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English people like synth. English people like dance. English people like rarefied. English people like artificial. English people like Goldfrapp, who are worthy representatives of the last (or penultimate) electro-lite season, terribly vintage, yet so frivolous, carefree, and magnetic that they remain, indeed, electrified. Two sides of the same coin: on one side the fascinating femme fatale of Her Majesty Alison Goldfrapp, the cabaret-style vocalist Darwinianly adapted to the chosen bionic stream, on the other side the deeply hidden Will Gregory, in the corner (by no means negligible) of sonic packaging. Halfway between the ethereal magic of synth pop fathers (primarily Depeche Mode), the flirt with dance floors and the glossy magazine splendor of undeniable pop perfection Minogue-Ellis Bextor, Goldfrapp managed to debut not even at the dawn of the new millennium with Felt Mountain (1999), an avant-garde and bizarre instrumental/ambient work that did little in the charts; the turn towards less ethereal and more intense sounds occurred with the following Black Cherry, however, the confirmation of the duo's potential through the shady, yet fundamental commercial success came precisely with Supernature and with the first release Ooh La La, the refined club anthem par excellence that completed the first career-puzzle of Alison and Will. The second (and current) season of Goldfrapp came to life with the eccentric folktronica project of Seventh Tree and the simpler and more mainstream-friendly Head First, the latest expression of the “little English ones” under analysis.
With Supernature, Goldfrapp continues the shift towards a more effective sonic concreteness undertaken with Black Cherry. Thus, the fluid and "gaseous" ambient-instrumental sensations of Felt Mountain gave way more and more to an electro-glitch-glam mix strongly linked to the legendary futuristic suggestions of the Eighties. The first release Ooh La La is a worthy demonstration of this: a powerful retro-robotic dance piece perfectly suited to runways and glitter. But the subsequent tracks are not far behind, with the funky-electronic Lovely 2 C U, the new wave - lounge inspirations in Satin Chic, the cheerful synth-rock of Fly Me Away and the disco-glam vibes of Ride A White Horse.
Tucked away in the middle of the tracklist, there are no shortages of reminiscences of the more "calm" Felt Mountain or even preludes to the extraspiritual mysticism of Seventh Tree: the ambient piano lullaby of Let It Take You, the semi-instrumental trip hop flavor in Time Out From The World, Alison's vocal dramas seasoned with synth in Koko and the rarefied and pseudo-lyrical nostalgia in You Never Know.
At times vintage, at times robotic, at times sexy glam, Supernature is a bold mix of all the "good" part of pop: the one with tributes to past decades executed without too many harmful shakes, the one with electronic choices devoid of superfluous artifices, the one with a microphone sensuality friendly to pavilions and orbits. In short, that of our “friends” Goldfrapp.
Goldfrapp, Supernature
Ooh La La - Lovely 2 C U - Ride a White Horse - You Never Know - Let It Take You - Fly Me Away - Slide In - Koko - Satin Chic - Time Out From The World - Number 1
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Ooh La La (03:24)
Dial up my number now
Weaving it through the wire
Switch me on
Turn me up
Don't want it Baudelaire
Just glitter lust
Switch me on
Turn me up
I want to touch you
You're just made for love
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la...
Coils up and round me
Teasing your poetry
Switch me on
Turn me up
Oh child of Venus
You're just made for love
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la...
You know I walk for days
I wanna waste some time
You wanna be so mean
You know I love to watch
I wanna love some more
It'll never be the same
A broken heel like a heart
I'll never walk again
Yeah!
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la
I need la la la la la la
I need ooh la la la la...
03 Ride a White Horse (04:41)
Now take me dancing
At the Disco
Where you buy your
Winniebago
I wanna ride on a white horse
I want to ride on a white horse
When the light turns into darkness
Will he turn up to explain us?
I wanna ride on a white horse
I want to ride on a white horse
Lend me a whole new world
All night
Feel life
When is there ever sense
To love
This world
In the whirlpool
We'll go deeper
In this world that's
Getting cheaper
I wanna ride on a white horse
I want to ride on a white horse
I like dancing
At the disco
I want blisters
You're my leader
I wanna ride on a white horse
I want to ride on a white horse
Oh I love this feeling
Feels like forever
Oh I love this feeling
Feels like real
Leather
04 You Never Know (03:27)
How long now
How long now
I love you
Steel painted eyes
Feels like snow
Change my head
Days so long
You never know, you never know
You never know
You never know, you never know
You never know
Just how long it will be
Here we go again
We're going round and round
Here we go again
We're going round and round
Today I know
It's too long dare
We'll see
Feels like snow
Chained myself to me
You never know, you never know
You never know
You never know, you never know
You never know
Just how long it will be
Here we go again
We're going round and round
Here we go again
We're going round and round
How long now
Longest story...
