Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp

Alison Goldfrapp performing live in Cambridge, 2005
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres Electronic, electropop, synthpop, electroclash, trip hop, glam rock, ambient
Years active 1999–present
Labels Mute
Website www.goldfrapp.com
Members
Alison Goldfrapp
Will Gregory

Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals/synthesizer) and Will Gregory (synthesizer).

Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, the ambient sound of their 2000 debut album Felt Mountain did not chart highly.[1][2] Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry, which incorporated glam rock and synthpop sounds into their music, was released in 2003. The album influenced the same dance-oriented sound of their third album Supernature.[3] Supernature took Goldfrapp's work further into dance music, and enjoyed international chart success.[1][4] Supernature produced three number-one U.S. dance singles, and was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.[5] Their fourth album Seventh Tree placed a greater emphasis on ambient and downtempo music, drawing inspiration from nature and Paganism,[6] while their fifth album, Head First, found the group exploring 1980s-influenced synthpop, and brought the formation a Grammy Award-nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2010.[7]

Some of their charting singles include "Utopia", "Strict Machine", "Train", "Black Cherry", "Number 1", "Ride a White Horse", "A&E", "Happiness" and "Ooh La La" - their most successful single to date.

Contents

History

Formation (1999)

Alison Goldfrapp began her musical career in the early 1990s as a guest vocalist with the electronic band Orbital and trip hop artist Tricky.[8] In 1999, she was introduced to composer Will Gregory after he had listened to an early version of the song "Human". Gregory felt a connection with Goldfrapp and invited her to record a demo for the film soundtrack he was composing, to see if they could work together.[9] The demo was never completed, but the recording session had been pleasant. Following several months of phone calls, they decided to form a musical band and began performing under Goldfrapp's last name.[9]

In August 1999, Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record label Mute Records.[10] The pair began recording their debut album over a six-month period, beginning in September 1999, in a rented bungalow in the Wiltshire countryside.[10] The recording process was difficult for Alison, who often found herself alone and disturbed by the mice and insects in the bungalow.[10]

Felt Mountain (2000–2002)

Goldfrapp's debut album Felt Mountain was released in September 2000 and featured the singles "Lovely Head", "Utopia", "Pilots (On a Star)" and "Human". The album featured Alison Goldfrapp's synthesized vocals over cinematic soundscapes[11] and is influenced by a variety of music styles including cabaret, folk and electronic music.[12] The album was well received by music critics, described as "simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful".[13] It reached number fifty-seven on the UK Albums Chart,[1] and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.[14] In 2001, Felt Mountain was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album from the previous year.[2]

The lyrics on Felt Mountain were written by Alison Goldfrapp and are abstract obsessional tales inspired by films, her childhood, and the loneliness she felt while recording the album.[10] The song "Oompa Radar" was inspired by Roman Polanski's film Cul-de-sac, while "Pilots", which describes travelers floating in the atmosphere above the earth, was inspired by John Barry's James Bond theme songs.[8]

To promote Felt Mountain, Goldfrapp toured the UK, Europe and North America, supporting the alternative music bands Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Doves. The band found it difficult to perform songs from the album live because of their complex arrangements which required up to forty musicians. They eventually settled on performing with violinist Davide Rossi, drummer Rowan Oliver and keyboardist Andy Davies.[15]

Black Cherry (2003–2004)

Alison Goldfrapp wearing a horse tail while performing in October 2003.

Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry was released in April 2003. The band recorded the album in a darkened studio in Bath, England. The studio's walls were covered in neon lights and Goldfrapp used them to write down her song ideas.[16] The album focused more heavily on dance music and glam rock inspired synths than its predecessor.[17] Alison Goldfrapp commented that the album differed from Felt Mountain because the band "felt that we really didn't want to repeat what we had done...we kind of wanted to do something that felt equally as fresh to us as the first one felt fresh to us, and we wanted to put more kind of "oomph" in it."[18] The album received positive reviews from critics, who found it to be an "unexpected delight"[19] and a "rare electronica album of warmth and depth...the ultimate chillout pleasure".[20] Black Cherry peaked at number nineteen on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States.[21][4] It sold well, reaching platinum status in the UK[22] and selling 52,000 copies in the U.S.[23]

The first single released from the album was "Train", which reached number twenty-three on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song's lyrics discuss obsession and overindulgence and were inspired by Goldfrapp's visit to Los Angeles while touring in support of Felt Mountain.[18] "Strict Machine" was released as the album's second single. The song proved successful on several formats, and reached number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.[24] In 2004, "Strict Machine" won an Ivor Novello Award for "Best Dance Single".[25] The third single released from Black Cherry was "Twist", a song inspired by a sexual fantasy Goldfrapp had as a teenager.[18] The title track was released as the album's fourth single and reached number twenty-eight in the UK.[21]

