Goldfrapp

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Biography

Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London , England, UK, consisting of Alison Goldfrapp ( lead vocalist|vocals / synthesizer ) and Will Gregory (synthesizer).

Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize , the ambient music|ambient sound of their 2000 debut album Felt Mountain did not chart highly.. BBC . 25 July 2001. Retrieved 11 April 2009. Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry (Goldfrapp 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 (Goldfrapp album)|Supernature .Grow, Kory. . College Music Journal . Retrieved 12 June 2007. Supernature took Goldfrapp's work further into dance music , and enjoyed international chart success. Supernature produced three number-one US dance singles, and was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album|Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Grammy Awards .. Grammy Awards . Retrieved 12 June 2007. Their fourth album Seventh Tree placed a greater emphasis on ambient and downtempo music, drawing inspiration from nature and Paganism , while their fifth album, Head First (Goldfrapp album)|Head First , found the group exploring 1980s-influenced synthpop, and brought the formation a Grammy Award -nomination for Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album|Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010

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

History

1999: Formation

Alison Goldfrapp began her musical career in the early 1990s as a guest vocalist with the electronic band Orbital (band)|Orbital and trip hop artist Tricky .Micallef, Ken. . Yahoo! . 17 December 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2007. In 1999, she was introduced to composer Will Gregory after he had listened to an early version of the song " Human (Goldfrapp song)|Human ". Gregory felt a connection with Goldfrapp and invited her to record a Demo (music)|demo for the film soundtrack he was composing, to see if they could work together.Flinn, Sean. . Choler Magazine . 25 January 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2007. 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 Family name|last name .

In August 1999, Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record label Mute Records .Simpson, Dave. . The Guardian . 4 May 2001. Retrieved 14 June 2007. The pair 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.

2000–02: Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp's debut album Felt Mountain was released in September 2000 and featured the singles " Lovely Head ", " Utopia (Goldfrapp song)|Utopia ", " Pilots (Goldfrapp song)|Pilots (On a Star) " and " Human (Goldfrapp song)|Human ". The album featured Alison Goldfrapp's synthesized vocals over cinematic soundscape s. Mute Records . Retrieved 14 June 2007. and is influenced by a variety of music styles including cabaret , folk music|folk and electronic music .Phares, Heather. . Allmusic . Retrieved 14 June 2007. The album was well received by music critics, described as "simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful".Matt LeMay. . Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 14 June 2007. It reached number fifty-seven on the UK Albums Chart ,. everyHit.com. Retrieved 8 January 2008. Note: User must define 'Artist Name' search parameter as "Goldfrapp". and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry .. British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 June 2007. 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 were written by Alison Goldfrapp and are abstract obsessional tales inspired by films, her childhood, and the loneliness she felt while recording the album. The song "Oompa Radar" was inspired by Roman Polanski 's film Cul-de-sac (1966 film)|Cul-de-sac , while "Pilots", which describes travelers floating in the atmosphere above the earth, was inspired by John Barry (composer)|John Barry 's James Bond theme songs.

To promote Felt Mountain , Goldfrapp toured the UK, Europe and North America, supporting the Alternative rock|alternative music bands Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Doves (band)|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 violin ist Davide Rossi , drummer Rowan Oliver and Musical keyboard|keyboard ist Andy Davies.Sargeant, A. . Crud Magazine . September 2001. Retrieved 15 June 2007.

2003–04: Black Cherry

Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry (Goldfrapp album)|Black Cherry was released in April 2003. The band recorded the album in a darkened studio in Bath, Somerset|Bath , England. The studio's walls were covered in Neon lamp|neon light s and Goldfrapp used them to write down her song ideas.. Mute Records . Retrieved 15 June 2007. The album focused more heavily on dance music and glam rock -inspired synthesizer|synths than its predecessor.Hermann, Andy. . PopMatters . 2 May 2003. Retrieved 15 June 2007. 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.". New Beats . April 2003. Retrieved 15 June 2007. The album received positive reviews from critics, who found it to be an "unexpected delight"Petridis, Alexis. . The Guardian . 18 April 2003. Retrieved 15 June 2007. and a "rare electronica album of warmth and depth...the ultimate chillout pleasure".May, Wes. . About.com . Retrieved 15 June 2007. Black Cherry peaked at number nineteen on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States.. ChartStats.com. Retrieved 1 December 2008.. Allmusic . Retrieved 8 January 2008. It sold well, reaching platinum status in the UK. British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 June 2007. and selling 52,000 copies in the US.Caulfield, Keith. . Billboard (magazine)|Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2007.

