Silver Eye
Silver Eye is the seventh and final studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 31 March 2017 by Mute Records.[1] It marks a return to the group's electropop and synthpop roots following the more acoustic Tales of Us (2013).[2] The album debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart[3] and received generally positive reviews from critics.[4]Background
Development
In July 2015, Alison Goldfrapp announced via Twitter that the duo had returned to the studio to begin work on their seventh studio album, noting that the process would take considerable time before any release.[5] Following the folk-oriented sound of their previous album Tales of Us (2013), Goldfrapp sought to return to their electronic dance roots, incorporating elements of 1980s synth-pop and club music to craft a more uptempo and energetic direction.[6][7] Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory initiated the songwriting process collaboratively in London, emphasizing the creation of uptempo tracks that blended their signature electronic styles with fresh thematic explorations.[8] To enhance the album's electronic dimension, they selected producers John Congleton and The Haxan Cloak (Bobby Krlic) for their specialized expertise in electronic and experimental sound production.[9]Recording
The recording of Silver Eye took place over approximately 18 months, beginning in July 2015 and concluding in December 2016, with primary sessions occurring in late 2015.[10] Goldfrapp, consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, initiated work in their rented studio complex in East London's creative hub, where they developed core tracks using a blend of analog and digital tools to revive their earlier dance-oriented sound.[8] In late 2015, the duo traveled to Dallas, Texas, for a focused 10-day session at producer John Congleton's Elmwood Recording Studios, where they refined arrangements across all tracks and incorporated live drum performances by session musician Sebastian Sternberg to build organic rhythmic foundations.[11][8] Technical production emphasized a raw, intensified electronic palette, achieved through analog synthesizers like the Moog Taurus bass pedals for deep, resonant tones—evident in tracks such as "Tiger Mouth"—alongside drum machines and custom loops derived from Sternberg's acoustic playing.[8] Digital processing added grit, including SID chip emulations for pulsating basslines in "Systemagic" and distortion effects via pedals like the Univox Super Fuzz, contributing to the album's signature "dirtier" aesthetic that contrasted the duo's more acoustic prior work.[8][12] Final overdubs and atmospheric layers were added remotely in early 2016 with electronic composer Bobby Krlic (The Haxan Cloak), who enhanced several songs over a week of collaboration, infusing ethereal, industrial textures without on-site presence.[8] Congleton's involvement extended beyond initial production in Dallas, where he shaped dynamic elements in pieces like "Ocean" through targeted arrangement suggestions, while his additional production credits appear on lead single "Anymore" alongside The Haxan Cloak.[8][13] This hands-on approach ensured a cohesive blend of live instrumentation and synthesized elements, finalized with mixing by David Wrench at Nigel Godrich's studio and elsewhere in early 2016.[8]Promotion and release
Announcement and singles
On 23 January 2017, Goldfrapp announced their seventh studio album, Silver Eye, scheduled for release on 31 March via Mute Records.[14] The announcement coincided with the release of the lead single "Anymore" as a digital download and limited CD single.[15] The track premiered earlier that day on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6 Music show, marking the duo's return to an uptempo electronic sound after four years.[16] An accompanying music video for "Anymore", directed by Alison Goldfrapp and filmed in Fuerteventura, Spain, was released on 9 February 2017, featuring ritualistic desert imagery with the singer leading a group in synchronized movements.[17] The visuals emphasized a mystical, otherworldly aesthetic aligned with the album's electronic themes. The second single, "Systemagic", followed on 12 May 2017 as a digital release, accompanied by remixes including versions by Soulwax and Joseph Capriati.[18] Its music video, also directed by Alison Goldfrapp and premiered on 24 April 2017, incorporated electrifying, NSFW elements with bold lighting and dynamic choreography to evoke a futuristic intensity.[19] "Everything Is Never Enough" served as the third single, released digitally on 22 September 2017 in a video mix format, with a promotional CD edition available in limited quantities.[20] The song's music video, directed by Alison Goldfrapp and released on 7 September 2017, highlighted sensual, abstract visuals of the singer interacting with a male dancer against stark backdrops, reinforcing the album's exploratory motifs.[21]Tour
