Love Letter To A Record: Sarah Blasko On Goldfrapp’s ‘Felt Mountain’

February 23, 2018

Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.

In this series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.

Here are their love letters to records that forever changed their lives.

Sarah Blasko: Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp Felt Mountain,

You are one of the most glorious records. I cherish you! Though released in 2000, you remain a beauty to this day. Sophisticated, inventive, mysterious. So rare are you! You’ve taught me so much & each time I listen I learn from you once more. When Alison Goldfrapp sings “when it rains on your head” in ‘Brown Paper Bag’ & the strings seep in, my eyes fill with tears. Reading this may cause you to blush, but I cannot contain myself – I am only human!

Oh dear one, I must confess I have potentially been a little more than inspired by you & on a number of occasions emulated (in my own fashion) the vocal effects employed by you in songs like the opener ‘Lovely Head’ ‘Pilots’ & ‘Utopia’. Forgive my weakness, but surely you understand how impactful they are! They were all too tantalising to attempt in my own feeble way. I am but a humble student of yours of course, & hope that my forays into this realm only make you proud rather than cause you upset, for this was never my intent. Any small success I have had with them in my live performance are but a credit to you!

Your string arrangements are sublime. They taught me how classy a pop album can be. My desire to record with an orchestra was inspired in part by your use of them. When I witnessed some of your songs performed at the Sydney Opera House many years ago with a large string ensemble I knew that I would one day need to do the same. You ignited a fire within me my dear!

Space & dynamics, so often so sorely lacking in modern recordings, generously exist within you. You remain a breath of fresh air in these times, where everything & everyone is grappling for attention & the art of subtle beauty often feels lost.

Thank you for being you. You remain while others have fallen by the wayside. I will return again & again.

Lovingly,

Blasko x

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Sarah Blasko’s new album ‘Depth Of Field’ is out today and you can grab it here. Plus catch her touring live across Australia this May and June. Dates below.