About

Marley Carroll’s unassuming origins as a classically-trained percussionist were shattered after he took top honors at a statewide DJ battle at the prodigious age of 17. The experience catapulted him into notoriety and catalyzed his path towards career musicianship. In the intervening years he has evolved into a dynamic electronic producer, world-class turntablist and captivating live performer.

With his new album, Flight Patterns, Carroll has tuned his instruments skyward and infused his unique style of subtle and compelling dance music with samples and textures from the natural world. Bird songs, field recordings, gongs, deep basses, wooden percussion and plaintive analog synths provide the substrate for expansive instrumental songs with the kind of three-dimensional depth that invites immersive, intentional listening. Released in late 2018, Flight Patterns captured the attention of leading outlets like XLR8R, This Song Is Sick, and KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and represents a new high watermark for the veteran producer.

Onstage, Marley brings a raw and improvisatory adaptation of his music to rapt audiences, combining live sampling, drum pads and looping with stunning and often unorthodox turntable skills. He has shared the stage with like-minded peers like Floating Points, Bonobo and DJ Shadow and has appeared at groundbreaking music festivals across the country, including Coachella, LiB and Moogfest.

“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 with “The Hunter.” — Pitchfork