In 2003, Alison Goldfrapp modified her image, from a sophisticated Marlene Dietrich inspired look to that of a New Wave diva.[26] The reinvented image included false eyelashes, customized T-shirts, military uniforms and fishnet stockings.[27] In 2004, the band toured Australia, Japan, Europe and North America supporting Duran Duran,[28] and embarked on the Wonderful Electric Tour. Sections of the stage show featured Goldfrapp in a white dress wearing a horse tail and dancers with deer heads, and were inspired by Goldfrapp's interest in animals and mythology.[29]

Supernature (2005–2006)

Supernature, Goldfrapp's third album, was released in August 2005. The album comprises pop and electronic dance music prominently featured on Black Cherry, but focuses more on subtle hooks instead of the large choruses that made up its predecessor. The band never intended to create dance music, however, previous releases were popular across nightclubs in North America and as a result, they decided to write a more dance-oriented album. Supernature debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, selling 52,000 copies in its first week.[30] It has sold one million copies worldwide[31] and was certified platinum in the UK.[32] The album received a Grammy Award nomination in 2007 for Best Electronic/Dance Album and "Ooh La La" was nominated for Best Dance Recording.[5]

"Ooh La La", the album's lead single, became Goldfrapp's first UK top five single.[21] The song was chosen as the lead single "because it was up and in your face and carried on the theme of the glammy, discoey beat from the last album".[33] "Ooh La La" became the first song performed by the band to feature the electric guitar[3] and was often cited as a highlight of the album by music critics.[34] "Number 1" was released as the album's second single. Constructed around a synthesizer and bass arrangement, it was written about the importance of relationships.[35] The album's third single "Ride a White Horse" was inspired by the disco era[36] and reached number 15 in the UK.[21] "Fly Me Away" was released as the album's fourth single, but did not perform as well as its predecessors.[21]

Goldfrapp performing live in 2008.

In 2006, Goldfrapp released We Are Glitter, a North American-only compilation of remixes from Supernature. It included a Flaming Lips remix of "Satin Chic", the band's favourite song from the album.[37]

Seventh Tree (2006–2008)

Goldfrapp began writing and recording their fourth album at the end of 2006 in Bath, England. Alison Goldfrapp described their winter recording sessions as difficult. However, spring recording sessions brought them more favourable results.[38] Seventh Tree, their fourth album, was released in February 2008,[6] and debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart.[21] The album is a departure from the pop and electronic-dance music featured on Supernature, and features ambient and downtempo music. The band were inspired by an acoustic radio session they had performed, which led the duo to incorporate acoustic guitars into their music to create "warm" and "delicate" sounds.[39]

The album's lead single, "A&E", reached number ten in the UK.[1] The single received positive reviews from critics, who found it to be "a beautifully paced ballad"[40] and "lush, folky and organic".[41] "Happiness", the album's second single, reached number twenty-five in the UK.[1] The third single, "Caravan Girl", which describes the story of a girl that suffers from amnesia, reached number fifty-four in the UK.[21][42]

In 2008, Alison Goldfrapp again reinvented her image, this time as a circus performer. The artwork for Seventh Tree featured her dressed as a clown because it is an "iconic image" with "so many different connotations".[43] Goldfrapp chose to tone down her overtly sexual image because she felt that it was taking over the music. Her new image, inspired by Paganism, featured her dressed in white or natural-coloured flowing gowns with loose, curly blond hair.[44][45]

Head First (2009–2010)

In September 2009, Goldfrapp announced that they had begun recording their fifth studio album, Head First.[46] A photoshoot for the album already took place in November. On 1 December 2009 the duo announced the release of their fifth album, Head First, on 22 March 2010. Lead single "Rocket" was premiered on The Jo Whiley Show on 23 January 2010 and subsequently released on 9 March 2010.[47]

"Alive" was released as the second single from Head First on 7 June 2010 and was available as a download and limited edition picture vinyl. This date also marked the beginning of the Head First World Tour in support of the album. The song "Believer" was released as the album's third single on 6 September 2010.

The album received a Grammy Award nomination in 2010 for Best Electronic/Dance Album and "Rocket" was nominated for Best Dance Recording. Following a successful year on the Billboard Music Charts, Goldfrapp appeared on a few of the Year End Charts in 2010

On 19 November 2010, Alison blogged on the band's official website that their contractual agreement with EMI had come to an end and that Goldfrapp will be releasing a 'Best Of' album for 2011/12.

Future work

On 2 May 2011 it was confirmed that Goldfrapp are working on a new album, as quoted from Goldfrapp's twitter account[48] "As most of you know, our studio is in this part of the world and it's where we've written all our albums. We've started writing but won't be rushing things. I will keep you up to date with what we are up to."

