Labels

Róisín Murphy


Born: 1973
Location: Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland
Genre: Art Pop, House, Deep House, Nu-Disco
Years Active: 1994 - (as a solo act from 2005)
Real Name: Róisín Murphy
Way of Working: Sings over a producer's beats
Associated: Moloko
Labels: PIAS, Echo, Ninja Tune, EMI

Essential Releases

Róisín Murphy - Hairless Toys

Hairless Toys (2015)

Minimalistic deep house with an artisitic edge.

Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine

Róisín Machine (2020)

Disco and house for the dancefloor.

Róisín Murphy - Hit Parade

Hit Parade (2023)

Revealing and humorous album about the life of an aging disco queen.


Róisín Murphy's fierce, almost contrarian individuality has defined her career in music. Emigrating from her native Ireland at only 16, she moved into a English council flat where she became involved in music almost accidentally as an untrained vocalist singing over her boyfriend's beats. The resulting group, Moloko, was born in 1994 as a downtempo, risk-taking house hybrid.

When the group split in the early 2000s after hitting number 2 in the UK singles chart, Murphy was seen by major labels as a ready-made pop commodity. As such, EMI made a bid to market her as the 'new Kylie Minogue' due to her pedigree as a blonde, fashionable singer with a proven track record. But as Murphy herself told The Quietus: "You have to be a c*nt to be a pop star."

The label threw significant resources behind her album Overpowered (2007), enlisting the aid of Grammy award winning producers and reportedly spending £125,000 on the album art alone. Despite the colossal investment, the record only reached number 20 in the UK, failing to meet expectations and ultimately resulting in her departure from the label.

EMI's attempts to mould Murphy into a 'cookie-cutter' pop star were dashed, and perhaps, doomed from the start. The established dance producer Calvin Harris, who had his contributions for the album rejected by Murphy, described her as: 'a bit mental.' Murphy said of the experience:

"Even though Overpowered was built like that (with multiple producers) there was one boss, and that was me."

This dichotomy between high fashion and working-class attitude is typical of Murphy. As a solo artist, her 'ladette' image from the Moloko years was replaced with extravagant outfits that retained elements of her previous down to earth persona. For example, in the music video for 'Overpowered', she performs live in glamorous attire before riding the night bus home and eating fast food.
Róisín Murphy, dressed like she's on the catwalk, riding the nightbus.
Róisín Murphy, dressed like she's on the catwalk, riding the nightbus.
When Murphy re-emerged after a eight-year hiatus, it was on her own terms with the critically-acclaimed Hairless Toys (2015). The detached microhouse album was artistic by design: only one of its eight tracks is under five minutes, a quiet rebuttal of the traditional three-and-a-half-minute rule for radio hits.

Her fingerprints are all over the record. It features elements of jazz, including unexpected chord changes that give it a sophisticated air of the experimental, intimate whispered vocal delivery, and low key downtempo grooves that build steadily over time.

Subsequent releases, such as the disco-revivalist Róisín Machine (2020) and Hit Parade (2023), were in the same vein, each crafted in close collaboration with a male producer, which was how she operated in Moloko. Murphy detailed the process in an interview with the MailOnline:

"The way I started in this business was all tied up in sex and sexuality... I’m not saying I flirt with producers, but for me there is always some kind of male-female chemistry in the way that I work."

With her later projects, Murphy had firmly re-established her authentic swagger, maintaining her status as a queen of the British dance floor.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
65

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
60

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
65

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
90

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
85

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
70

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
85

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
60

Singing

i Technical attributes.
70

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
85

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
80

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
80

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
70

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
55

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
65

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

  • Mercury Prize Nominee - Hairless Toys

Certifications >>>

  • Overpowered - Silver in the UK

Charts >>>

  • Róisín Machine - Number 5 in Ireland
  • Hit Parade - Number 5 in the UK; Number 6 in Germany

Critics >>>

  • Albumism - Róisín Machine - The Best Albums of 2020: 1st
  • Now Magazine - Hairless Toys - The Best Albums of 2015: 2nd
  • The Guardian - Róisín Machine - The Best Albums of 2020: 11th

Similar Acts



Labels:

Popular Posts