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Interview
by Dr Joe Doe
12-3-2004
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| Goldfrapp: walking back to sexiness |
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Gold wrapped for perpetuity
Goldfrapp seizes the sexed-up realm
Sexing-up has been the main concept of truth handling for the past dozen months and we truly despise the politicians, and all other public figures, doing it. The only one we truly enjoyed over the same period is - Goldfrapp, a band that turned from making music to watch the world laze by to firsthand involvement in an Eden of sin… Alison, whose surname provides the outfit’s name, has turned from a polite-but-aloof frontwoman to a man-eating vixen who watches with curiosity-derision-dismissively from behind the shades. Well, it could merely be a reflection of the time…
Living is getting more difficult and there are more stresses being identified almost weekly: the latest we noticed is ‘status stress’, as a new version of ‘class-inferiority’. God, from food-ists to fashionastas to sonic-despots… Music chairmen complain how we don’t buy records but we simply can’t decide when faced with such a huge choice, resulting in creation of another - cultural stress.
There is no doubt with a band like Goldfrapp, that was erroneously nominated for a Dance Brit, one of the most exciting live acts this country has produced in a decade. Not talking about the femme Alison who makes Kylie look anorexic and yet - inexplicably missed to bring Goldfrapp’s songs to a wider audience; their singles have struggled to win mainstream airplay.
But, when you see her live - you know that a new (mega)star is born! Now, she is taking dark and seductive eletcropop into homes - via a TV commercial - that will hopefully and justly bring her to the mass attention and chart action. Her live trekking has resulted in ‘Black Cherry’ finding home in 100,000 hearts [and, probably, other parts]! Success truly based on blood (boiling in frustration), perspiration (of trying) and tears (over anonymity), that commenced back in Continental Europe a way back, is earnestly earned. Alison was a guest vocalist on Tricky’s pioneering/trip-hop defining ‘Maxinquaye’ album, released in - February 1995!?
With musical (non-performing) partner Will Gregory, Alison Goldfrapp followed 2000’s lush ‘Felt Mountain’ with last year’s equally-lauded ‘Black Cherry’. The title track is also a current single and, if it ain’t better than Britney’s chart topping offering, then we are the walrus!
“It’s been frustrating because we would sound great on radio,” Alison voices the obvious. “We’ve been told our songs are too slow or too cool, or not slow or cool enough - it’s never worth trying to second-guess it.”
Still, Mercury nomination for the debut, Brit inclusion for the sophomore disc…
“It nice to be taken notice of but I think they struggled where to put us,” she remarks of the Brits. “We ended up in that category with a lot of people who are more obviously dance acts, such as Basement Jaxx and Groove Armada.”
Goldfrapp songs act like a plaster for a malcontent soul and make one feel ebullient.
Dolly grip
The NME (New Musical Express) Awards annual jamboree and the associated shows and tour, at the beginning of every year, are usually on the money with at least one or two artists that will entertain us in the future. They presented us with The Coral, Starsailor and Coldplay in not so distant past but this year… It may be argued that 2004 edition brought us Franz Ferdinand, who recently scored Top 3 hit, but - do we need a mix of The Strokes and Orange Juice?
The Streets, The Thrills, The Music, The Ravonettes (we’ll forever prefer The Cramps), The Stills, The Kills… A lot of definitive articles but nothing definitely original or heavy display of talent, as far as we can hear. Huge numbers are hinged on recycling previous generation’s ideas… Then, Lostprophets, Hundred Reasons, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, My Morning Jacket - it’s hard to imagine any of these bands winning a Grammy in few years time, as Coldplay have last month. Perhaps, Funeral For a Friend or, our favourite, The Rapture? On second thought…
Sure, not all of them are gifted with such universal appeal as Coldplay but we look, long and search for something different, something really alternative to the stereotypes, clichés and pop moulds, a wee subversion, pray… If it comes nowadays, it is usually in the female shapes - from Patti Smith to Goldfrapp, from Siouxsie Sioux to Erase Errata, from Peaches to Ill Ease… Extreme beautiliciousness, or some hormonal disorder…
Strangely that Goldfrapp sneaked under the radar of trendier media but not of the Mercury Music Award that nominated them for the debut album but then they cast the expectations away by adding lusty glam-rock-cum-discoid beats to their operatic synth soundarama. But, predictably, not everyone was pleased.
“Our French fans will never forgive us,” says the woman exuding more natural sex-appeal than Britney, Beyonce and Aguilera jointly, “Will and I could have made our lives a lot easier by just making another ‘Felt Mountain’. But, we hate being tied down.”
“We didn’t set out to deliberately change direction, we just wanted to experiment with different sounds.”
Different imagery as well as sexiness that doesn’t appear to be just gratuitous but a statement of liberation [she was convent schooled], tease of our kinkiness, toying with our voyeurism. But, she is not exposing parts like Beyonce or deny-but-coyly-doing-it Kylie…
“Does being female means you have to be this complete sex bomb?” she ponders before adding, “Where is the intrigue?”
Alison, in a sense, is like sexed-up Goldilocks.
Beyond the patched-up past
Goldfrapp’s nightmarish sleeve imagery and kooky sounds struck a chord with shock-rockist Marilyn Manson, who invited them to remix his last single. Mason was delighted with their version, describing it as “if Gary Glitter and Marlene Dietrich turned the Nurenberg rallies into a rave.”
“It was a great fun doing that,” says Ms Goldfrapp. “We’ve had quite a few remix requests since, but Will and I are dying to start writing our next album.”
Still, they agreed to apply remix touches to Franz Ferdinand and Depeche Mode’s songs. And then, they’ll be touring UK arenas as specially invited guests of Duran Duran. This, combined with the TV ad, should bring them to the pop-wide public. But then, no one knows what their next album is going to bring, including the principal members.
Alison said she and Will Gregory have “sort of” started work on their third album. But, she added, “We don’t really write before we get in the studio. We write it, play it, straight on tape.”
The vampiest chanteuse in the music industry has certainly put her candidacy for the Pop Queen now that Madonna has misplaced her magic. Alison Goldfrapp has it in lupine quantities!
Tour dates (with Duran Duran):
11 April - Arena, Nottingham
13 April - Wembley Arena, London
14 April - Wembley Arena, London
15 April - SECC, Glasgow
17 April - Evening News Arena, Manchester
18 April - NEC Arena, Birmingham
19 April - NEC Arena, Birmingham
21 April - Evening News Arena, Manchester
22 April - Arena, Newcastle
Dr Joe Doe
23-5-2005
Goldfrapp’s single and album ‘Black Cherry’ are available now on Mute
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