Pedestal 01: Róisín Murphy

Way back in 1995, the unlikely pairing of musician Mark Brydon and clubgoer/vocalist Róisín Murphy released their first album as Moloko, with the cheeky title of Do You Like My Tight Sweater?. Full of quirky sounds and eccentric beats, it didn't find much of an audience, and they remained strictly a niche act with sophomore effort I Am Not A Doctor. They skyrocketed to fame with the Boris Dlugosch remix of their single "Sing It Back," which quickly became a monster hit across Europe in the summer of 1999. It ended up being featured on over 100 compilations, and is still remembered as one of the biggest crossover dance hits of recent years (see also Dear Ibiza 01). Moloko followed this up the next summer with "The Time Is Now," reaching no. 2 on the UK singles chart. This was a taste from their third album Things To Make And Do, which subsequently hit no. 3 on the albums listing. Their fourth album Statues followed in 2003, coming after the breakup of Brydon and Murphy's romantic relationship. It contained some of their best work yet, including European hit singles "Familiar Feeling" and "Forever More." They parted ways after the lengthy tour in support of the album. Their greatest hits are chronicled by the recent collection Catalogue.

After years without any new material, it was announced that Róisín Murphy was set to release a solo album, her first work away from Moloko aside from a few side collaborations. Her first album, Ruby Blue, was a collaboration with electronic artist Matthew Herbert. It was released in 2005 after first coming out as a series three limited edition 12" EPs (called the Sequins series). Though immediately gaining widespread critical acclaim, its left-field sensibilities kept it from reaching much of an audience and she found herslef back on the fringes of pop music. Then, just this year, she signed a new record deal with EMI, leaving behind her lifetime independent label home of Echo Records. Her debut release with the label was the "taster" EP Overpowered in July. This month, she released her first chart-eligible single, the excellent "Let Me Know." It debuted inside the UK top 40 ahead of her sophomore solo album Overpowered, which came in a respectable at no. 20 on this week's charts. With production help from dance giants like Groove Armada, Bugz in the Attic, Richard X and Paul Dolby, the album is one of the best pop records released in ages, and a definite contender for my personal album of the year. This is a record that must be heard by any fan of pop or dance music, or just anyone curious for some truly great songs. I've included a link to listen to the whole album (I love her too much to give away her music - but I've included a link for legal downloads). For good measure, I've thrown in some classic Moloko tracks and a few solo tracks for your listening pleasure.
Listen to the album Overpowered by Róisín Murphy!
(Choice selections: "You Know Me Better," "Movie Star," "Cry Baby," "Let Me Know")
Purchase tracks from the album from 7digital!
Order the physical album from Amazon!
Visit her lovely YouTube channel!

Check up on some vintage Moloko:
"Day For Night" (from Do You Like My Tight Sweater? and Catalogue)
"Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix Edit) (from Things To Make And Do and Catalogue)
"Pure Pleasure Seeker" (from Things To Make And Do and Catalogue)
"Familiar Feeling" (Timo Maas Main Mix) (from the Familiar Feeling single)
"Forever More" (from Statues and Catalogue)

Róisín Murphy solo recordings:
"If We're In Love" (from Ruby Blue)
"Ramalama (Bang Bang)" (from Ruby Blue)
"Off & On" (outtake from Overpowered, produced by Calvin Harris)

***Note: Links removed***

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