On 27 July Alison Goldfrapp, from their Twitter account confirms that Goldfrapp will play in South-America for a three-date minitour which will take place at Personal Fest 2011, Buenos Aires (Argentina) on 4 November, Planeta Terra 2011 festival (Brazil) on 5 November and Maquinaria Festival (Chile) on 8 November.[49]

Musical style

Although Goldfrapp's musical style has changed over time, they are considered to be an electronic music band. Goldfrapp has explored a range of musical styles in their songs, although many songs are characterized by Alison Goldfrapp's distinctive breathy, soft soprano vocals and Will Gregory's multi-layered synthesizer and string arrangements.[50] The band's sound has progressed from an ambient sound in Felt Mountain, through electronic music in Black Cherry to a more glam rock sound in Supernature, and most recently to a blend of ambient, folk and electronic in Seventh Tree and an 1980s synthpop influence in Head First. However, they have experimented with other genres of music, such as cabaret ("Satin Chic", "Oompah Radar"), electroclash ("Slide In", "Koko"), folktronica ("Clowns") and cha-cha-cha ("Human").

Goldfrapp draws inspiration from a range of artists and genres. Alison Goldfrapp listened to Kate Bush, T. Rex, Donna Summer and Iggy Pop as a teenager and discovered Serge Gainsbourg while working in Belgium.[51] While traveling through Europe in the early 1990s, she also began listening to Polish disco music and cabaret music from the Weimar Republic.[51] Will Gregory's musical background was classical music and has cited Ennio Morricone as his main influence.[9] Other media, including film, have had an impact on Goldfrapp; Alison Goldfrapp cites Roman Polanski's psychological thriller Cul-de-sac, the cult film The Wicker Man, and the James Bond franchise as influences.[8][52] They also draw inspiration from surrealism and nature, all of which appear in the band's album artwork, which Goldfrapp designs in collaboration with Big Active.[10] Goldfrapp have also remixed Marilyn Manson's single "This Is the New Shit" and Lady Gaga's single "Judas".

The majority of the band's songs are composed by Goldfrapp and Gregory, although they have collaborated with session musician Nick Batt several times. They have called their writing sessions a "democratic affair", playing off one another while in the recording studio.[3] However, Goldfrapp is responsible for the lyrics. While writing, Goldfrapp uses her vocals to create melodies and drumbeats.[53] Gregory composes his music on vintage keyboards, interpreting the mood of Goldfrapp's lyrics.[53] Alison Goldfrapp believes that "music is a visual experience" and therefore visualizes her lyrics before writing them. Her songwriting is characterized by its use of animals to describe human emotions and status.

Discography

Awards and nominations

Year Type Award Result
2004 BRIT Awards British Dance Act Nominated
ASCAP/PRS Awards Dance Award Won
Ivor Novello Awards Best Dance Single ("Strict Machine") Won
2005 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Alternative Nominated
2007 Grammy Awards Best Dance Recording ("Ooh La La") Nominated
Best Electronic/Dance Album (Supernature) Nominated
International Dance Music Awards Best Progressive House/Trance Track ("Number 1") Nominated
2008 Q Awards Best Video ("Happiness") Nominated
2011 Grammy Awards Best Dance Recording ("Rocket") Nominated
Best Electronic/Dance Album (Head First) Nominated

References

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  2. ^ a b "Mercury Music Prize: The nominees". BBC. 25 July 2001. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Grow, Kory. "British electro-duo Goldfrapp evens out the odds with their latest, Supernature". College Music Journal. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Goldfrapp > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
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  7. ^ '53rd Annual Grammy Award Nominations' Retrieved 2 December 2010
  8. ^ a b c Micallef, Ken. "Whips, Wolves, & Tricky". Yahoo!. 17 December 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  9. ^ a b c Flinn, Sean. "Scaling Felt Mountain". Choler Magazine. 25 January 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
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  27. ^ O'Connell, Sharon. "Strange Fruit". TimeOut London. 16 May 2003. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  28. ^ Sandall, Robert. "Cover Story: The Old Romantics". The Independent. 17 September 2001. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
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  30. ^ "Week 34 Chart Roundup". ChartSingles.net. 30 August 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
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  35. ^ "Goldfrapp Unleash Supernature". Rolling Stone. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  36. ^ Timmermans, Arjan. "Interview with Goldfrapp". ArjanWrites. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  37. ^ Supernature. North American DVD — "Little bits of Goldfrapp". Information about the recording of "Supernature". Retrieved 27 March 2006.
  38. ^ "Accidents & Emergency ". IHeartBerlin.de. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  39. ^ Ayers, Michael D. "Goldfrapp Quiets Down On 'Seventh Tree'". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
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  45. ^ Rogers, Jude. "Manure rather than manicure". The Guardian. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  46. ^ Goldfrapp, Alison. "Hello Nowhere Boy x". Goldfrapp.com. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
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  48. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/goldfrapp Retrieved 2 May 2011
  49. ^ "Goldfrapp go to South America"."goldfrappmania.com"
  50. ^ "Goldfrapp Biography". Mute Records. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  51. ^ a b Patterson, Sylvia. "Glam Slam". The Sunday Herald. 4 September 2005. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  52. ^ Stubbs, Dan. "In the Studio: Twiddling the Knobs This Month: Goldfrapp". Q. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  53. ^ a b Gallant, Michael. "Retro Disco Ooh La La". Keyboard Magazine. February 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2007.
  54. ^ "Goldfrapp.de News". Goldfrapp.de. Retrieved 23 November 2010.

External links



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