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MELANCHOLY SKY
8 Jan 2012
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THE SINGLES
6 Feb 2012 |
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| Date |
June 27 2003 |
| Type |
Interview |
| Source |
Ministry of sound |
| Title |
She of the retro hairstylestalks to Gavin King |
| Country |
Australia |
| Journalist/Photographer |
Gavin King |
| Text |
There are two rather jarring moments on Goldfrapp's new album, Black Cherry. The first appears on "Tiptoe" and sounds like a cocktail lounge crooner after a glass of sweet cherry too many. The second arrives on the last track "Slippage", a monumental falsetto scream that lasts longer than is healthy. Both vocal highlights, incredibly, come from the one voice - that of Alison Goldfrapp.
"I'm glad you asked me about the scream! I'm quite proud of that scream! It was all one take. As for the deep voice on 'Tiptoe', yes it is me. I can't do it live though. I can't get the strength to project it, so the boys do it live."
After their debut Felt Mountain sold half a million copies and somehow caught the vibe of a world entering the new millennium, Alison and her Goldfrapp partner Will Gregory needed a change of scene. Moving from their rural idyll to the relative urbanity of downtown Bath, Black Cherry seemingly soaks in the electricity buzzing from the neon street lamps and transforms it into song. Alison, however, doesn't quite agree. "Does environment affect the recording? No, not really. I think your environment to a certain extent can inspire you, but you can take that inspiration anywhere. So, ultimately, I don't think it really matters where you are."
There's no denying the new album only retains peripheral touches of Felt Mountain - those sweeping strings, the bridled euphoria, and their peculiar blend of ennui and decadence. Mostly though, there's a new immediacy and urgency present on Black Cherry. "It's definitely more in your face," Alison agrees. "It's funny because some people seem to think it's less easy and then other people think it's much more poppy and immediate. It's been a mixed reaction really. I think it's a lot more direct and playful than Felt Mountain."
From her early days in the matriarchal halls of convent school to a stint squatting in abandoned London flats, Alison has lived on the edge of what her parents would classify as normal. Her past, of course, goes some way to explaining the unique position Goldfrapp inhabit in today's generic music world. "I was pretty naughty," she reveals. "I was definitely bored by school and where I was, just normal shit really. I knew what I wanted to do at quite a young age, so I was very keen to get out of town and go to the city, start my life. I left home when I was 16. I'm not sure if my parents have forgiven me for that yet!"
With word that Goldfrapp are heading to Australia soon, and given the cinematic grandeur they're renowned for, what can audiences expect from a live show? "It's quite traditional in that we've got a drummer who plays live drums, we've got a violin player, two keyboard players and a bass player. I stand at the front and it's all pretty straightforward really, we don't have films playing in the background or anything like that."
"Goldfrapp" and "straightforward" in the same sentence? Never! |
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