Coralie is a Nottingham-based DJ and producer whose work in the studio has been attracting serious attention. With news of an EP coming out soon, Rory Evans catches up with the man responsible for making some of the most recognisable tunes to come out of the city, finding out more about his releases, his inspirations and how he makes music…
Coralie has been making music for five years now but he isn’t prepared to rest on his laurels. He released a new EP, Anemore, in the first few days of the year, marking an exceptionally busy start to 2021, with news of a second offering due soon.
What inspired you to start making music and have your inspirations changed over the years?
Once I started mixing I quickly started edging towards the darker and weirder numbers, so trying to make those sounds myself was just the natural step. Going to Wigflex and hearing the absolute slop coming out of the system, thinking “I’d love to make summit like that”.
Recently I’ve really started to crack down on what I’m trying to do and say with my production. I had a couple of releases early doors under a different alias that were really techno-based, but it’s become a lot more experimental over the years.
This is partly the reason for the change of name as I wanted to get away from those tracks. Coralie is my mum’s name; she’s definitely the toughest person I know and my biggest inspiration so it seemed a no brainer for that to be my alias going forward.
How are you coping with lockdown and how has it affected your music production?
Coping is probably the best word for it. The need for normality is beyond silly now (along with a good rave) but I do have a studio space that I can lock off in and make some proper noise which has been a lifeline to be honest.
For the first couple of months it was quite good in the sense that I got to plug a load of time into my music. But if you listen to what I’ve made during lockdown, it definitely gets darker the further time has dragged on.
Anemone came out at the start of 2021, tell us about how that record came about and were you happy with the reaction once it was released?
The festive period wasn’t a good time for my family and my coping mechanism was sitting with my headphones in, trying to empty my head by turning it into noise.
I was chuffed to bits with the feedback I’ve received! Anemone has big emotional ties for me so to hear that people heard that or took something away from it was wicked.
Thank you again to Leftlion for your review, I thought it summed it up perfectly.
You are now about to release your second EP of the year, what can you tell us about this record?
The first track is basically just a weird opener, leading into two proper paint peelers to round it off. I’ve been doing a lot of work with Mark Evans (a percussionist who has previously worked with Jake Bugg, Martha Reeves and Ibiza DJ Jose Padilla) and his massive drum kits, so the EP’s got a right bit of clatter to it. Rolling arpeggiators and polyrhythms all over the gaff.
What is your production process when it comes to making music?
A lot of the time I’ll have an idea that I want to try and bring to life. Otherwise, I just like to plug all my gear in and patch away until I stumble across summit weird and/or wonderful.
Since I got into modular the options feel endless, which is great and you’re never short for ideas.
What equipment do you have in your studio?
The Mother 32 (A semi-modular analogue synthesizer) is my baby. I also have my Monologue (an analogue keyboard synthesizer), which my girlfriend will forever be in the good books for [for getting it].
I link up these two the most to mess about with. I also have an MS-1, a Crave (both Behringer synthesizers) and a few old Yamaha keyboards that I use from time to time. I run all of this through each other using the built-in sequencers, my BeatStep (a percussion MIDI-controller) and an old crusty mixing desk.
What other projects are you involved with outside of your own production?
I’m really excited about what I’ve been working on with Mark. He’s a badboy drummer and a veteran in the game, just chatting to him is quite inspiring. So to be able to jam with him and put my squelchy noises over his monster kits has been sick!
I’ve used a load of samples off him for the new EP. We’re planning on putting a proper bit out together in the future, but for the moment we’re just making discombobulated electro-jazz and having a laugh.
What do you miss most about clubs?
Mates, the music, the disco belly you get before a rave, all of it. There really is nothing like a good night at Wigflex to crack a joke with ya nearest and dearest and hear all the naughty bogger tunes shaking the venue.
What has the rest of 2021 got in store for you?
Hopefully, a lot. I told myself this year’s getting two-footed and so far I’m getting stuck right in. I’ve got a load of stuff in the pipeline including some wax, so for now it’s fingers crossed and crack on.
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