| Goldfrapp |
Alison
Goldfrapp performing at the Wireless Festival in June 2006
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
 England |
| Genre(s) |
Electropop
Electronica
Synthpop
Ambient |
| Years active |
1999–present |
| Label(s) |
Mute Records |
| Website |
www.goldfrapp.com |
| Members |
Alison
Goldfrapp
Will Gregory |
Goldfrapp is a British
electronica
group known for their visual theatrics and contribution to the
popularization of electronic dance music.
The group was formed in 1999 in London, England and consists of Alison
Goldfrapp (vocals/synthesizer) and Will
Gregory (synthesizer).
Despite positive reviews, the ambient
sound of their 2000 debut album Felt
Mountain was a commercial failure. In 2001, the
album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
Goldfrapp's second album Black
Cherry, which incorporated glam rock
and synthpop
into their music, was released in 2003. The album experienced success
across nightclubs
in North
America and influenced the dance-oriented sound of their third album Supernature.
Supernature took Goldfrapp's work further into glam
rock and dance music, and enjoyed international chart success.
The album produced three number one U.S.
dance singles, and was nominated for "Best
Electronic/Dance Album" at the 49th
Grammy Awards.
|
Contents
- 1 History
- 1.1 Formation
(1999)
- 1.2 Felt
Mountain (2000-2002)
- 1.3 Black
Cherry (2003-2004)
- 1.4 Supernature
(2005-2006)
- 1.5 We
Are Glitter (2006-Present)
- 2 Musical
style
- 2.1 Influences
- 2.2 Songwriting
- 3 Discography
- 3.1 Studio
albums
- 3.2 Selected
singles
- 4 Notes
- 5 External
links
|
History
Formation (1999)
Alison Goldfrapp began
her career in the early 1990s as a guest vocalist for the electronic
group Orbital and trip hop
artist Tricky.
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.
The demo was never completed, but the recording session had been
pleasant. Following several months of long distance phone calls, they
decided to form a musical group, performing under Goldfrapp's last
name.
In August 1999, Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record
label Mute
Records.
The group began recording their debut album over a six-month period,
beginning in September 1999, in a rented bungalow in
the Wiltshire
countryside.
The recording process was difficult for Alison, who often found herself
alone and disturbed by the mice and insects in the bungalow.
Felt Mountain
(2000-2002)
Goldfrapp's debut album Felt
Mountain was released in September 2000 and
featured the singles "Lovely Head" and "Pilots (On a Star)". The
album featured Alison Goldfrapp's synthesized vocals over cinematic soundscapes,
and takes influence from a variety of music styles such as cabaret, folk, and electronica.
The album was well received by music critics, and it was described as
"simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful".
The album reached number fifty-seven on the UK
albums chart,
and was certified gold.
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.
The lyrics on Felt Mountain, written by
Alison Goldfrapp, are abstract obsessional tales that were inspired by
films, her childhood and the loneliness that she felt while recording
the album.
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.
To promote Felt Mountain, Goldfrapp
embarked on a tour of the UK, Europe and North
America, supporting alternative music groups Nick Cave and the Bad
Seeds and the Doves.
The group found it difficult to perform songs from the album live
because of their complex arrangements which required close to forty
musicians. They eventually settled on performing with violinist Davide
Rossi, drummer
Rowan Oliver and keyboardist Andy
Davies. Gregory, however, did not find this arrangement ideal, as he
wanted to remain as close to the sound of the album as possible.
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 group
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 song ideas.
The album focused more heavily on dance music and glam rock
inspired synths
than its predecessor.
Goldfrapp commented that the album differed from Felt Mountain
because "we 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."
The album received positive reviews from critics, who found it to be an
"unexpected delight"
and a "rare electronica album of warmth and depth...the ultimate
chillout pleasure". 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.
It sold well, reaching platinum status in the UK
and selling 52,000 copies in the U.S.
The first single released from the album was "Train", which reached number
twenty-three on the UK singles chart.
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.
"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.
In 2004, "Strict Machine" won an Ivor
Novello Award for "Best Dance Single".
The third single released from Black Cherry was "Twist", a song inspired by a sexual
fantasy Goldfrapp had about a boy as a teenager.
The title track was released as the
album's fourth single, and reached number twenty-eight in the UK.
In 2003, Alison Goldfrapp modified her image, from a
sophisticated Marlene Dietrich inspired look to
that of a New Wave diva.
The reinvented image included false eyelashes, customized T-shirts,
military uniforms and fishnet stockings.
In 2004, the group toured Australia, Japan, Europe and North America,
supporting Duran Duran
and embarked on the Wonderful Electric Tour. Sections of the stage show
featured Goldfrapp dressed in a white dress wearing a horse tail and
dancers with deer heads, and were inspired by Goldfrapp's interest in
animals and mythology.
Supernature
(2005-2006)
