Since beginning their collaboration in London in 1999, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have released five LPs as Goldfrapp, which have veered from acoustic, orchestral torchsongs (2000's Felt Mountain, 2008's Seventh Tree) to shiny, electronic dance-pop (2005's Supernature, 2010's Head First).

Interview: 15 February 2010

You appeared in the Scott Walker: 30 Century Man documentary; what does his music mean to you?
"I felt quite honored to be asked, although what they chose to put in was probably the most banal thing I said.

But that doesn't change the fact that he's an amazing guy, and a huge influence on what we do. Scott Walker, for me, goes back to when I was a teenager. I remember somebody playing me his music, and being totally amazed by it, thinking it was the most beautiful, mysterious thing I'd ever heard. The string arrangements, the composition, and the whole atmosphere of it was something I really loved. It had a huge impact on me. He made me think about what I was doing, what I was writing."

So what were you writing, as teenager?
"I was just sort of bumming around with rather unsavory people, smoking drugs and pretending to make music. And, then I listened to Scott Walker, and then I stopped hanging out with those people. I thought: 'I better get my f**king s**t together.' Because it blew me away! It really changed how I was thinking at that time."

Is a sense of atmosphere and mystery what you wanted your own music to then embody?
"When I listen to music, what’s important is that it takes you on a journey.

As much as I'm into the structure of music, or how I love the way film music works with images and emotions, I'm more interested in being 'taken' somewhere. Any music that really takes you, expels you, fires you off into some kind of other universe is really special. It's kind of the point of it for me. So, yes, when writing lyrics and melodies, when composing a structure of a song, there's a real aim there: to make it feel like you’re going on a journey. That there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. And an atmosphere. All our albums, all our songs, they all have their own little world, as it were. Or, at least, that's the aim."

Do you still find yourself having that experience in listening to other people's records?
"Definitely. Not often, but definitely. The last time I got really emotional about listening to a piece of music was probably Steve Reich. He's someone that I really adore. I heard an Ennio Morricone piece on the radio, recently, it made me cry, whilst I was in the kitchen doing some cooking. And some friends brought around The XX, and I really enjoyed that."

So, what kind of journey are you hoping to take listeners on with Head First?
"I think it's a jubilant journey. To somewhere. Not really sure where. It doesn't have to be a literal journey. But most of the songs have a very 'up' feeling; it's our most euphoric album. I wanted to make an album that was more direct, more melodic, that should just punch you. I wanted to get away from that more acoustic, introspective, dreamy sound. I was absolutely proud of Seventh Tree, but as much as I loved the ethereal quality it had, that didn't fit the way I was feeling, how I wanted to 'be' this time. That's the most important thing, to me: that an album should be a part of how I feel, an expression of the way I am at that point in time."

Have all your albums been a rebellion against the one prior?
"I think I just don't want to repeat myself. Quite often, when we start writing again, we probably start doing something that inhabits a similar world to the one we've created before. And it just feels a bit disingenuous. Like you're doing a parody of yourself. For me, it's not about sticking to a formula; about finding this one sound and then thinking of what you do within that context. It's more about using the entire palette of sounds to express how you're feeling at that time. The challenge is to find sounds, find ways of doing things, that are different from before. It feels very natural to do that."

Do you ever feel the world would be happier if you did become a parody of yourself?
"I think some people would. Bands make lots of money finding a formula and then sticking to it. That is a fact. And, I guess it's a nice, safe world then, isn't it? But that's just not how my brain works. Nor Will's. Maybe my life would be easier if we carried on doing Felt Mountain. Or, more's the point, carried on doing Supernature. EMI, I'm sure, would've loved another Supernature. But, you can never please everybody, so, we just do what we do. And, yeah, it confuses people, and it pisses people off. But we're not trying to confuse people or piss people off! We’re just trying to write music that makes us feel good."

You've never wanted to create a sense of confusion?
"No. Not at all. That's not my aim in life. That feels like a really futile exercise."

I guess that categorically states that Goldfrapp aren't behind those Iamamiwhoami videos.
"Can you explain that? I'm not sure what you're talking about."

Oh! There's this series of mysterious viral videos being disseminated unto the internet...
"Oh right, and people say: 'is this for the new Goldfrapp album'? I am aware of that, if only vaguely. I've seen one, some thing where some girl's like licking the tree. I remember seeing that, it got posted somewhere with a suggestion that it was us."

If you're disinterested in creating a sense of confusion, are you worried about being roped into someone else's carefully-choreographed, elaborately-executed state of confusion?
"I just don't have enough time to worry about that sort of thing. It's just pointless. Obviously this sense of mystery comes from some person just wanting to the world to see their little film. That's fine, whatever. It really doesn't bother me. You have a website, you have a message board, and you're open to the world doing whatever they want to you. You don't have control over that sort of thing. That's fine; you have to let go. Perhaps if someone was associating us with something really nasty or slanderous, then I might get upset. But, mostly, I just don't care. If people want to say we're behind that girl-licking-the-tree video, that's fine."