Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first became known in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo

Moloko Moloko () were an Irish-English electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their UK top 10 sin ...

alongside English musician

Mark Brydon Mark Errington Brydon is an English bassist, guitarist, composer, arranger, recording engineer, remix artist and producer best known as a member of the group Moloko. Previous work He comes from Sunderland, England, but established himself in ...

. After the breakup of Moloko, she embarked on a solo career and released her debut solo album '' Ruby Blue'' (written and produced with experimental musician

Matthew Herbert Matthew Herbert (born 1972), also known as Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and Wishmountain, is a British electronic musician. He often takes sounds from everyday items to produce electronic music. Career Mat ...

) to critical praise in 2005. Her second solo album, ''

Overpowered ''Overpowered'' is the second solo studio album by Irish singer and songwriter Róisín Murphy. It was released on 15 October 2007 by EMI Records. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album was more commercially successful than its predece ...

'', was released in 2007. After an eight-year hiatuswhich was sporadically interrupted by non-album singles, side projects, and guest appearances on other artists' recordsMurphy released her third solo album '' Hairless Toys'' in 2015; it was nominated for the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

and Ireland's Choice Music Prize. The following year, she released her fourth album ''

Take Her Up to Monto ''Take Her Up to Monto'' is the fourth solo studio album by Irish singer Róisín Murphy. It was released on 8 July 2016 by Play It Again Sam. The album was co-produced with longtime collaborator Eddie Stevens during the same five-week sessio ...

''. In 2018, she released four 12" releases in collaboration with producer Maurice Fulton. In 2020, Murphy released her

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

-inspired fifth solo album, ''

Róisín Machine ''Róisín Machine'' is the fifth solo studio album by Irish singer Róisín Murphy, released 2 October 2020 by Skint Records. The album received critical acclaim upon its release, ranking among the year's best by several publications. Commercia ...

''. It received critical acclaim and became her most commercially successful album.

Early life

Róisín Marie Murphy was born in

Arklow Arklow (; ; , ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 re ...

on 5 July 1973. When she was 12 years old, she and her family moved to England, where they settled in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

.Ramaswamy, Chitra
"Murphy's Law"
''

Scotland on Sunday ''Scotland on Sunday'' is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by JPIMedia and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate ''The Scotsman''. It was originally printed in broadsheet format but in 2013 ...

'', 7 October 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007. She embraced

1960s fashion In a decade that broke many traditions, adopted new cultures, and launched a new age of social movements, 1960s fashion had a nonconformist but stylish, trendy touch. Around the middle of the decade, new styles started to emerge from small vil ...

from going with her mother, who was an antiques dealer, to car boot sales and charity shops.West, Naomi
"Retail therapy: Fashion Rocks"
''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'', 17 October 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2009. After three years of living in Manchester, her parents divorced and both of them moved back to Ireland.Sturges, Fiona
"Roisin Murphy: Dressed to kill"
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 17 June 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2009. 15-year-old Murphy, however, insisted on remaining alone in England because she did not think that her mother had the strength to continue taking care of her.Sullivan, Caroline
"Her time is now"
''

Guardian.co.uk TheGuardian.com, formerly known as Guardian.co.uk and ''Guardian Unlimited'', is a British news and media website owned by the Guardian Media Group. It contains nearly all of the content of the newspapers ''The Guardian'' and ''The Observer'', ...

'', 27 May 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2009. She lived with her best friend for a year, until she could receive

Housing Benefit Housing Benefit is a means-tested social security benefit in the United Kingdom that is intended to help meet housing costs for rented accommodation. It is the second biggest item in the Department for Work and Pensions' budget after the state ...

and move into a nearby apartment. Murphy's school years were difficult as she recalled in 2019: "I never felt it was like being bullied; I always felt I intimidated people, and that was why I got in trouble." She befriended a group of "weird boys who wore black" and who listened to

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they rele ...

. When Murphy attended a

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

concert with a friend, she was inspired to become a performer. She concealed her singing voice, not wanting other people to know she "sounded like

Elaine Paige Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professiona ...

". She later joined a

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band that split after a handful of performances. She enrolled in a

sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...

at the age of 17 and later considered going to

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-seco ...

