Last year, the long-running UK electro-pop duo Goldfrapp returned with Silver Eye, their first new album in four years. It ended with “Ocean,” a piece of foxy, moody synthpop that was eventually released as a single. This summer, Goldfrapp will release a deluxe edition of Silver Eye with a few bonus tracks added on. And one of those songs is a new version of “Ocean” that features vocals from the king of foxy, moody synthpop: Longtime Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan.
With its slow throb, “Ocean” already sounded at least a bit like prime Violator-era Depeche Mode. And given that Gahan has been making music like this for decades without changing up his phrasing or delivery at all since Vince Clarke left the group, it’s not exactly a surprise that Gahan would be able to slither onto this track and immediately sound at home. He and Alison Goldfrapp show plenty of on-record chemistry, which isn’t exactly a shock. Gahan could probably develop chemistry with just about any living creature, and Goldfrapp have been building on the old Depeche Mode sound for a long while.
In fact, Goldfrapp have been at this for so long that maybe it’s time for Alison Goldfrapp to start doing legacy-star appearances on other people’s records, the way Gahan does here. Check it out below.
