Musical Style
Although Goldfrapp's musical style has changed over time, they are considered to be an electronic music band. Goldfrapp has explored a range of musical styles in their songs, although many songs are characterized by Alison Goldfrapp's distinctive breathy, soft soprano vocals and Will Gregory's multi-layered synthesizer and string arrangements. The band's sound has progressed from an ambient sound in Felt Mountain, through electronic music in Black Cherry to a more glam rock sound in Supernature, and most recently to a blend of ambient, folk and electronic in Seventh Tree and an 1980s synthpop influence in Head First. However, they have experimented with other genres of music, such as cabaret ("Satin Chic", "Oompah Radar"), electroclash ("Slide In", "Koko"), folktronica ("Clowns") and cha-cha-cha ("Human").
Goldfrapp draws inspiration from a range of artists and genres. Alison Goldfrapp listened to Kate Bush, T. Rex, Donna Summer and Iggy Pop as a teenager and discovered Serge Gainsbourg while working in Belgium. While travelling through Europe in the early 1990s, she also began listening to Polish disco music and cabaret music from the Weimar Republic. Will Gregory's musical background was classical music and has cited Ennio Morricone as his main influence. Other media, including film, have had an impact on Goldfrapp; Alison Goldfrapp cites Roman Polanski's psychological thriller Cul-de-sac, the cult film The Wicker Man, and the James Bond franchise as influences. They also draw inspiration from surrealism and nature, all of which appear in the band's album artwork, which Goldfrapp designs in collaboration with Big Active. Goldfrapp have also remixed Marilyn Manson's single "This Is the New Shit" and Lady Gaga's single "Judas".
The majority of the band's songs are composed by Goldfrapp and Gregory, although they have collaborated with session musician Nick Batt several times. They have called their writing sessions a "democratic affair", playing off one another while in the recording studio. However, Goldfrapp is responsible for the lyrics. While writing, Goldfrapp uses her vocals to create melodies and drumbeats. Gregory composes his music on vintage keyboards, interpreting the mood of Goldfrapp's lyrics. Alison Goldfrapp believes that "music is a visual experience" and therefore visualizes her lyrics before writing them. Her songwriting is characterized by its use of animals to describe human emotions and status.
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