Frou Frou created an impressive brand of vocal-driven, electronic pop. After the British duo had been collaborating for years without a record deal, the group's debut, Details, was completed for American release on MCA Records in 2002.
Heap and Sigsworth first worked together on Getting Scared from Heap's 1998 solo record, I Megaphone. After completing the promotion for that splendid debut, Heap was ready to begin work on a new project and the two hooked up again as Sigsworth had privately been compiling music specifically for Heap while producing other projects. The first track, conceived by the new, more formal (but as yet unnamed) pairing, eventually turned into Flicks from Details, which is perhaps Frou Frou's most Björk-reminiscent number.
Sigsworth grew up listening to eclectic female artists like Kate Bush, and along with Heap, developed an appreciation for classical music. He has specifically worked with Björk (Homogenic, Vespertine) and Madonna (What It Feels Like For A Girl) among many other significant '90s pop and electronic artists. Far from being the kind of campy moniker one might expect from a more sugary pop outfit, the name Frou Frou was decided upon when Francophile Sigsworth noticed the phrase in a Baudelaire poem. Apparently, when uttered in French, the phrase is meant to approximate the swishing of skirts as they swirl about the legs of comely dancing women, as in a burlesque performance.
Born composers, multi-instrumentalist Heap and studio/sound/producer/musician Sigsworth are credited with many side appearances in support of other artists, especially Sigsworth, who was often used as a bit of a song-fixer. While those aren't bad jobs to have, artists of Frou Frou's caliber need to step out on their own, and while Heap worked as a solo artist for a majority of her career, Sigsworth had never been so strongly identified with any previous project. Instead of relegating the male producer/writer to a barely credited back seat, as often happens with a female-fronted team effort, Frou Frou was conceived and honestly portrayed as a true collaboration, making it significant for its marketing truthfulness if nothing else.
Details has some relatively conventional pop moments like "It's Good to Be in Love", but more experimental cuts like "Only Got One" display a more definitive quality. The true accomplishment of Frou Frou (which is in evidence on just about every track the "band" created) is their uncanny ability to infuse highly manipulated, digitally crafted music with a warmth quite rare in pop and almost unheard of in music so technologically progressive. In the studio, Frou Frou achieved unique sounding beats for Heap's luscious voice via more-than-would-be-expected acoustic and natural instruments. These actual instrumental performances were recorded first, then heavily manipulated in an editing stage, giving the duo their own process and thus, their own sound. This approach made their music lush, dynamic, and more earthy when compared to typical electronic/dance and canned pop.
In November 2017, it was announced that Heap and Sigsworth would be reuniting to tour as Frou Frou in conjunction with an Imogen Heap solo tour in 2018. The duo released a live recording of "Guitar Song" on April 19, 2019. "Guitar Song" is one of two singles not released at the time of the band's initial break-up.
Piano
Frou Frou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh well.
Rain rushing window pain,
Oh well.
Not sure what space I'm in,
Oh well.
I'm safe inside me here,
Oh well.
Oh well
Oh well.
Oh well.
Oh well.
The lyrics of Frou Frou's song Old Piano seem to describe a sense of disconnect or detachment from reality. The singer first acknowledges the sound of rain against the window, but doesn't seem fully present or aware of her surroundings. She claims to not be entirely sure which "space" she inhabits but is comforted in her own inner world. The repetitive phrase "oh well" seems to indicate a resignation or acceptance of this situation, almost as if the singer is surrendering to her thoughts and emotions rather than trying to fight them. The old piano referenced in the song's title may also represent a symbol of the past or a nostalgic memory that provides a sense of comfort or familiarity.
Overall, the lyrics of Old Piano create a dreamlike and atmospheric mood that perfectly matches the electronic pop sound of the song. The song seems to be exploring themes of introspection, escapism, and detachment from reality, all of which are common themes in Frou Frou's music.
Line by Line Meaning
What's that you're saying there?
What message are you trying to convey?
Rain rushing window pain
The sound of rain falls heavy against the window pane
Not sure what space I'm in
I am unsure of my emotional and/or physical surroundings
I'm safe inside me here
Despite external uncertainties, I feel a sense of security within myself
Oh well.
An expression of acceptance or resignation
Oh well
Repeated expression of acceptance or resignation
Oh well.
Repeated expression of acceptance or resignation
Oh well.
Repeated expression of acceptance or resignation
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Not Me
I feel like Im in some lost part of the internet when I listen to rare songs like this.
Gorillaz Archive
Saame. Old 2007 Internet vibez
The Hoff Nation
@Gorillaz Archive beautiful year -summer of '06 and '07 ♡♡
bleujae1
However sad this song may sound, it's strangely very comforting :')
El Eco del Tren
is beautiful
kjemper
Behold A Pale Horse and I Miss My Dead Friends, so fucking great
sevay
both tracks are one of their best hands down
Nerdology 101
I came here for dead friends but then realized the beat was the same 😱
Luke hill
ONG
Aesylum
and Scars are Forever - Vinny Blackout