Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999.[1] The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser).
Goldfrapp
London, England
1999–present
Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize,[2][3] their 2000 début studio album Felt Mountain[4] did not chart highly.[5] Goldfrapp's second album Black Cherry, which incorporated glam rock and synth-pop sounds into their music, was released in 2003.[6] The album's dance-oriented sound was carried over to their third album, Supernature.[2] Supernature took Goldfrapp's work further into dance music, and enjoyed international chart success.[5][7] The album produced three number-one US dance singles,[7] and was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.[8]
Their fourth album Seventh Tree placed a greater emphasis on ambient and downtempo music,[9] drawing inspiration from nature and paganism,[10] while their fifth album, Head First, found the group exploring 1980s-influenced synth-pop.[11] Head First also earned the duo their second Grammy Award nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2010.[12] Goldfrapp released their critically acclaimed sixth studio album, the folktronica-influenced Tales of Us, in September 2013.[13] Goldfrapp released their seventh studio album, Silver Eye, in March 2017, which debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart. The same position was achieved by Alison Goldfrapp's May 2023 debut solo album The Love Invention.
History[edit]
1999: Formation[edit]
Alison Goldfrapp began her musical career performing with Dance Company Catherine Massin throughout the Netherlands during her early twenties. Afterwards, she attended Middlesex University, where she studied fine art and started creating live performance pieces. In the early 1990s, Goldfrapp served as a guest vocalist with the electronic band Orbital and trip hop artist Tricky.[14] In 1999, she was introduced to composer Will Gregory after he listened to an early version of the song "Human". Gregory and Goldfrapp felt a mutual connection and wrote the track "Lovely Head". Following several months of phone calls, they decided to form a band and began performing under the name Goldfrapp.[1]
In August 1999, Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record label Mute Records.[3] They recorded their debut album over six months, beginning in September 1999, in a rented bungalow in the Wiltshire countryside.[3] The recording process was difficult, as they were disturbed by the mice and insects in the bungalow.[3]
2000–2002: Felt Mountain[edit]
Goldfrapp's début album Felt Mountain was released in September 2000 and produced the singles "Lovely Head", "Utopia", "Pilots (On a Star)" and "Human". It featured Alison Goldfrapp's vocals over cinematic soundscapes and is influenced by a variety of music styles including cabaret, folk and electronic music.[4][15] The album was well received by music critics,[2] including Pitchfork Media who described its sound as "simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful".[16] It reached number 57 on the UK Albums Chart,[5] and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.[17] 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.[3]
The lyrics on Felt Mountain were written by Alison Goldfrapp and are abstract obsessional tales inspired by films and her childhood. The song "Oompa Radar" was inspired by Roman Polanski's film Cul-de-sac, while "Pilots" describes travellers floating in the atmosphere above the earth.
To promote Felt Mountain, Goldfrapp toured the U.K., Europe and North America, supporting the alternative music bands Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and 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.[18]