Strict Machine

"Strict Machine" is an electronic dance song written by British group Goldfrapp and Nick Batt for their second studio album Black Cherry (2003). It was produced by Goldfrapp and describes laboratory rats in neuroscience experiments. Alison Goldfrapp read in a newspaper about experiments in which scientists stimulated rats' brains so that the rats would feel joy when following commands. She was inspired to write "Strict Machine" based on images of the experiment and "more human aspects of machines and sex and control.

The song was released as the album's second single in July 2003 (see 2003 in music). It received a positive reception from music critics and became the band's second single to appear in the top thirty on singles charts in the United Kingdom. In May 2004, the song was re-issued under the title "Strict Machine '04" and became Goldfrapp's first top twenty single in the UK. In the United States, "Strict Machine" was released to success on the Billboard dance charts, where it reached the top position on the Dance Club chart and number three on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. The song won the dance award at the 49th Ivor Novello Awards.

Critical reception

"Strict Machine" received positive reviews from music critics. In a review for the NME, Peter Robinson called it "a solid gold, honest-to-goodness hit record which should be Number One immediately. Andy Hermann wrote for PopMatters that the song was "a future S&M club anthem if ever there was one". Dorian Lynskey of Blender magazine also linked "Strict Machine"'s lyrics to sadomasochism, and he compared it to Donna Summer's 1977 disco single "I Feel Love". In his review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis likened the song's "tubthumping drums" to Gary Glitter, 1980s arena rock, and hardstep, adding that "the end result is not only fantastic, but quiveringly sexy to boot".

Chart performance

On 30 June 2003, "Strict Machine" was released in the United Kingdom. The song became Goldfrapp's second top thirty single when it debuted at number twenty-five on the singles chart, and spent a total of six weeks in the top seventy-five. The song was re-released on 26 April 2004 under the name "Strict Machine '04" and surpassed it previous chart position in the UK by recharting at number twenty, becoming Goldfrapp's first top twenty single.

Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number twenty-six in Canada and became Goldfrapp's first single release to chart in the country. Although the single sold considerably, "Strict Machine" did not chart on the Canadian BDS Airplay chart, receiving most of its sales from its fans in the dance clubs. In Australia, the song peaked at number eighty and would remain as Goldfrapp's only single to chart in the country until the release of "Ooh La La" in 2005.

After the favourable reception of "Twist" and "Black Cherry" on the dance charts, "Strict Machine" was released in the United States. It became their first release to reach the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it remained for one week. It also performed well on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, where it reached number three. The single sold over 170,000 copies worldwide.

Music video

The song's music video, a mixture of graphic and live action segments, builds upon the art direction featured on the band's album and single covers. Throughout the video, Alison Goldfrapp is surrounded by black and white animated backgrounds, wolf-headed dancers, and colourful butterflies. The video uses kaleidoscopic layouts and dense graphic designs.

The music video was directed by Jonas Odell. The settings' architecture is inspired by the work of Archigram. Goldfrapp and her back-up dancers were filmed in London against a bluescreen. The animated sequences were done by Odell's Filmtecknarna studio in Stockholm, Sweden.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Strict Machine" and "Strict Machine '04".

UK CD1
(CD MUTE 295; Released: 21 July 2003)

1. "Strict Machine" – 3:50
2. "White Soft Rope" (featuring The Midwich Children Choir) – 4:30
3. "Hairy Trees" (Live in London) – 6:48

UK CD2
(LCD MUTE 295; Released: 21 July 2003)

1. "Strict Machine" (Ewan Pearson instrumental remix) – 5:53
2. "Strict Machine" (Rowan's remix) – 6:03
3. "Train" (Ewan Pearson dub) – 7:46

UK DVD
(DVD MUTE 295; Released: 21 July 2003)

1. "Strict Machine" (Ewan's Stripped Machine remix) – 8:31
2. "Deep Honey" (Live in London) – 4:45
3. "Lovely Head" (Live in London) (video)

Australian CD
(AUCD MUTE 295; Released: 2003)

1. "Strict Machine" (single mix) – 3:26
2. "White Soft Rope" (featuring the Midwich Children Choir) – 4:30
3. "Hairy Trees" (Live in London) – 6:47
4. "Deep Honey" (Live in London) – 4:41
5. "Strict Machine" (Ewan Pearson instrumental remix) – 5:53
6. "Strict Machine" (Rowan's remix) – 6:04
7. "Train" (Ewan Pearson dub) – 7:46

UK re-release CD1
(CD MUTE 335; Released: 10 May 2004)

1. "Strict Machine" (single mix) – 3:43
2. "Strict Machine" (Benny Benassi Sfaction edit) – 3:29

UK re-release CD2
(LCD MUTE 335; Released: 10 May 2004)

1. "Strict Machine" (Paris Loaded) – 3:39
2. "Strict Machine" (We Are Glitter) – 6:28
3. "Strict Machine" (Benny Benassi Sfaction extended mix) – 6:50
4. "Strict Machine" (Benny Benassi dub) – 6:26

UK re-release DVD
(DVD MUTE 335; Released: 10 May 2004)

1. "Strict Machine" (Calderone & Suryanto mix - edit)
2. "Sartorious" (Live at Route Du Rock, St. Malo 2001) (video)
3. "Deer Stop" (Live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London 2001) (video)

US CD
(MUTE 9215-2; Released: 18 May 2004)

1. "Strict Machine" (single mix) – 3:26
2. "White Soft Rope" (featuring the Midwich Children Choir) – 4:30
3. "Hairy Trees" (Live in London) – 6:47
4. "Strict Machine" (Rowan's remix) – 6:04
5. "Strict Machine" (Calderone + Suryanto remix) – 12:02
6. "Strict Machine" (Peter Rauhofer "NYC" mix) – 8:32
7. "Strict Machine" (Peter Rauhofer "UK" mix) – 5:42
8. "Strict Machine" (Benny Benassi Sfaction extended mix) – 6:53
9. "Strict Machine" (Ewan's Strippedmachine remix) – 8:31

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	25
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	54
Chart (2004)	Peak Position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales	3
UK Singles Chart	20
Canadian Singles Chart	26

Use of the song

• "Strict Machine" was featured in a short Game Boy Advance commercial in the United States along with the Goldfrapp song "Train".
• In 2003, the song was featured in a television advert for the fragrance "Night" by Armani. In France, promotional CD singles were created to promote the song and the commercial. The promotional single featured the single mix of "Strict Machine", the song's music video and the commercial.
• In 2006, the We Are Glitter Mix of the song was used in the film Miami Vice.
• In 2006, Verizon Wireless began launching a new phone named "Chocolate". "Strict Machine" is featured on the commercial and website.
• In August 2006, "Strict Machine" was prominently featured in one of many promos for season four of the U.S. television drama Nip/Tuck.
• "Strict Machine" was used by the WB Television Network show Charmed during the opening sequence of the episode titled "The Courtship of Wyatt's Father" which aired February 22, 2004.
• "Strict Machine" was used in the CSI: Miami episode entitled "Going, Going, Gone" in November 2006.
• The song is featured in a current Subaru advert on New Zealand television.
• In 2008, was used as part of a Contemporary routine on Season 1 of the Australian So You Think You Can Dance. The dance partners were Jack and Demi.

Trivia

• Wonderful Electric, Goldfrapp's concert tour in support of Black Cherry, was named after lyrics in the song.

References

External links

• Goldfrapp's official website