. At the age of 19, she moved to

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, where she began going to nightclubs and was inspired by the

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood came to public notice when she m ...

designs she saw at

Trash Trash may refer to: Garbage * Garbage, unwanted or undesired waste material ** Litter, material discarded in inappropriate places ** Municipal solid waste, unwanted or undesired waste material generated in a municipal environment Arts, enter ...

Career

1994–2003: Moloko

Murphy met

in 1994 at a party, using the chat-up line "Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body." Brydon brought Murphy to his Fon Studios, where he auditioned her voice on tape, and liked Murphy's theatrical delivery. They began dating, and the newly formed Moloko were signed to

Echo Records The Echo Label was a British record label started by Chrysalis Group in 1994, and linked with Pony Canyon in Japan. The Chrysalis Group were the original owners of Chrysalis Records, which they sold to EMI. In 2005, The Echo Label recorded a ...

, releasing their debut album ''

Do You Like My Tight Sweater? ''Do You Like My Tight Sweater?'' is the first album by the electronic/dance duo Moloko, released in October 1995 in the UK and Australia, while being released in March 1997 in the US. The title of the album is derived from the singer Róisín ...

'' the following year. The album was described by Heather Phares of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as combining elements of

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

with electronic dance music, using a more humorous approach than some of their contemporaries. The follow-up ''

I Am Not a Doctor ''I Am Not a Doctor'' is the second album by the English/Irish electronic dance music duo Moloko, released in 1998. The album received critical praise, although it was not a big seller. ''I Am Not a Doctor'' was issued in the UK by Echo Records ...

'' covered similar musical ground, and a remix by

Boris Dlugosch Boris Dlugosch (; born 2 August 1968) is a German house music producer from Hamburg. Boris is usually known for funky/deep house tracks, mostly produced in conjunction with Mousse T. and Michi Lange, his partners in the Peppermint Jam Records l ...

of " Sing It Back" enjoyed international success, and would go on to be featured on more than 110 compilation albums. In place of paying Dlugosch, Murphy helped write "Never Enough",Smyth, David
"A dose of his own medicine"
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'', 26 May 2001. Retrieved 22 July 2009. which reached number sixteen on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in June 2001."UK Top 40 Hit Database"
''EveryHit.com''. Retrieved 22 July 2009. October 2000 saw the release of Moloko's third album ''

Things to Make and Do ''Things to Make and Do'' is the third album by the electronic/ dance duo Moloko, released in the UK by Echo Records in 2000. It was a sonic departure for Moloko, with tracks less reliant on electronics and more on live musicians. In addition to ...

'', for which they employed more live instrumentation, and more multifaceted arrangements by keyboardist Eddie Stevens."Moloko: Catalogue"

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

, 27 July 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2009. The album reached number three on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

, and "The Time Is Now" became their most successful British single, reaching number two. Murphy and Brydon broke up but were contractually obligated to deliver further albums. After the 2003 release of ''

Statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

'', Brydon backed out of much of the album's promotion, so Murphy handled most of it herself. Although no official statement was issued pertaining to Moloko's future, Murphy told '' Q'' magazine in May 2005, "We left it on good terms after a very successful tour. We shook hands, said "see you later", and haven't spoken since. I don't know what Mark thinks of this record or what he's doing. I don't know if we will or we won't reunite. Myself, I don't ''not'' want to."

2004–2005: ''Ruby Blue''

Image-Roisin Murphy Orange Music Haifa 2005 01

Murphy began doing solo work while still in Moloko, which included her contributions to the works of other artists including

Handsome Boy Modeling School Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip hop producers Dan the Automator ( Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030) and Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz). The collaboration originally lasted ...

and

, for whom she sang on the track "Never Enough", which became a huge club hit, hitting the top three of the US

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart. Murphy recorded her first official solo material in 2004 with producer

