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Moloko

From Alfawiki
Moloko
Company typeMusic duo
IndustryMusic
Founded1994 in Sheffield, England
FounderRóisín Murphy, Mark Brydon
Defunct2004
Headquarters
Sheffield
,
England
ProductsElectronic music, dance music

Moloko () was an electronic music duo hailing from Sheffield, England, composed of vocalist Róisín Murphy and producer Mark Brydon. Renowned for their fusion of electronica and dance music, they secured several UK top 10 hits, including the singles "The Time Is Now" (2000) and "Familiar Feeling" (2003). Additionally, the 1999 Boris Dlugosch remix of "Sing It Back" gained widespread international acclaim.

Origins and rise to prominence (1994–2000)

At the time Moloko was formed, Murphy had no professional singing background,[1] whereas Brydon had experience producing for artists like Boy George and Cabaret Voltaire during the 1990s.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Their paths crossed in Sheffield in 1994 when Murphy approached Brydon with the phrase, "Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body!"[1] This line was later used as the title for their debut album. The band's name, Moloko, is inspired by "Moloko Plus," a milk-based beverage featured in A Clockwork Orange, referencing the Russian term for milk.

Under the label Echo Records, they debuted with the single "Where Is the What If the What Is in Why?"[1] Their first album, Do You Like My Tight Sweater?, was released in 1995.[1] Following this, they toured alongside Pulp.[1] The track "Fun for Me" appeared on the soundtrack of Batman & Robin, receiving significant radio and MTV exposure and climbing to number four on the US Dance chart. In 1997, they contributed a rendition of "Are 'Friends' Electric?" for a tribute album honoring Gary Numan.

After touring, Moloko established a home studio where they recorded their sophomore album, I Am Not a Doctor, which came out in 1998 in the UK.[1] Although it only reached number 64 on the UK Albums Chart, a remix of "Sing It Back" by Boris Dlugosch transformed the initially overlooked third single into a major success—peaking at number four in the UK and topping the US Dance charts. To promote this album, Moloko opened for Garbage during early 1999.[2]

Their third studio effort, Things to Make and Do, was released in 2000,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name achieving a peak position of number three on the UK Albums Chart. The leading single "The Time Is Now" became their highest-charting track, reaching number two. The touring lineup expanded to include percussionist Paul Slowly, keyboardist Eddie Stevens, and guitarist Dave Cooke.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Statues era and breakup (2003–2004)

The 2003 release Statues produced two UK charting singles: "Familiar Feeling" at number 10 and "Forever More" at number 17. Prior to recording this album, Brydon and Murphy ended their romantic relationship in 2002. Murphy then embarked on an eighteen-month solo tour to support the record. A performance on 22 November 2003 at Brixton Academy was captured and later issued as the live DVD 11,000 Clicks in 2004. Following this tour, Moloko officially disbanded.

Post-breakup period (2004–present)

Following their split, both Murphy and Brydon embarked on individual musical paths; Murphy launched her first solo record, Ruby Blue, in 2005.

On 22 May 2006, Moloko revealed plans for a greatest hits compilation titled Catalogue, which included the previously unreleased song "Bankrupt Emotionally" and was issued on 17 July. That same year, Murphy, Brydon, and longtime guitarist Cooke briefly reunited to perform acoustic sessions for radio broadcasts.

In 2016, Moloko released digitally a two-part remix collection named All Back To the Mine, comprising a total of 68 tracks.

By 2019, all four of Moloko’s studio albums had been remastered and reissued on vinyl format.

Since the group's dissolution, Murphy has incorporated Moloko tracks into her solo concert setlists but has consistently expressed no intention of reuniting with Brydon.

Style

Moloko’s sound is identified with genres such as alternative dance, dance-pop, experimental pop, dance-punk, and electropop. Heather Phares from AllMusic likened their debut album’s style to that of Portishead and Massive Attack, combining influences from dance, funk, and trip hop, while maintaining a distinctive "humor and sass" characteristic solely to Moloko.

