Strict Machine

"Strict Machine" is an electronic dance song written by British electronic music duo Goldfrapp and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's second studio album, Black Cherry (2003). It was produced by Goldfrapp and describes laboratory rats in neuroscience experiments.[1] Alison Goldfrapp read in a newspaper about experiments in which scientists stimulated rats' brains so that the rats would feel joy when following commands. She was inspired to write "Strict Machine" based on images of the experiment and "more human aspects of machines and sex and control".[2] Actress Gwendoline Christie features on the record sleeve disguised in a rabbit mask.

"Strict Machine"
Single by Goldfrapp
from the album Black Cherry
B-side"White Soft Rope"
Released21 July 2003 (2003-07-21)
Length
  • 3:51 (album version)
  • 3:45 (single mix)
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Nick Batt
Producer(s)Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp singles chronology
"Train"
(2003)		 "Strict Machine"
(2003)		 "Twist"
(2003)

Wonderful Electric, Goldfrapp's concert tour DVD in support of Black Cherry, was named after lyrics in the song.

Release and reception

The song was released as the album's second single on 21 July 2003.[3] It received a positive reception from music critics and became the band's second single to appear in the top 30 on UK Singles Chart. On 10 May 2004,[4] the song was re-issued and became Goldfrapp's first top-20 single in the UK. In the United States, "Strict Machine" was released to success on the Billboard dance charts, where it reached the top position on the Dance Club chart and number three on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. The song won the dance award at the 49th Ivor Novello Awards.[5]

Critical reception

"Strict Machine" received positive reviews from music critics. In a review for the NME, Peter Robinson called it "a solid gold, honest-to-goodness hit record which should be Number One immediately."[6] Andy Hermann wrote for PopMatters that the song was "a future S&M club anthem if ever there was one".[7] Dorian Lynskey of Blender magazine also linked "Strict Machine"'s lyrics to sadomasochism, and he compared it to Donna Summer's 1977 disco single "I Feel Love".[8] In his review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis likened the song's "tubthumping drums" to Gary Glitter, 1980s arena rock, and hardstep, adding that "the end result is not only fantastic, but quiveringly sexy to boot".[9]

In August 2009, American music web site Pitchfork Media listed "Strict Machine" in their Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s at number 379.[10]

Chart performance

The song became Goldfrapp's second top-30 single when it debuted at number twenty-five on the singles chart, and spent a total of six weeks in the top 75. Following the song's re-release in May 2004, it surpassed its previous chart position in the UK by re-charting at number 20, becoming Goldfrapp's first top-20 single.

The song was also successful outside the UK. It reached number twenty-six in Canada and became Goldfrapp's first single release to chart in the country. Although the single sold considerably, "Strict Machine" did not chart on the Canadian BDS Airplay chart, receiving most of its sales from its fans in the dance clubs. In Australia, the song peaked at number fifty-four and would remain as Goldfrapp's only single to chart in the country until the release of "Ooh La La" in 2005.

After the favourable reception of "Twist" and "Black Cherry" on the dance charts, "Strict Machine" was released in the United States. It became their first release to reach the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it remained for one week.[11] It also performed well on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, where it reached number three.[12] The single sold over 170,000 copies worldwide.[13]

Influence

When Rachel Stevens released "Some Girls" in 2004, critics noted the similarity to the sound of Black Cherry,[14][15] and in particular "Strict Machine", to which "Some Girls" was described as "startlingly similar" by the Manchester Evening News.[14] Goldfrapp had given X an unmixed copy of their song to remix only to reject his efforts; shortly thereafter he wrote the Stevens song.[14]

Music video
Alison Goldfrapp in a kaleidoscopic setting containing Archigram-style buildings.

The song's music video, a mixture of graphic and live action segments, builds upon the art direction featured on the band's album and single covers. Throughout the video, Alison Goldfrapp is surrounded by black and white animated backgrounds, Siberian Husky-headed dancers, and colourful butterflies. The video uses kaleidoscopic layouts and dense graphic designs.[16]

The music video was directed by Jonas Odell. The settings' architecture is inspired by the work of Archigram.[17] Goldfrapp and her back-up dancers were filmed in London against a bluescreen. The animated sequences were done by Odell's Filmtecknarna studio in Stockholm, Sweden.[18]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Strict Machine".