, who had previously done remixes for Moloko. She had wanted to work with him again, commenting that "it felt very natural... because Matthew makes things seem quicker and easier."Bankole, Ade
"Beautifully Flawed"
. ''Straight No Chaser''. February 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2007. After the pair had recorded a few songs, Murphy found that she enjoyed working with Herbert, and her label

let her work freely without any deadline. When she presented them the album, they found it odd and did not hear any songs that would make successful singles. The A&R division suggested that Murphy make some changes to make it more radio-friendly. Murphy refused, stating that she "wanted it to be as pure as possible." The label later came to support her. Murphy released her debut album '' Ruby Blue'' in June 2005. Prior to this, tracks from the album were made available on three limited edition, vinyl-only releases: '' Sequins #1'', '' Sequins #2'' and '' Sequins #3''. The release of the EP's was to precede a London exhibition by artist Simon Henwood, featuring paintings of Murphy in various sequined outfits (some of Henwood's paintings are used as cover images for the record jackets)."Roisin Murphy Video"
. SimonHenwood.com. Retrieved 22 July 2009. The titling is also a pun on "sequins" and the related word "sequence". Henwood also directed the two video clips for the album's singles ("

If We're in Love "If We're in Love" is the debut single by Róisín Murphy, released in June 2005 from her debut solo album, '' Ruby Blue'' (2005). Music video The music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a m ...

" and "

Sow into You "Sow into You" is an electronica song written and produced by Róisín Murphy and Matthew Herbert for Murphy's debut solo album, '' Ruby Blue'', released in 2005. The song uses a metaphor of rain and harvesting for love and sex.Mulholland, Gar ...

"). ''Ruby Blue'' samples sounds made by everyday objects and actions, including cosmetics, brass mice, dancing and ornaments."Why the ''Moloko'' singer decided to go solo"
.

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by A ...

. Retrieved 8 October 2007. It mixes the electronic music for which Moloko was known with

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and pop styles.Tartan, Suzannah.
"Diva sings hot and cold on solo debut"
. ''

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

''. 29 May 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2007. Although the album was a commercial failure,"Chart Log UK: 1994–2006: M – My Vitriol"
. Zobbel.de. Retrieved 20 November 2008. it drew mainly positive reviews;

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

called it "perfect, the ultimate combination of human warmth and technological know-how."Richardson, Mark.
"Róisín Murphy: Ruby Blue"
.

. 8 July 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2007.

2006–2008: ''Overpowered''

In May 2006, Murphy signed with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

. Her first single for the label, "

", was released on 2 July 2007. Written by Murphy and Paul Dolby (

Seiji Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...

) of

Bugz in the Attic Bugz in the Attic is a collective of DJs and producers based in West London, who are prominent in broken beat. The collective includes Orin Walters (Afronaught), Paul Dolby (Seiji), Kaidi Tatham, Daz-I-Kue, Alex Phountzi (Neon Phusion), Cliff Sc ...

and mixed by Tom Elmhirst, the single was accompanied by a series of remixes from Seamus Haji,

Kris Menace Kris Menace (born Christoph Hoeffel) is a German electronic musician and music producer. History Christophe Hoeffel began to work as a producer and writer in the mid-1990s for different projects and started using the pseudonym "Kris Menace" in 20 ...

, Hervé and Loose Cannons."Moloko singer returns with electronic album"
''Side-Line.com'', 23 July 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2009. A second single " Let Me Know" (a collaboration with

Andy Cato Andrew Derek Cocup Sr. (born 7 June 1973), known professionally as Andy Cato, is an English musician, record producer and DJ who is currently one half of the electronic music band Groove Armada, the other half being Tom Findlay. He was also inv ...

), was released in September and the album, named ''

'', was released soon after. In September 2007, Murphy received a pre-nomination for the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Inter Act, but did not make it to the final list. She performed "Let Me Know" on ''

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme features Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show) ...

'' on 5 October 2007. Murphy sustained an eye injury on 27 October 2007, while on tour in Russia to promote ''Overpowered''. She was forced to cancel several subsequent dates on the tour.

2009–2014: Hiatus

Despite well-known troubles at

, Murphy started working again with Sejii on a third studio solo album.Rogers, Georgie
"Girls' EMI muddle"
''BBC.co.uk'' (BBC6 Music), 18 August 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2009. In 2008 she recorded a cover of the Bryan Ferry song "

Slave to Love "Slave to Love" is the first single released from Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry's 1985 release, '' Boys and Girls''. The song is one of Ferry's most popular solo hits. The single was released on 28 April 1985 and spent nine weeks in the UK cha ...

" that featured in a campaign for

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...

, and released on the promo-only "Movie Star" single. Murphy previewed material at the SEone club in London in 2009, performing "

Momma's Place "Momma's Place" is a song by Irish recording artist Róisín Murphy, released as a digital single on 18 January 2010. On 5 January 2010, after finding out the song had leaked to the Internet, Murphy commented on it via Facebook, saying: "I hear ...