The first single released from the album was " Train (Goldfrapp song)|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 US Hot Dance Club Songs|Hot Dance Club Play chart.. Billboard (magazine)|Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 14 June 2007. In 2004, "Strict Machine" won an Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award for "Best Dance Single".Poole, Lawrence. ". Manchester Evening News . 8 July 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2007. The third single released from Black Cherry was " Twist (Goldfrapp song)|Twist ", a song inspired by a sexual fantasy Goldfrapp had as a teenager. The Black Cherry (song)|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 music|New Wave diva .Wilson Neate. . Dusted Magazine . Retrieved 14 June 2007. The reinvented image included false eyelashes, customized T-shirts, military uniforms and fishnet stockings.O'Connell, Sharon. . TimeOut London . 16 May 2003. Retrieved 14 June 2007. Starting in March 2003, the band toured the album, with a concert series entitled Black Cherry Tour . In 2004, the band further toured Australia, Japan, Europe and North America supporting Duran Duran ,Sandall, Robert. . The Independent . 17 September 2001. Retrieved 14 June 2007. 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.. BBC . 29 June 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2007.

2005–06: Supernature

Supernature (Goldfrapp album)|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.. ChartSingles.net. 30 August 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2007. It has sold one million copies worldwide. Goldfrapp.com. Retrieved 29 May 2007. and was certified platinum in the UK.. British Phonographic Industry . 13 January 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2007. The album received a Grammy Award nomination in 2007 for Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album|Best Electronic/Dance Album and " Ooh La La (Goldfrapp song)|Ooh La La " was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording|Best Dance Recording .

"Ooh La La", the album's lead single , became Goldfrapp's first UK top five single. 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".Van Den Boogert, Kate. . GoGo Paris. July–August 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2007. "Ooh La La" became the first song performed by the band to feature the electric guitar and was often cited as a highlight of the album by music critics.Phares, Heather. . Allmusic . 7 March 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2007. " Number 1 (Goldfrapp song)|Number 1 " was released as the album's second single. Constructed around a synthesizer and Bass guitar|bass arrangement, it was written about the importance of relationships.. Rolling Stone . 7 March 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007. The album's third single " Ride a White Horse " was inspired by the disco eraTimmermans, Arjan. . ArjanWrites. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2007. and reached number 15 in the UK. " Fly Me Away " was released as the album's fourth single, but did not perform as well as its predecessors.

In 2006, Goldfrapp released We Are Glitter , a North American-only compilation of remix es from Supernature . It included a The Flaming Lips|Flaming Lips remix of " Satin Boys, Flaming Chic|Satin Chic ", the band's favourite song from the album. Supernature . North American DVD & mdash; "Little bits of Goldfrapp". Information about the recording of "Supernature". Retrieved 27 March 2006.

2006–08: Seventh Tree

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.. IHeartBerlin.de. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2008. Seventh Tree , their fourth album, was released in February 2008,. Music Week . 5 November 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2007 and debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart. 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 music|acoustic radio session they had performed, which led the duo to incorporate acoustic guitars into their music to create "warm" and "delicate" sounds.Ayers, Michael D. . Billboard (magazine)|Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.

The album's lead single, " A& E (song)|A& E ", reached number ten in the UK. The single received positive reviews from critics, who found it to be "a beautifully paced ballad"Murphy, John. . MusicOMH.com. Retrieved 12 February 2008. and "lush, folky and organic".Levine, Nick. . Digital Spy . 11 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008. " Happiness (Goldfrapp song)|Happiness ", the album's second single, reached number twenty-five in the UK. The third single, " Caravan Girl ", which describes the story of a girl that suffers from amnesia , reached number fifty-four in the UK.Byloo, Vincent. . Focus Magazine . 20 February 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2008.