The Silver Eye World Tour by Goldfrapp launched in April 2017 with a series of North American dates, beginning at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia on April 24, followed by shows at Brooklyn Steel in New York on April 26 and 27.[22] These initial performances marked the live debut of several tracks from the album Silver Eye, including "Anymore," "Ocean," "Moon in Your Mouth," and "Systemagic," alongside selections from the band's earlier catalog such as "Utopia" and "Strict Machine."[23] The tour then proceeded to European legs later in the year, incorporating festival appearances and headline shows across the continent. On July 17, 2017, Goldfrapp announced eight UK dates for October and November, commencing at the O2 Academy in Glasgow on October 31, with subsequent performances at the O2 Academy in Leeds on November 1, Manchester Academy on November 3, De Montfort Hall in Leicester on November 4, Brighton Dome on November 6, Cambridge Corn Exchange on November 8, Eventim Apollo in London on November 9, and O2 Academy Brixton in London on November 11.[24] Support acts for these UK shows included the electronic duo Alpines, who opened the Manchester performance with a set emphasizing atmospheric synth-pop.[25] A notable special event during the tour was Goldfrapp's headline performance at Vivid Sydney on June 2, 2017, at Carriageworks in Australia, where the band delivered an electrifying set blending new material from Silver Eye with high-energy classics, maintaining crowd engagement through precise audio-visual production.[6] The tour extended into 2018 with additional festival dates, such as British Summer Time in Hyde Park on July 7 and Lunar Festival on July 28, encompassing over 50 performances worldwide in support of the album.[26]Deluxe edition
The deluxe edition of Silver Eye was released on July 6, 2018, by Mute Records as a two-disc compact disc set, featuring the original 10-track album on the first disc and an eight-track bonus disc on the second.[27][28] This reissue includes new artwork and previously unreleased remixes alongside a re-recorded version of the album's opening track "Ocean," now featuring vocals from Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.[29] The bonus material, produced and remixed by collaborators such as Will Gregory, Soulwax, and Chris Liebing, adds approximately 49 minutes of additional content, emphasizing electronic and dance-oriented reinterpretations of key tracks.[28] The bonus disc opens with "Ocean (feat. Dave Gahan)," a 4:25 reworking written by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, with production credits shared by the duo and Richard X.[28] Subsequent tracks include extended remixes of "Anymore," such as the 7:25 "Don't Stop Now" version by band member Will Gregory and the 7:05 "Whatever" remix by Ralphi Rosario.[30] "Ocean" receives a pulsating 8:20 Soulwax remix, transforming its synth-pop foundation into a club-ready electro track.[28] Other highlights feature the 6:25 "Whatever/Whatever" remix of "Anymore" by Justin Strauss and Bryan Mette, the 6:52 "Burn Out" remix of "Everything Is Never Enough" by Chris Liebing, and a 5:05 rework of "Zodiac Black" by The New Forms.[31] A shorter 3:50 video mix of "Everything Is Never Enough" rounds out the selection, providing a more streamlined edit suitable for visual media.[28]| Track | Title | Remixers/Producers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean (feat. Dave Gahan) | Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Richard X | 4:25 |
| 2 | Anymore (Will Gregory's Don't Stop Now Remix) | Will Gregory | 7:25 |
| 3 | Everything Is Never Enough (Video Mix) | Goldfrapp | 3:50 |
| 4 | Anymore (Ralphi's Whatever Remix) | Ralphi Rosario | 7:05 |
| 5 | Ocean (Soulwax Remix) | Soulwax | 8:20 |
| 6 | Anymore (Whatever/Whatever Remix by Justin Strauss & Bryan Mette) | Justin Strauss, Bryan Mette | 6:25 |
| 7 | Everything Is Never Enough (Chris Liebing Burn Out Remix) | Chris Liebing | 6:52 |
| 8 | Zodiac Black (The New Forms Remix) | The New Forms | 5:05 |
Musical style and themes
Style
