Guy Sigsworth

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Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth

Guy Sigsworth is an electronica producer and was member of the band Frou Frou together with U.K. singer/songwriter/producer Imogen Heap.

Sigsworth began his career working with Seal on "Crazy", having met the singer in a neighbouring London flat. Following this he set up an electronic band, Acacia, who eventually released an album "Cradle" on major label Warners. From there he came across a series of like-minded musicians, working with Tim Simenon (Bomb the Bass), Talvin Singh, French producer Hector Zazou, and Icelandic singer, Björk.

Sigsworth first received critical acclaim for his work on Björk's 1995 album Post, as well as 1997's Homogenic, and later Vespertine. Also in 1998, Sigsworth was introduced to Imogen Heap, who had signed a deal with the now-defunct Almo Sounds. He had been chosen, because of his work with Björk, to help Heap to record and produce her first album. The resulting CD, i Megaphone, is an angst-infused indie-rock affair, a far cry from the electronica-pop of their 2002 collaboration, Details. He also worked on electronica-infused albums with Lamb.

Sigsworth had also worked on an underground album by Mandalay, which, despite not gaining wide popularity, came to the attention of Madonna. She contacted Sigsworth after hearing the record, and the result was "What It Feels Like for A Girl", co-written with Madonna herself, and produced by Sigsworth, Madonna, and Mark "Spike" Stent. The song, featured on the number-one album Music (2000), was also released as a single in April 2001.


[edit] Frou Frou

After criticising work on other projects throughout his career, Sigsworth realised that the missing link he was looking for was a "vocal he loved". He decided to rectify this and, having particularly favoured the voice of Imogen Heap, who by now had become a good friend, asked her to work on the record with him. She says: "Every month or so Guy would phone me up and say 'I've got a new song, would you come in and sing it?' and then before we knew it we'd already started the album."

After a collection of songs had been completed, Heap and Sigsworth set about finding a name for their collaborative effort. Sigsworth, a fan of all things French, came up with "Frou Frou", which Heap loved. The name comes from a Charles Baudelaire poem, and is a French onomatopoeic word originally meaning the swishing noise made by skirts on dancing women.

Details
Details

The songs Heap and Sigsworth had recorded were collectively released on the album Details. Featuring a wide range of electronica-pop, with elements of trip-hop and rock, the hand-crafted tracks used a wide range of organic instruments from cellos, auto harps, guitars, keyboards, and Indian drums, with layered vocals from Heap.

The album was released in 2002 on Universal Records to critical acclaim, but this did not translate into the mass sales the duo had hoped for. "Breathe In" was released as the first single internationally, and reached number two on the Italian radio airplay charts, but follow up singles, "Must Be Dreaming" and "It's Good To Be In Love" were never commercially released in the UK. A video was also made for "The Dumbing Down of Love", directed by Joel Peissig (who later directed Heap's solo video, "Hide and Seek"). After touring the record extensively across the United States, where the duo had established a cult fan base, having received extensive airplay on KCRW, Frou Frou disbanded in 2003.

Despite disbanding to rest after a hectic touring schedule, Heap and Sigsworth reformed Frou Frou temporarily to record a special cover version of "Holding out for a Hero", originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler for the Shrek 2 soundtrack. The duo were approached by the music director of the film, who had been a fan of their album. The resulting track is played during the end credits of the film. Frou Frou also experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2004, when Scrubs star, Zach Braff chose album track "Let Go" for his independent film, Garden State. Other Frou Frou tracks have been included on television shows, such as CSI and Roswell High.

Despite disbanding only after one album (Heap and Sigsworth remain firm friends and meet regularly to catch-up on things, but are currently focused on separate musical projects), Frou Frou's musical influence has remained widespread. American independent trip-hop duo Beauty's Confusion named their debut album "Breathe In" after the debut Frou Frou single.

[edit] After Frou Frou

After Frou Frou disbanded, Sigsworth went back to producing and co-writing for other artists, including co-writing with Welsh singer/songwriter Jem on tracks including "Nothing Fails", which was re-worked with Madonna for her 2003 album, American Life.

Sigsworth has also produced two tracks for American pop artist, Britney Spears. The first, "Everytime", appeared on her US number-one album, In The Zone and, when released as the third single from the album, reached number one in the UK and Australian singles charts, as well as number fifteen in the USA Billboard Hot 100, giving Sigsworth commercial success to rival that he had experienced with Madonna and Björk.