Studio albums

Title Album details Highest chart rankings Certifications
UK AUS AUT BEL (Fl) FIN FRA GER IRE NLD SWI
Do You Like My Tight Sweater?
  • Released: 20 October 1995
  • Label: Echo
  • Formats available: CD, cassette, LP
 92 179 — — — — — — — —
  • BPI: Silver
I Am Not a Doctor
  • Released: 1 June 1998
  • Label: Echo
  • Formats available: CD, cassette, LP
 64 137 30 — — — 91 — — 45
Things to Make and Do
  • Released: 10 April 2000
  • Label: Echo
  • Formats available: CD, cassette, LP
 3 38 21 6 26 — 14 10 66 25
  • BPI: Platinum
Statues
  • Released: 3 March 2003
  • Label: Echo
  • Formats available: CD, LP, SACD
 18 34 19 1 12 135 12 59 28 26
  • BPI: Silver
  • BEA: Gold

Compilations

Title Album information Highest chart rankings
UK AUS BEL (Fl) GER IRE NLD
All Back to the Mine
  • Issued: 2 October 2001
  • Label: Echo
  • Available formats: CD, cassette
 149 144 47 — — —
Catalogue
  • Issued: 17 July 2006
  • Label: Echo
  • Available format: CD
 82 142 7 98 70 65
All Back to the Mine: Vol. I
  • Issued: 11 November 2016
  • Label: Echo
  • Available format: Digital download
 — — — — — —
All Back to the Mine: Vol. II
  • Issued: 11 November 2016
  • Label: Echo
  • Available format: Digital download
 — — — — — —

The compilation All Back to the Mine (2001) includes 21 remixes (23 in the Japanese edition). The digital releases from 2016, Volumes I and II, collectively contain 68 remixes, with certain variations compared to the original.

Singles

Title Year Highest chart rankings Certifications Album
UK AUS AUT BEL FRA GER IRE NLD SWI US Dance
"Where Is the What If the What Is in Why?" 1995 — 189 — — — — — — — — Do You Like My Tight Sweater?
"Fun for Me" — — — — — — — — — —
"Dominoid" 1996 65 148 — — — — — — —

-

"Fun for Me" (re-release) 36 — — — — — — — 4

-

"Day for Night" — — — — — — — — — 37

-

"The Flipside" 1998 53 107 — — — — — — — — 'I Am Not a Doctor'

-

"Sing It Back" 1999 45 — — — — — — — —

-

"Sing It Back"(Remix) 4 20

26

35

47

12

24

18

1

  • BPI: Gold
 
rowspan=4|'Things to Make and Do'

-

"The Time Is Now" 2000 2

36

15

—

49

10

46

41

—

  • BPI: Silver

-

"Pure Pleasure Seeker" 21 119

—Template:Ref label

—

—

—

—

—

—

-

"Indigo" 51

—

—Template:Ref label

—

—

—

—

—

-

"Familiar Feeling" 2003 10

46

59

29

72

26

100

84

— 

rowspan=3|'Statues'

-

"Forever More"

17

—

—

26

—

96

—

77

—

—

-

"Cannot Contain This"

97

—

—

Template:Ref label

—

—

—

—

—

-

  • A : The single "Pure Pleasure Seeker" did not enter the top 50 of the Flemish Ultratop chart but reached number 15 on the Ultratip listing.
  • B : The track "Indigo" peaked at position 16 on the Ultratip chart, falling outside the Ultratop top 50.
  • C : The song "Cannot Contain This" achieved number 3 on the Ultratip chart without breaking into the Ultratop top 50.

Video collections

Year Video information
2004 11,000 Clicks
  • Launch date: June 2004
  • Record labels: Echo, Sanctuary
  • Medium: DVD

Awards and recognition

Awarded "Best International Live Act" at the Belgian TMF Awards in 2004

See also

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named allmusic-bio
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :0
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