Silver Eye is characterized by its heavy reliance on electronic instrumentation, employing analog synthesizers to craft retro-futuristic tones that evoke a blend of vintage and modern electronic aesthetics. Will Gregory utilized the Moog Taurus bass pedals to generate massive, rumbling low-end sounds, particularly in "Tigerman," contributing to the album's expansive sonic palette.[8] This approach draws on classic synth hardware to produce distorted, pulsating lines that define the record's electro-pop foundation, moving away from the acoustic folk elements of prior works.[32] The album's tempo and rhythm emphasize danceable grooves, with tempos varying across tracks; many fall in the mid-tempo range around 110-120 BPM, such as "Anymore" at 114 BPM, fostering a propulsive yet hypnotic energy suitable for club environments, while others like "Tigerman" at 178 BPM and "Zodiac Black" at 85 BPM diverge.[33][34][35][36] This contrasts sharply with the slower, more introspective paces of Goldfrapp's previous album, Tales of Us, shifting toward four-to-the-floor patterns and blocky percussion that recall 2000s dance-pop.[32] Influences from 1990s and 2000s club music permeate the production, incorporating electroclash struts and synth-driven hooks akin to the duo's early albums Black Cherry and Supernature. Nods to industrial and ambient electronica are integrated via contributions from The Haxan Cloak, who infused ominous drones and warped textures, particularly in "Zodiac Black," adding layers of atmospheric tension.[37][32] Track variations highlight the album's dynamic range, with pieces like "Zodiac Black" featuring big, echoey washes and droning swells that create a sense of vast, primordial space, diverging from the stricter dance structures elsewhere.[37] These elements underscore Silver Eye's cohesive yet versatile electronic soundscape.Lyrics
The lyrics of Silver Eye are characterized by Alison Goldfrapp's ethereal and seductive vocal delivery, often layered with echoes to create a sense of depth and otherworldliness.[38][39] This approach enhances the introspective and mystical quality of the words, drawing listeners into a dreamlike atmosphere.[36] Recurring motifs throughout the album include futuristic visions of love, explorations of identity in a modern context, and subtle environmental undertones reflecting humanity's clash with nature. For instance, "Faux Suede" evokes a primal, deranged form of love set against futuristic electronic landscapes, emphasizing raw passion in an otherworldly setting.[40] "Become the One" delves into themes of personal identity amid contemporary disconnection, aligning with the album's broader interest in transformation and self-realization, inspired by the 2015 documentary My Transgender Summer Camp.[41] "Ocean," the closing track, evokes elemental forces like water through its majestic lyrics of loss and self-poisoning, symbolizing human emotional turmoil.[42][43] These motifs are rooted in elemental imagery—earth, fire, water—and mysticism, including pagan rituals and anthropomorphism, as Goldfrapp has described the album's thematic hybrid.[44][45] Specific songs highlight pointed critiques and poetic abstraction. "Everything Is Never Enough" critiques consumerism and modern detachment, with lines like "Watching nature on a screensaver" underscoring a post-Brexit, post-Trump worldview of insatiable desire and lost connection to the natural world.[40] Meanwhile, "By the Horns" employs abstract poetry, weaving enigmatic imagery of ecstasy and ritual without linear narrative, contributing to the album's contemplative tone.[44] Overall, the lyrics form a narrative of empowerment through sensuality and escape, centered on transformation and self-acceptance amid nature's mysteries and elemental forces. This arc promotes communion with the self and others, blending sensuality with mystical escape, as amplified briefly by the musical backing's rhythmic pulses.[46][43]Critical reception
Reviews
Silver Eye received generally favorable reviews from contemporary critics, who praised its return to synth-pop and electronic dance elements after the more acoustic focus of the band's previous album. On review aggregator Metacritic, the album earned a score of 74 out of 100 based on 21 critics, with 15 positive reviews, six mixed, and none negative.[4] AnyDecentMusic? assigned it an average of 6.8 out of 10 from 24 reviews. AllMusic rated Silver Eye four out of five stars, commending its seamless blend of uptempo electronic tracks and reflective moments, describing it as offering "a little bit of everything for fans of either the band's uptempo electronic or reflective folk-ambient phases" and marking a successful return to dance-oriented sounds.[2] The Guardian awarded four out of five stars, highlighting the energetic synth arrangements and the album's effective fusion of Goldfrapp's dual sonic identities, calling it "a fine album to introduce 2017" with tracks that "prickle with chilly malevolence."[32] Pitchfork gave it 7.3 out of 10, appreciating the record's club-friendly appeal and its "sincere, blunt-force feeling" that distilled the duo's core musical identity into more direct, hook-driven songs.[37] Some reviews were more tempered, pointing to a perceived lack of fresh ideas. The A.V. Club assigned a C+ grade, arguing that the album's hesitation to fully transform prevented it from breaking new ground, though it acknowledged strong moments like the club track "Zodiac Black."[47] NME rated it three out of five stars, finding the material formulaic and overly reliant on familiar electro-pop tropes without significant evolution.[48] Across reviews, common themes emerged around the album's polished production and infectious energy, which many saw as a welcome revival of Goldfrapp's dance roots, balanced against critiques of superficial lyrics and a sense of predictability in its thematic exploration of transformation and desire.[49]Accolades