In 2005, Spears and Sigsworth collaborated again on a special song Spears had written about having a child, "Someday (I Will Understand)". A track Imogen Heap and Sigsworth had worked on for the In The Zone album, entitled "Over To You Now", was also released on the UK and Japanese bonus CDs of the DVD release of her reality TV show, Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, as well as on the Japanese "Someday (I Will Understand)" single.

Sigsworth has also worked on albums by Swedish pop artist Robyn and the UK group, Sugababes, producing a track called "Maya" on their 2003 album, Three, and two tracks for their 2005 album, Taller in More Ways, one of which appears on the album, "Bruised," and another, "Like The Weather," which appears as a B-side to their single, "Push The Button," both co-written by the band themselves with Guy and esteemed UK writer, Cathy Dennis. In addition, Sigsworth has produced and remixed songs for world jazz artist Bebel Gilberto and American dance artist, Juliet, for whom he produced and co-wrote a track called "New Shoes". At the end of 2005, Sigsworth produced a single "It's Better To Have Loved" for up-and-coming UK electro pop band Temposhark and two songs for Zero 7's singer Mozez on his "So Still" debut album.

In addition, Sigsworth has been working extensively with Norwegian singer-songwriter-producer, Kate Havnevik on tracks for her three solo albums, the first to be released of which is Melankton, which was released in April 2006 through iTunes. Sigsworth co-wrote and produced tracks including the lead single, "Unlike Me," which was featured in an a cappella form on hit TV show Grey's Anatomy, "Not Fair" and "You Again." Another Sigsworth collaboration entitled "So:Lo" came out as a one-off single in late 2006 and it is rumoured that another song they did together called "Disobey" will be included on a future Havnevik album.

Sigsworth remixed Mirah's "La Familia" for her 2006 collection Joyride: Remixes.

In November 2006, Guy Sigsworth produced the vocals for classical singer Josh Groban's new hit single "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" taken from his third album "Awake".

In 2006 Sigsworth produced other album tracks, according to his official MySpace page, for artists including Amy Studt, Temposhark, Richard Walters, Chinese/Hong Kong singer Chelsia Chan. These projects are expected to be commercially released in 2007.

