Goldfrapp enjoying life before madness sets in

2Alison Goldfrapp has a pretty

good idea what the future holds for her, that being admirable considering that she’s in a business famous for its unpredictability.

“I’m feeling more philosophical about life right now,” the singer says, by phone from London, England. “I’m really enjoying where I’m living. I’m really enjoying taking photographs. And I’m really loving playing live right now. I like to constantly challenge myself and try out new things, and as I get older I realize how important that is, and how wonderful it is that I can do that. I mean, God almighty, to still be here and doing that is bloody amazing, and I appreciate it more and more. I’m probably going to be bonking mad in about less than 10 years, so I’ve got to make the most of the time that I’ve got left.”

Goldfrapp does exactly that on Silver Eye, the seventh and latest album by the recording project that bears her last name. The album has been called a return to the electrolush form of early outings like the Mercury Prize–nominated Felt Mountain (2000) and Black Cherry (2003). There’s some truth to that, with the synths back at the forefront of a band that’s made notable diversions into gothic cabaret pop and folktronica. But at the same time, Silver Eye finds Goldfrapp—which includes Goldfrapp’s collaboratorprogrammer Will Gregory—sounding unusually dark and claustrophobic. Working with producers including John Congleton (St. Vincent) and the Haxan Cloak (Björk), they’ve gone an unusually minimalist and menacing route. Consider “Zodiac Black”, with its disembodied vocals and caverndrip percussion. Or “Faux Suede Drifter”, which sets ’70s ear-candy vocals to what sounds like the soundtrack to John Carpenter’s nightmares.

While the songs are dark, that doesn’t mean that the two members of Goldfrapp weren’t having fun. Goldfrapp herself says that reviews that have suggested otherwise aren’t exactly on base.

“Someone is always disappointed,” she says with an exasperated laugh. “I mean, Jesus Christ. But it doesn’t bother us in the slightest. You can’t be everything to everyone all the time. I do know that I’m in a good place—probably a better place than I have been in a while.”

If all this sounds like the musings of someone who’s been doing some serious introspecting, that’s not by accident. Goldfrapp says that those who’ve been following the band through its various stylistic phases will notice threads connecting to past releases, her fascination with nature and its endless mysteries being a big one. And, on a more personal level, it’s a genuine thrill that she’s still not only making music with Goldfrapp, but doing so at the quality level that first got England and the rest of the world buzzing 17 years ago.

“I don’t really know how to elaborate on where I’m at, except to say that maybe it’s about being a bit older,” she says. “And that I’m really enjoying playing live at the moment. I’m also fitter than I have been in a long time. There are all these elements that have me feeling good about life, even though shit things have, and will always, happen.”

> MIKE USINGER

Goldfrapp plays the Vogue on Friday (September 22).

Snakeoil chemistry strong on the punchy Incidentals

2Opening with a piano motif

that sounds like giant ants ascending—or descending; it’s hard to tell—an M.C. Escher staircase, “Sideshow” is most definitely an attention-getter. The central track on Incidentals, the latest ECM release from Tim Berne’s Snakeoil, is also a 26-minute trip that journeys through several different but equally compelling landscapes: a punchy, full-band reiteration of that opening theme; a rattling piano-and-percussion interlude; a moody, reverb-laced bass-clarinet meditation; a surreal processional with strong prog overtones; a tympani solo that sounds like stars exploding; and, finally, a long, slow lament with a bittersweet fade.

It’s one of the most extraordinary things you’ll hear this year— but you won’t hear it when Snakeoil plays

That will be followed by an Evaporators all- ages show at 1739 Venables where—if there’s a garage-rawk God— classics like “Addicted to Cheese” and “Hot Dog High” will be on tap along with offerings from the band’s most recent release, the stupidly catchy Ogopogo Punk. Nardwuar will also be showing rare videointerview footage and sharing stories about a career that shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the most important things he can offer as advice? That’s easy: stay curious and always be willing to learn, something that even he occasionally has to remind himself to do.

“I’m constantly learning,” he says. “Someone once said to me, ‘ We have a young country singer coming to town backing up Brad Paisley. Would you like to talk to her?’ I was going to ask whoever I was freelancing for at the moment, but they turned me down. And do you know who that young country singer turned out to be? Taylor Swift. What I should have said was ‘I’ll just go for it and do the interview anyways.’ But I didn’t.”

Live and learn. Vancouver. Nor will you hear the ironically bleak “Hora Feliz”, the anarchic nod to bebop that is “Incidentals Contact”, or any of the other tracks on Berne’s new band effort. For the Brooklyn-based saxophonist, it’s already time to move on.

“Last night was our CD release, and we played all new music at it,” Berne reports, on the line from his home. “That’s why you have to buy the CD if you want to hear it!”

But there’s a method to this madness. “Usually when I record stuff— and this is a serious response—it’s when I feel like it’s ready to be documented,” Berne explains. “And one of the reasons that I record consistently is to force myself to move on. I always feel like the recorded document is sort of the end of that phase, partly because it is. And the other thing is that you scrutinize the music so much when you’re recording and mixing and making decisions that you usually get sick of it. It just forces me to move on—which shouldn’t be that hard, but I could use all the help I can get.”

Berne certainly can’t complain about the assistance he receives from the other members of his band, who are no strangers to Vancouver. (Pianist Matt Mitchell’s appearance with Canadian saxophonist Anna Webber was a 2017 Vancouver International Jazz Festival highlight; clarinetist Oscar Noriega joined local guitarist Gordon Grdina for a riotous show in April; and percussionist Ches Smith’s trio with violinist Mat Maneri and pianist Craig Taborn played what might have been the concert of the year at the Western Front last February.) They’re all astonishing musicians, and just as ready as their leader to move boldly forward.

“The chemistry is strong, and the trust element is there,” Berne reports, “so the most whacked-out shit isn’t going to faze anyone. I mean, last night we did about 12 new tunes that we haven’t played before, and I was shitting in my pants before the gig. And then we did it, and it was like, ‘Oh, yeah. Now I know why we do this!’ ”

Berne laughs, noting that the chemistry is so strong that it’s hard to tell when Snakeoil is playing one of his tightly written tunes or engaging in collective improvisation.

“There are people who say they trust the band, and then there are those who actually do,” he elaborates. “And once the musicians know that, it really frees them up. It’s like Miles [Davis]. I mean, that’s the big story about Miles: even though he was a hard-ass, he didn’t tell those guys how to play unless he had to, I’m sure, and that’s kind of how I feel.

“I want to be surprised on my own gigs,” he adds. “It would be very easy for me to arrange everything into the ground and make sure it worked every time, but for me that’s kind of a copout. I get to exert my influence with the composing, so I don’t really need to influence everything. If I want a specific mood I’ll compose something and get that mood—and then I’ll create something that just makes us want to improvise.”

> ALEXANDER VARTY

Tim Berne’s Snakeoil plays the Western Front on Sunday (September 24).

Silvereye;