" and "Hold up Your Hands", and premiered the single " Orally Fixated" on her Myspace page in November 2009. The song was released later in the month. with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' offering a free download of the song for 48 hours. From 2010 until early 2013 Murphy's only releases were on other artists' recordings. She contributed vocals to

Crookers Crookers is the musical project of Italian DJ and producer Francesco "Phra" Barbaglia. Crookers was originally a duo consisting of Phra and fellow producer Bot, who worked together from 2003 to 2012. When the two artists met, both were trying to ...

's album '' Tons of Friends'',

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

and

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...

's project ''Here Lies Love'', Mason's ''"Boadicea"'',

Tony Christie Anthony Fitzgerald (born 25 April 1943), known professionally as Tony Christie, is an English musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his recording of "(Is This the Way To) Amarillo "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" is a song writt ...

's ''"7 Hills"'',

The Feeling ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

's ''"Dance for the Lights"'', an anonymous producer's "Simulation", ''"Golden Era"'' by

David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1962) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Ma ...

, ''"Flash of Light"'' and ''"Invisions"'' with Luca C & Brigante, ''"Look Around You"'' by

, ''"Alternate State"'' by Hot Natured,

Freeform Five Freeform Five is an English electronic group led by DJ, producer, and songwriter Anu Pillai. Biography It was his remix of Isolee’s "Beau Mot Plage" in 1999 that alerted many to this group. The Freeform Five DJ mix albums ''Bisous Bis ...

's ''"Leviathan"'', and ''"In My Garden"'' with

Invisible Cities ''Invisible Cities'' ( it, Le città invisibili) is a novel by Italian writer Italo Calvino. It was published in Italy in 1972 by Giulio Einaudi Editore. Description The book explores imagination and the imaginable through the descriptions of ...

. The exception to this was a 12", ''"Simulation"'', released under her own name in 2012.

2014–2017: ''Mi Senti'', ''Hairless Toys'', ''Take Her Up to Monto''

In May 2014, Murphy released a six-track

Italian language Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about 85 m ...

EP '' Mi Senti'', featuring a new composition and previous Italian pop hits. Her third studio album '' Hairless Toys'' followed a year later, to positive reviews. Her July 2016 album ''

'' was recorded during the same sessions as '' Hairless Toys'', and included long-time collaborator and producer

Eddie Stevens Eddie Stevens is a British keyboardist, record producer, composer and arranger, best known for co-writing, arranging and touring with the UK groups Freakpower (with Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim); Moloko (as of 2000); and Zero 7. He continued to w ...

. The ''Monto'' title is derived from an

Irish folk Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

song of the same name, popularised by

The Dubliners The Dubliners were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personn ...

in the 1960s, which Murphy's father sang to her as a child. The release was followed by a number of European festival dates and a number of North American shows.

2018–present: Fulton collaboration, ''Róisín Machine''

Through 2018

The Vinyl Factory The Vinyl Factory is a large music company based in London, United Kingdom. It includes a record label, vinyl pressing plant, and a venue space. It also publishes ''Fact'' magazine and owns Phonica Records store. Overview The Vinyl Factory be ...

released a series of four 12-inch discs produced by Baltimore house music pioneer Maurice Fulton. Consisting of eight original songs, each around 6 minutes, Murphy directed music videos for the four A-side releases. The single " Murphy's Law" was released 4 March 2020. During the subsequent pandemic quarantine, her home performances for a livestream concert were released as a series of six short films. Murphy released her fifth solo album ''

'' on 2 October 2020. It includes ten tracks, with singles "Simulation" and "Jealousy" released several years prior, together with more recently produced songs "Incapable", "Narcissus", "Murphy's Law", and "Something More". In 2022 Murphy starred as the Blood Witch Mercury in the Netflix TV Show ''

The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself ''The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself'' is a British fantasy drama television series created by Joe Barton, based on the novel '' Half Bad'' by Sally Green. The series tells the story of Nathan Byrne, a young man discovering his true identity a ...

''.

Style

Electronic Beats Telekom Electronic Beats (TEB) is an international music marketing program of Deutsche Telekom AG focusing on electronic music and international club culture. The program was founded in 2000. It comprises a media portfolio and has been organizing ev ...