Charts

Covers

U.K. garage trio Band of Skulls performed a folk version of the song for Australia's Triple J radio station.[35]

Suzi Quatro covered the track for her 2011 album, In the Spotlight. The lyrics of Quatro's version of the song contain two extra lines from her number one hit "Can the Can", in order to show the similarity of the two tunes. Jon O'Brien of AllMusic wrote that Quatro's "Strict Machine" is

"a guitar-chugging mash-up of Goldfrapp's electro-pop reinvention in "Strict Machine"; [with] her own 1973 U.K. chart-topper "Can the Can," cleverly referencing the subtle similarities between the two; ...".[36]

On 16 November 2011 the music video for Quatro's "Strict Machine" was released via the SUZI QUATRO OFFICIAL YouTube channel. It was produced by Victory Tischler-Blue, formerly Vicky Blue of The Runaways, and includes the extra two lines from "Can the Can".[37]

See also

References
  1. Benson, Richard (2 February 2008). "Alison Goldfrapp: ethereal girl". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  2. "Electronica Duo Goldfrapp About 'Black Cherry'" Archived 25 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Artist Interviews. April 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  3. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 19 July 2003. p. 35. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  4. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 8 May 2004. p. 29.
  5. Byrne, Ciar (28 May 2004). "The Darkness are named songwriters of year". The Independent. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  6. Robinson, Peter (27 May 2004). "Goldfrapp : Strict Machine". NME. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  7. Hermann, Andy (2 May 2003). "Goldfrapp: Black Cherry". PopMatters. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  8. Lynskey, Dorian. "Goldfrapp : Black Cherry Review". Blender. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  9. Petridis, Alexis (18 April 2003). "Goldfrapp: Black Cherry". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  10. "Staff Lists: The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 500-201". Pitchfork. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  11. "Hot Dance Club Play". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  12. "Black Cherry > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  13. "Albums 22.05.04: Goldfrapp". Music Week: 35. 22 May 2004.
  14. Ryan, Gary (19 June 2008). "Chameleon-like Goldfrapp return". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  15. Price, Simon (9 October 2005). "Goldfrapp, Dome, Brighton". The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  16. Willis, Holly (2005). New Digital Cinema. Wallflower Press. p. 57. ISBN 1-904764-25-8.
  17. Zappaterra, Yolanda (4 November 2004). "Short range". Design Week. 19 (45): 21.
  18. "Nexus creates kaleidoscope promo for Goldfrapp". Televisual. 1 August 2003.
  19. Strict Machine (2003, CD1, CD) (UK CD single 1 inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2003. 0724355247322.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. Strict Machine (2003, CD2, CD) (UK CD single 2 inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2003. 0724354728129.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. Strict Machine (2003, DVD) (UK DVD single inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2003. 0724349068995.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. Strict Machine (2004, CD1, CD) (UK CD single 1 inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2004. 0724354870224.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. Strict Machine (2004, CD2, CD) (UK CD single 2 inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2004. 0724354796326.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. Strict Machine (2004, DVD) (UK DVD single inlay). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2004. 0724359963594.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. "Strict Machine - EP by Goldfrapp on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  26. "Strict Machine - Single by Goldfrapp on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  27. "The ARIA Report: Issue 937" (PDF). The ARIA Report (937): 2. 11 February 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  29. "Goldfrapp: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  31. "Goldfrapp Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  32. "Goldfrapp Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  33. "Goldfrapp Chart History (Hot Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  34. "2004 Year End Charts – Hot Dance Music/Club Play Titles". Billboard.biz. 25 December 2004. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  35. "Band of Skulls Cover Goldfrapp Song about Joyful Sex Rats - Cover Me". 18 August 2010.
  36. O'Brien, Jon. "AllMusic review". www.allmusic.com. Ann Arbor, USA: AllMusic. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  37. Victory Tischler-Blue (video producer), Suzi Quatro (actor, vocals, bass), Mike Chapman (album producer) et al. (16 November 2011). Suzi Quatro Strict Machine Official Video (Trailer). SUZI QUATRO OFFICIAL YouTube channel. Retrieved 23 November 2011. From the studios of the brilliant Victory Tischler Blue - here is the official video for Suzi Quatro's Strict Machine. It includes live footage from Suzi's recent Rocks The Spotlight Tour (Sept/Oct 2011) of Australia. Suzi's version of the Goldfrapp song is on her new album In the Spotlight.
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