Local artist profile: Coach Frank

THIS week we chat with Coach Frank (a project by Paul Coppola), another rising local DJ and producer fresh off a barnstorming performance at Groovin’ the Moo 23.

How did you get into DJing?

Throughout my high school years I developed a taste for electronic music and found myself diving deeper and deeper into different subcultures. I then purchased a half-broken Pioneer DDJ-SB for $90 from Cash Converters, which I used to try and learn the very basics of DJing.

Somewhat later my friend Tyler, who I also have a duo Señor Señor with, owned some equipment that was a step up from my piece of kit and I would go round to his, share music and play some tracks together.

He would eventually keep upgrading equipment and I would continuously keep learning the equipment with him. Tyler started playing locally at some clubs for quite a while before me and would offer me some gigs. After a while of saying no due to a lack of confidence I eventually gave in and played my first club gig in January 2020.

What do you think is more important in DJing – technical ability or track selection?

I’ve always been on the side that track selection will always be more important than technical ability. As long as a DJ can do the basics well in terms of mixing I personally value track selection so much more. From being a punter for many years I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I’ve walked away from a DJ set thinking about how great the DJ skills were (DJ EZ was the best I have ever seen) instead of how great the track selections were.

Can you describe your style?

Under the Coach Frank project, the sounds I gravitate towards are emotionally driven, synth heavy tracks, a mixture of rhythms including four to the floor and breaks.

Tracks that provide a sense of melancholy or euphoria are usually where my tastes go towards. My style doesn’t consist of lots of cuts and switch ups. I enjoy playing out most of a song and then

finding the right time to transition. I enjoy playing tracks that often feature big emotional breakdowns that tend to feature unsettling or distorted synths.

Which electronic artists inspire you?

I grew up listening to a range of dance music from the late 2000s into the 2010s. I find a lot of artists inspiring in different ways. I currently love artists like Willaris K., Jacques Greene and overmono. The way these artists create a world within their songs is what I resonate with. I’m inspired by their use of unique arrangements and interesting song writing, mixed with melancholic and distorted synths. They seem to all capture a similar feeling in their music.

What’s one particular highlight you have from your career?

Putting out my first ever EP felt like a huge personal achievement as it was a nice feeling to know I’d put in the work to learn this new skill and had something to showcase.

It felt like such a huge step for me even though probably not many people heard it. I remember getting the masters back and driving round in my car testing how they sounded, with the artwork finished and everything finalised. I remember feeling proud of what I had accomplished as I had no one to show me the ropes or assist me and had undertaken this journey completely on my own.