'' described Murphy as "this adolescent century's true

art-pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...

queen," writing that "her sensuous and ominous output is scattered across various genres and moods."

described her as "a purveyor of adventurous, omnivorous pop that blended influences as far-flung as

and hot jazz."

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n publication ''

OutInPerth ''OutInPerth'' is an online LGBT publication in Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populatio ...

'' called her "Ireland's queen of the

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

." ''

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

s Giuseppe Zevolli wrote that "she's merged pop,

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, and disco with an avant-garde sensibility and a stunning, shape-shifting visual output that never ceases to provoke." Critic

Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 – 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...

located her music in a glam lineage that includes

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera ...

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

, and the

New Romantics The New Romantic movement was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New ...

, noting Murphy's attention to the cultivation of artifice and persona. The sound of Moloko's early work drew on

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

and

influences before transitioning to a more organic sound. According to Elizabeth Vincentelli of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', "it was only after oloko'sbreakup that Murphy truly refined her trademark fusion of glossy sheen and playful experimentation." Her diverse solo work has included collaborations with experimental jazz composer

and electronic producer

, drawing variously on house music,

ballroom culture The Ballroom Scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Latino ...

, and avant-garde

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

. Murphy has a contralto vocal range, which has been described as distinctive, smoky and jazzy. Heather Phares described it as "combin

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a wild variety of voices and textures, from impassively chilly to gorgeously lilting to gleefully offbeat." The first performers that left an impression on her were

Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...

from

and

Kim Deal Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was the bassist and the co-vocalist in the alternative rock band Pixies, before forming the Breeders in 1989. Deal joined Pixies in January ...

from the

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

also inspired her for his "energy - and he's a giver". She stated that her biggest influences were

Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...

and

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

.
She was also inspired by Italian female singers such as Mina and

Patty Pravo Patty Pravo (born Nicoletta Strambelli on 9 April 1948) is an Italian singer. She debuted in 1966 and remained most successful commercially for the rest of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Having suffered a decline in popularity in the followin ...

for the way they owned the stage when they moved. She described her performances as "a bit like ''

The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...

"'' and her audiences were said to "dress up to mirror Murphy’s own spectacular fashions." Murphy has drawn considerable attention and praise for her eccentric and imaginative fashion style. ''Electronic Beats'' noted "her reputation for sporting avant-garde couture into a place among fashion's elite." According to Jad Salfiti of ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nikk ...

'', " erclothes amplify her personality: exhibitionist, playful, eclectic, larger than life.

Personal life

Murphy lives in

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, having previously split her time between London and Ireland. She previously dated British artist

Simon Henwood Simon Henwood (born, 31 March 1965 in Portsmouth, England) is a British artist, author, film director, and music video director. Henwood first gained attention as a children's writer and later on for his paintings inspired by adolescence, as wel ...

; their daughter, Clodagh, was born on 15 December 2009. She has sole custody of Clodagh. Murphy is currently in a relationship with Italian producer Sebastiano Properzi. Their son, Tadhg, was born in September 2012.

Discography

* '' Ruby Blue'' (2005) * ''

'' (2007) * '' Hairless Toys'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * ''

'' (2020)

Awards and nominations

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Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, rowspan=3, " Sing It Back" , rowspan=1, The Ivors Dance Award , , , - , rowspan=4, 2000 ,

Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

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Q Awards The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...

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Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

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International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Awards or IDMAs is an annual awards ceremony held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States as a major part of the Winter Music Conference. The awards have been held every year since the conference's creation in 1985 ...

, "Evil Eyes" , Best Indie Dance Track , , , - ,

AIM Independent Music Awards The AIM Independent Music Awards, hosted by the Association of Independent Music (commonly abbreviated to AIM), began in 2011. It is established through a collection of independent record labels and providing service and support to independent and s ...

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References

External links

* – official site * – official site * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Roisin 1973 births Contraltos Irish dance musicians Irish electronic musicians Irish pop singers Irish women singer-songwriters Living people Moloko Musicians from County Wicklow People from Arklow Synth-pop singers Women in electronic music Art pop musicians Experimental pop musicians Avant-pop musicians 20th-century Irish women singers 21st-century Irish women singers Irish women record producers Irish expatriates in England Dance-pop musicians