Goldfrapp's change in style
- Thread starter michael
- Start date
noel emits
a wonderful wooden reason
swears
preppy-kei
All that Schaffel-beat stuff reminds me of Human League's cover of Gary Glitters Rock and Roll or perhaps Visage's Frequency 7. Don't rate Goldfrapp much, tho. Too contrived, which is sort of the point, but... meh.
N
nomadologist
Guest
Interesting, in a MIA-ish sort of way, how an artist/band can use an electronic dance genre to re-launch their previously bubbling-under career into the mainstream, even though this genre has died in the meantime. Black Cherry was at the cusp of schaffel and they seized the day. Presumably it's the mainstream references of both schaffel & Goldfrapp (T-Rex, Gary Glitter, the Sweet + Moroder/Summer) that make it so accessible.
But no-one seems to despise (or care about?) Goldfrapp for this, the way they do the MIAgpie... no politics involved in Goldfrapp I suppose, just pure pop/dance intertextuality. I actually don't get the MIA-hate, Galang is a fantastic pop hybrid of cool references, and right up Dissensus' street I would have thought, before the furore began. Surely Bow Wow Wow are one obvious precursor for the mud hut publicity wind-up aspect of it? Except MIA's music sounds better!?
(BTW is MIA the new Can of this forum?!)
Just as Ooh La La came out I heard this typical shuffle-riff come on daytime radio. Must be Goldfrapp I thought, I like the way they've carefully recreated that warm fuzzy 70's ambience and distortion, slightly shaky timing, carefully programmed to sound "live" no doubt, a gorgeous falling/dying guitar note reminiscent of Tricky's Suffocate/Neneh Cherry's Manchild... but the tune turned out to be Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky!!
I like the unapologetically slick production values (even the distortion is slick and knowing) of Goldfrapp from Black Cherry on, as opposed to the truly awful ones on the latest MIA album. And the lack of political posturing helps, too.
while the "electro phase" felt a little insincere to me, the ballads on the new recording embrace the kind of chanson/cabaret tradition that the singer has always seemed to me a contemporary extension of. this direction feels more real, because it suits her talent and sensibilities much better than the dance-music template. i really wouldn't go this far, as she's not that good, but "modern day Marlene Dietrich" has crossed my mind a couple of times.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
I thought I read about it on Dissensus, but can't seem to find the thread now, but has anyone heard 'A&E' by Goldfrapp? I haven't heard the album, but this seems to mark another departure for her, and away from the 'Black Cherry' tunes which didn't really do much for me.
But this tune is astonishingly good. A gorgeous melody that kind of brings to mind Tracey Thorn (if she was even better than she is).
But this tune is astonishingly good. A gorgeous melody that kind of brings to mind Tracey Thorn (if she was even better than she is).
crackerjack
Well-known member
The album's nice, but this is its finest few mintues by far.
Did someone say singles band? That's about right.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
Glad someone else thinks so. My friend has just told me it sounds like Dido.
He's wrong.
He's wrong.