05 Let It Take You (04:29)
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Shimmer like gold,
They're singing
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
This is easy
06 Fly Me Away (04:25)
Drifting out of time
Something on your mind
And I wanna be the
One that you call
When you get down
No matter where you
Are in the world I'll be around
Fly me away on an Aeroplane
High in the sky
Wanna see you again
Wanna know this time,
Gonna tell you what I'm feeling
Gonna know this time,
Gonna get it back that feeling
Miles and miles of sun
Endless roads
twist on
Don't wanna live a life
In a world that's all the same
The crazy little things
That you do are magical
This crazy life
This crazy world
We're living in is
Magical
07 Slide In (04:17)
You send me just colours
I'm waiting, don't hold back
Trees bow to the wind
And I'm falling inside you
Slide in
Feel the future
Rushing Slowly
Right now
So close I could
touch it
I'm dreaming
Don't wake up
Slide in
Feel the future
Rushing slowly
Light now
Nothing makes me
Feel like
Show me real love
Right now
08 Koko (03:23)
Sharp as teeth and stars
I can't give you up
Like a moth to light
Move like caramel
Til dawn
You glow
Soon be nothing of this world
Soon be nothing
Breathe back into life
Stabs at happiness
Now we're having fun
Hold tight, don't look down
Til dawn
You glow
09 Satin Chic (03:28)
You're so satin chic
Look rich, talking cheap
On your telephone
Won't be coming home
He's my man
Yeah he's my man
You don't understand
Dressed up lizard green
Celluloid seventeen
Lip gloss bold as blood
You got em linin' up
He's my man
Yeah he's my man
You don't understand
Ne Na Na Na Na Na Na
Racing through the stars
You killed me awhile
My smile synchronized
For every one tonight
He's my man
Yeah he's my man
You don't understand
Ne Na Na Na Na Na Na
10 Time Out From the World (04:47)
Breathing in your sip of gold
I follow all your little lines
I like to watch a thousand times
I want to feel you here
I like to watch a thousands times
I make a shrine for you
Time out from the world
Leaving it all
Just for a day
You like there's a down
Hold me and round
Take us a day?
Here I go, I'm going back
On every world you ever said
I'm dreaming of another time
Yesterday was my alibi
We changed the world, just you and I
I make a shrine for you
11 Number 1 (03:24)
Walk out into velvet
Nothing more to say
You're my favourite moment
You're my Saturday
Cos you're my Number 1
I'm like a dog to get you
I want it up and on
I'm like a dog to get you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sunset only seconds
Just ripe then it's gone
Got no new intentions
Just right then it's gone
Cos you're my Number 1
I'm like a dog to get you
I want it up and on
I'm like a dog to get you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'll be there to meet you
Getting down to greet you
Walk out into velvet
Nothing more to say
You're my favourite moment
You're my Saturday
Cos you're my Number 1
I'm like a dog to get you
I want it up and on
I'm like a dog to get you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Cos you're my Number 1
I'm like a dog to get you
I want it up and on
I'm like a dog to get you
Howl under the moon
Howl under the moon
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Howl under the moon
Howl under the moon
12 Beautiful (04:48)
Magic maker, wish me one wish
Hold me to your light and maybe
Oh what if I say
Why don't we play
I'll wear your star
I shiver, you shake it
To me I, I can't help it
Don't know, am I dreaming
Or have you, you haven't
Stop for awhile
Why don't we play
I'll wear your star
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted beautiful
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted critical
Turn me onto your star show me
One night, slowly
Aching, make me
Oh, what if I say
Why don't we play
I'll wear your star.
I'm goin right under
Your spell has taken over
I'm feelin, your passion
Oh there's no need for
The place where I'll wait
Why don't we play
I'll wear your star
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted beautiful
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted critical
Turn me onto your star show me
One night, slowly
Aching, make me
Oh, what if I say
Why don't we play
I'll wear your star
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted beautiful
Oh, love make me
Oh, love tasted critical
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