Having announced her intention to go solo at the beginning of this year, Alison Goldfrapp – one half of the iconic synth duo Goldfrapp – can feel like she operates on another planet. For two decades, synth music has been blessed and reinvented by her collaborations with Will Gregory. The Love Invention represents her first solo album, and when performed live alongside a number of classic hits, Goldfrapp proves stratospheric.
Goldfrapp plays through much of her new album, as well as established hits like Rocket and Ride a White Horse. She masterminds a pounding beat throughout, the kind that feels like it induces your soul to dance. With drums and a synthesiser in support, a kaleidoscopic range of sounds and anthems are created to match the impressive range of her vocals.
It makes for an absolutely stunning set; magnetising in its grace and thrilling in its intensity. The never-ending light shows further heighten the atmosphere, opening you up to the thrill of entering a new world of musical potential, while the dancers move almost oblivious to those around them as if they have been whipped into a trance. As Goldfrapp ventures on a new musical journey, she tantalisingly invites you to join her and give yourself over to this new potential.
Goldfrapp toys with her crowd with all the high and mighty rapport of a queen laying eyes on her subjects. She peers down through the crowd, scanning for loyalty and excitement, and soaks up their enthusiasm. She’s particularly impressed with one audience member who made a custom t-shirt specifically for the gig, getting the crowd to give them a round of applause. Her personality ripples through the audience while her sound reverberates around every corner, crafting an evening of enticing variety that allows Goldfrapp, the person, to shine.
“Only love can make you feel alive” claims Goldfrapp as she belts out a rendition of The Beat Divine. This isn’t necessarily true. Seeing her perform can, at its peak, give you the same kind of thrill and rush. A performance of ecstasy and refinement, Goldfrapp is a master of synth who needs to be seen to be believed.