Alison Goldfrapp

ICE QUEEN: Alison Goldfrapp
BAND: Goldfrapp
ORIGIN: Bath, UK
GENRE: Hmm, good question... I think somewhere between trip hop and ethereal and industrial
ACCOMPLICES: Will Gregory
DISCOGRAPHY: "Felt Mountain" (2000), "Black Cherry" (2003), "Supernature" (2005), "Seventh Tree" (2008).
INFLUENCES: Kraftwerk, Prince, Kate Bush, French pop, Ennio Morricone.

IMHO: Alison's major virtue is that she has a beautiful voice and that she makes everyone tingle when she sings. Goldfrapp's first album, "Felt Mountain", was very dreamy and ethereal, even operatic, but with "Black Cherry" they turned sexy and provocative. It's like when a naive girl one day realizes that boys look at her, and then she provokes them in their face. Alison herself said that when they were touring for "Felt Mountain" she got tired of repeating night after night the set of deep, intense, and slow music, that she needed some counterbalance. And voilà, they went to the opposite extreme, which is great, because I think both extremes compliment each other perfectly. Couldn't choose an album, they're just different.
Alison has guest appearances in Tricky's "Maxinquaye" and Orbital's "Snivilisation."

FAVOURITE SONGS: "Utopia" (what a masterpiece), "Tiptoe", "Deep Honey", "Black Cherry", "Lovely Head", "Koko".
FAVOURITE ALBUMS: Love both first albums.

WHAT OTHERS SAY: Here's an excerpt of the review of The Guardian (UK) for "Black Cherry", in which I totally agree.
"In a genre filled with utilitarian background music, primarily designed to avoid causing offence, Black Cherry kicks up a fuss, demands the listener's undivided attention and boasts a unique personality. Among the vast swathes of tastefully packaged aural air-freshener, its crankiness and dark humor are provocative and appealing."