Goldfrapp

As an English duo who write and produce everything together, the new album, ‘Supernature’ is the sound of Goldfrapp breaking through their own crash barrier, a strident, psychedelic, 100% uncompromising creative force at the top of their very own game. Theirs is a self-made, alternative reality - in music, vision and soul. “We create our own, personalized environment,” says Alison Goldfrapp, “and it’s more how bands or duos used to do it in the 70s or 80s, your own music, art directing your own sleeves, wearing your own clothes, which is unique compared to a lot of bands. Now, you might get people writing their own music, if that. And they’ll have a whole entourage creating all the other stuff. I like being part of that scene, the people who’ve created everything themselves.” “It’s an alternative reality,” says Will Gregory, “taking ourselves somewhere else and that’s why we do it.” ‘Supernature’ takes everything ‘Black Cherry’ achieved and boots it into infinity, with a thrilling, lip-glossed euphoria (mixed by Spike Stent, legendary twiddler for Madonna, Bjork, Massive Attack, U2, everyone else). “We’ve stepped up a gear,” says Alison, “because we’re more knowledgeable. With ‘Black Cherry’ we were still discovering ourselves whereas this time we’re just much more confident.” “We’ve grown a lot,” adds Will, “found other ways of expressing. We’ve even got a couple of guitars on this album.” “It’s always good to break your own rules,” laughs Alison, “that’s the fun bit. There’s bigger dirty bass lines and guitars, alongside the synths and strings. From the off, ‘Supernature’ is a colossal, multi-layered, sonic-pop thriller, a radical, confident, bold record, like a Roxy or Revolver for the twenty-first century: the acid-tinged, bewitchingly-sung ‘ U Never Know’, the irresistible, catch-all throb of ‘Lovely To See You’, the roaring Numanoid synths of ‘Koko’ the woozy, orchestral dreamscape of ‘Time Out From The World’, the perverted robotics of ‘Slide In’ and the gorgeous, beguiling ‘Let It Take You’. Before that, though, there’s ‘Satin Chic’ featuring Will, going berserk, on the honky-tonk piano. “Great fun,” grins Alison, “quirky and a bit nasty but simple as well, lots of references to colours, competitiveness and possessiveness, exaggerated through these ‘boings’. I remember, years ago, going to see Jah Shaka and thinking that he was absolutely amazing with all the homemade equipment he had and the sheer inventiveness. It was really inspiring and has stayed with me ever since. I was yelling in the studio, stupid with excitement. ‘Get those ‘boings’ up’!” And, of course, the traditionally sizzling Goldfrapp first single, ‘Ooh La La’, a pulsing, sophisticated, glam-pop dynamo featuring Alison’s homage to the almighty, aloof, playful vocals of classic Marc Bolan. “Decadent and ooh-la-la,” notes Alison, correctly. “We’ve always been into layered vocals and how they treated vocals on albums in the 70s, using slap-back effects and thick drum sounds. I love that campness, that slightly throwaway but slightly nasty poutiness which is always appealing. And Marc Bolan was always bloody great at that. As was Marlene Dietrich. Sulky, sexual and ambiguous.” The ‘Ooh La La’ video, naturally, is vibrant, visceral, sexualized insanity. “Glam fantasy,” says Alison, “with lots of post-production and fantasy graphics.