat heater, 'Tectonics' — Carroll showcases a vastly developed and unique sound, filling out every space on this impeccably detailed body of work.
Speaking of his latest release, Carroll said, "I really just wanted to start writing and see where I ended up...All the different styles of music I was listening to at the time of writing the tracks influenced the writing process in a fairly positive way. It feels special to be sharing these tracks because they were what I was working on during this really bizarre time."
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We've had Pat on our radar for a while now, but we figured it was time to get to know him a little better so we've let him play tour guide as he takes us through some of his favourite places in Sydney's Coogee area. All on film with photos he's taken, this hometown guide is a bit of a snapshot into the last few months for Carroll. Take a look below!
I tend to go for more strolls around the area than to any specific venues. There are these cliffs up at the north end of Coogee where I’ve spent a bunch of times with friends, or watching the sunrise. There’s always a few groups of people there on nice early mornings - during winter, people sometimes bring down blankets and hot drinks. It’s super nice!
Just south of the cliffs, there is a big green park that’s a real nice spot to hang out. You get this nice view of the ocean, and it’s usually less crowded than the beach area. I remember I few times coming down here with my laptop, headphones and maschine, and wrote some really chilled beats. Damn - just writing about it makes me want to do that again.
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There used to be this massive pier that went out over coogee beach, but it was taken down in the early 30’s. When the waves get really wild though, like they have over the past few weeks, the foundations become exposed. When the weather is warm, I’ll usually start my day with a real early swim before heading into the studio. Having an ocean swim definitely puts you in the right frame of mind for any creative work.
There are loads of cafes down at Coogee, but choice is the Courtyard Cafe on Coogee Bay Road. Super friendly staff, delish coffee and food. My friend Kat took this photo of me gazing in pleasure at my ‘tradie roll’. When I’m there solo I like to bring a book or my journal down here - I wrote out all the edits I needed to do for the Branching EP here!
Forbes Street Studios on William Street is a beast of a studio. Anthony Garvin works a bit of magic in this room, fixing up some stuff on all my Pat Carroll releases. I’ve sat in on a few of the sessions with him, and always am amazed at how good those big Barefoot speakers sound - I remember when I first heard the Conditions EP being pumped through them and was blown away!
Branching is out now via Eyegaze. Buy/stream here.
Introduction by Emma Jones
All images supplied
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