Silver Eye received no major awards, though it earned nominations including Independent Track of the Year for "Anymore" at the 2017 AIM Independent Music Awards, and for its music videos at the Ibiza Music Video Festival and Gay Music Chart Awards. It also earned recognition in several year-end lists for its contributions to electronic and synthpop music in 2017.[50] The album was ranked number 50 in Under the Radar magazine's Top 100 Albums of 2017, praised for its blend of electropop and synth elements that revitalized Goldfrapp's signature sound.[50]Commercial performance
Chart performance
Silver Eye debuted at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart in its first week, selling 11,733 copies, and spent a total of 5 weeks on the chart.[51] In the United States, the album reached a peak of number 118 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 4 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Internationally, Silver Eye charted at number 20 in Australia, number 31 in Germany, and number 76 in France.[52] The lead single "Anymore" peaked at number 14 on the UK Dance Chart.[3] "Ocean" topped the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart at number 1.[53]Sales figures
Silver Eye sold 11,733 physical and digital copies in the United Kingdom during its first week of release.[54] Post-release, streaming activity on platforms like Spotify saw significant growth; by late 2025, key tracks such as "Anymore" had amassed approximately 6 million streams, contributing to over 20 million streams collectively for prominent singles from the album.[55]Track listing
Standard edition
The standard edition of Silver Eye, released on 31 March 2017 by Mute Records, features ten original tracks with a total runtime of 44:49. It was issued in CD, 180-gram vinyl (gatefold sleeve with art prints), and digital download formats. All tracks were written by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. The album was primarily produced by Goldfrapp, with co-production by The Haxan Cloak on tracks 5, 6, and 10; co-production by John Congleton on track 10; and additional production by John Congleton on tracks 1, 3, 4, and 9, by The Haxan Cloak on tracks 1, 3, 4, and 9, and by Leo Abrahams on track 7.| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anymore | 3:54 |
| 2 | Systemagic | 3:38 |
| 3 | Tigerman | 4:14 |
| 4 | Become the One | 4:44 |
| 5 | Faux Suede Drifter | 5:02 |
| 6 | Zodiac Black | 5:04 |
| 7 | Beast That Never Was | 4:38 |
| 8 | Everything Is Never Enough | 5:06 |
| 9 | Moon in Your Mouth | 4:03 |
| 10 | Ocean | 4:26 |
Deluxe edition
The deluxe edition of Silver Eye was released on 6 July 2018 by Mute Records as a two-disc compact disc set, featuring the original 10-track album on the first disc and an eight-track bonus disc on the second.[27][28] This reissue includes new artwork and previously unreleased remixes alongside a re-recorded version of the album's closing track "Ocean," now featuring vocals from Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.[29] The bonus material adds approximately 50 minutes of additional content, emphasizing electronic and dance-oriented reinterpretations of key tracks.[28] The bonus disc opens with "Ocean (feat. Dave Gahan)," a 4:03 reworking written by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. Subsequent tracks include remixes such as Will Gregory's 7:26 "Don't Stop Now" version of "Anymore," a 6:14 remix of "Anymore" by Joe Goddard, the 6:59 "Lunar Eclipse Mix" of "Systemagic" by Ralphi Rosario, the 7:55 "Whatever/Whatever Remix" of "Anymore" by Justin Strauss and Bryan Mette, the 7:00 "Burn Slow Remix" of "Everything Is Never Enough" by Chris Liebing, and a 7:01 "Tek Vocal Mix" of "Anymore" by Ralphi Rosario. A 3:50 video mix of "Everything Is Never Enough" is also included.[28][30]| Track | Title | Remixers/Producers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean (feat. Dave Gahan) | Goldfrapp, Will Gregory | 4:03 |
| 2 | Anymore (Will Gregory's Don't Stop Now Remix) | Will Gregory | 7:26 |
| 3 | Everything Is Never Enough (Video Mix) | Goldfrapp | 3:50 |
| 4 | Anymore (Joe Goddard Remix) | Joe Goddard | 6:14 |
| 5 | Systemagic (Ralphi Rosario Lunar Eclipse Mix) | Ralphi Rosario | 6:59 |
| 6 | Anymore (Whatever/Whatever Remix by Justin Strauss & Bryan Mette) | Justin Strauss, Bryan Mette | 7:55 |
| 7 | Everything Is Never Enough (Chris Liebing Burn Slow Remix) | Chris Liebing | 7:00 |
| 8 | Anymore (Ralphi Rosario Tek Vocal Mix) | Ralphi Rosario | 7:01 |