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".Papamarko, Sofi. . Exclaim! . October 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008. 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.Welch, Andy. . Chester Chronicle . 27 October 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.Rogers, Jude. . The Guardian . 25 January 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.

2009–10: Head First

In September 2009, Goldfrapp announced that they had begun recording their fifth studio album, Head First (Goldfrapp album)|Head First .Goldfrapp, Alison. . Goldfrapp.com. Retrieved 13 November 2009. 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 (Goldfrapp song)|Rocket " was premiered on The Jo Whiley Show on 23 January 2010 and subsequently released on 9 March 2010.Pitchfork Media. . Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 1 December 2009.

" Alive (Goldfrapp song)|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

2011–present: The Singles and sixth studio album

On 2 May 2011 it was confirmed that Goldfrapp are working on a new album, as quoted from Goldfrapp's twitter account: "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." http://twitter.com/#!/goldfrapp Retrieved 2 May 2011

On 27 July Alison confirmed via Twitter that Goldfrapp would play in South America for a three-date minitour which took 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.."goldfrappmania.com"

Following the duo's departure from EMI , it was announced in December 2011 that a fourteen-track retrospective compilation titled The Singles (Goldfrapp album)|The Singles would be released on 6 February 2012 by Mute and Parlophone , including the biggest singles from their five studio albums, as well as two brand-new tracks, "Melancholy Sky" and "Yellow Halo". A video for "Yellow Halo" was directed by Lisa Gunning and shot entirely on an iPhone .

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.. Mute Records . Retrieved 12 June 2007. The band's sound has progressed from an Ambient music|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 music|ambient , folk music|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 (music)|cha-cha-cha ("Human").

Goldfrapp draws inspiration from a range of artists and genres. Alison Goldfrapp listened to Kate Bush , T. Rex (band)|T. Rex , Donna Summer and Iggy Pop as a teenager and discovered Serge Gainsbourg while working in Belgium.Patterson, Sylvia. . The Sunday Herald . 4 September 2005. Retrieved 15 June 2007. While traveling through Europe in the early 1990s, she also began listening to Polish disco music and cabaret music from the Weimar Republic . Will Gregory's musical background was classical music and has cited Ennio Morricone as his main influence. Other media, including film, have had an impact on Goldfrapp; Alison Goldfrapp cites Roman Polanski 's psychological thriller Cul-de-sac (1966 film)|Cul-de-sac , the cult film The Wicker Man (1973 film)|The Wicker Man , and the James Bond franchise as influences.Stubbs, Dan. "In the Studio: Twiddling the Knobs This Month: Goldfrapp". Q (magazine)|Q . Retrieved 15 January 2008. 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. Goldfrapp have also remixed Marilyn Manson 's single " This Is the New Shit " and Lady Gaga 's single " Judas (song)|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. However, Goldfrapp is responsible for the lyrics. While writing, Goldfrapp uses her vocals to create melodies and drumbeats.Gallant, Michael. . Keyboard Magazine . February 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2007. Gregory composes his music on vintage keyboards, interpreting the mood of Goldfrapp's lyrics. 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

Felt Mountain (2000)

Black Cherry (Goldfrapp album)|Black Cherry (2003)

Supernature (Goldfrapp album)|Supernature (2005)

Seventh Tree (2008)

Head First (Goldfrapp album)|Head First (2010)

Awards and nominations

Year	Type	Award	Result
2004	BRIT Awards	British Dance Act	nom
	ASCAP / PRS for Music	Dance Award	won
	Ivor Novello Awards	Best Dance Single (" Strict Machine ")	won
2005	MTV Europe Music Awards	Best Alternative	nom
2007	49th Grammy Awards	Best Dance Recording (" Ooh La La (Goldfrapp song)	nom
	49th Grammy Awards	Best Electronic/ Dance Album ( Supernature (Goldfrapp album)	nom
	International Dance Music Awards	Number 1 ")	nom
2008	Q Awards	Happiness ")	nom
2011	53rd Grammy Awards	Rocket ")	nom
2011	53rd Grammy Awards	Head First )	nom

Copyright Citations

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