[edit] Discography

  • Seal "Seal" (1991)
    • "Crazy" (co-written/production)
    • "The Beginning" (co-written)
    • "Wild" (co-written)
    • "Violet" (co-written)
  • Bomb The Bass "Winter In July" (single) (1991)
    • "Winter In July" (samples/production/keyboards)
  • Bomb The Bass "The Air You Breathe" (single) (1991)
    • The Air You Breathe (Real Mellow Mix) (remix/additional production)
  • Bomb The Bass "Love So True" (single) (1991)
    • "Love So True - 12 inch Mix" (keyboards/additional keyboards)
  • Bomb The Bass "Unknown Territory" (album) (1991)
    • Winter In July (7" Mix) (samples/production/keyboards)
    • The Air You Breathe (keyboards)
    • Love So true (12" Mix) (keyboards)
  • Adamski & Jimi Polo "Never Goin' Down!" (12 inch vinyl) (1991)
    • Born To Be Alive! (Spike's Edit) (additional programming)
  • Adamski "Naughty" (1992)
    • "Born To Be Alive!" (programming)
    • "Time Capsule" (programming)
    • "Newsflash" (programming)
    • "Head-On-Collision-Ism" (programming)
  • Hector Zazou "Sahara Blue" (album) (1992)
  • "I'll Strangle You" (keyboards)
  • Hector Zazou - I'll Strangle You (single) (1992)
    • I'll Strangle You (Radio Edit)(keyboards)
    • I'll Strangle You (Extended Remix) (keyboards)
    • I'll Strangle You (Filmic Mix) (keyboards)
  • Naked Truth "Read This" (EP) (1992) (production)
  • Bomb The Bass "Keep Giving Me Love" (single) (1992)
    • "Keep Giving Me Love" (keyboards)
  • Nokko "Call Me Nightlife" (album) (1993)
    • Crazy Clouds (keyboards)
  • Acacia "Maddening Shroud" (EP) (1994) (co-written/production/co-instrumentation)
  • Acacia "More You Ignore Me" (Vinyl single) (1994) (co-written/production/co-instrumentation)
  • Hector Zazou "Sahara Blue" (1994) (keyboards)
  • Hector Zazou "Chansons des mers froides (Songs From The Cold Seas)" (1995) (keyboards)
  • Björk "Post" (1995)
    • "Cover Me" (harpsichord)
    • "Isobel" (harpsichord)
  • Björk "Homogenic" (1997)
    • "Unravel" (co-written/co-production)
    • "All Is Full of Love" (clavichord/keyboards/pipe organ)
    • "All Is Full of Love" (Guy Sigsworth Remix) (production) ("All Is Full of Love" B-side)
  • Acacia "Hate" (single) (1996)(co-written/production/co-instrumentation/remixes)
  • Acacia "Sway" (single) (1996) (co-written/production/co-instrumentation/remixes)
  • Acacia "Maddening Shroud" (single) (1997) (co-written/production/co-instrumentation/remixes)
  • Acacia "Wired" (single) (1997)(co-written/production/co-instrumentation/remixes)
  • Acacia "Cradle" (1997)
    • All album tracks (co-written/production/co-instrumentation)
  • Imogen Heap "iMegaphone" (1998)
    • "Getting Scared" (co-written/production)
    • "Airplane" (co-writing/production) ("Shine" B-side)
    • "Aeroplane" (Frou Frou Remix) (co-written/production) (Japan re-release bonus track)
  • G:MT "Greenwich Mean Time - The soundtrack from the motion picture" (1998)
    • G:MT & Imogen Heap "Meantime" (written/production/instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Hinda Hicks "Tears Are Waiting" (written/production/co-instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Hinda Hicks "Where Is The Love" (written/production/co-instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Hinda Hicks "Please Can I Go Now?" (written/production/co-instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Hinda Hicks "Who Would You Have Me Love" (written/production/co-instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Hinda Hicks "Succumb To You" (written/production/co-instrumentation)
    • G:MT & Lester Bowie "Rachel's Song" (instrumental)(written/production/co-instrumentation)
  • Mandalay "Empathy" (1998)
    • "This Life" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Flowers Bloom" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Insensible" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Another" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Enough Love" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "All My Sins" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Opposites" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "This Time" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Kissing the Day" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Beautiful" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "About You" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
  • Badmarsh & Shri "Air I Breathe" (Single) (1998)
  • Goldie "Saturnz Return" (album) (1998)
    • Mother (keyboards)
    • Air I Breathe (Guy Sigsworth Remix) (remix/additional production)
  • Talvin Singh "OK" (single) (1998)
    • "OK - Heavy Rotation Radio Refixx" (remix/ additional production)
  • Talvin Singh "OK" (album) (1998)
    • "Sutrix" (sound effects (distortion)/keyboards)
    • "OK" (sound effects (distortion)/keyboards)
  • Talvin Singh "Vikram The Vampire" (single) (1999)
    • "Vikram The Vampire - Heavy Rotation Refixx" (remix/ additional production)
  • David Sylvian "Godman" (b-side of single) (1999)
    • "Godman (Guy Sigsworth Remix)" (remix/additional production/additional instrumentation)
  • UNKLE featuring Ian Brown "Be There" (12 inch vinyl) (1999)
    • "Be There" (co-producer/mellotron)
  • Björk "Selmasongs" (2000)
    • "I've Seen It All" (co-written)
  • Madonna "Music" (2000)
    • "What It Feels Like For A Girl" (co-written/co-production)
  • Björk "Vesperitine" (2001)
    • "Hidden Place" (programming/choir arrangement)
    • "It's Not up to You" (celeste, clavichord)
    • "An Echo, a Stain" (co-written/programming/celeste/choir arrangement)
    • "Sun in My Mouth" (co-written/celeste)
  • Amar "Sometimes It Snows In April" (single) (2000)
    • "Sometimes It Snows In April - Album Version" (production)
  • Mandalay "Solace" (2001) (USA-only compilation featuring tracks from 1998's "Empathy")
    • "Beautiful" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "This Life" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Flowers Bloom" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Enough Love" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Insensible" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
    • "Kissing The Day" (co-production/rhodes/sampler/synth/wurlitzer/piano)
  • Lamb "What Sound" (2001)
    • "One" (co-production/programming)
    • "Heaven" (co-production/programming)
    • "Small" (co-production/programming)
    • "Written" (co-production/programming)
    • "Gabriel" (co-production/programming)
    • "Just Is" (co-production/programming)
  • Robyn "Don't Stop the Music" (2002)
    • "Blow My Mind"(production/instrumentation)
    • "Should Have Known"(production/instrumentation)
  • Frou Frou "Details" (2002)
    • "Let Go" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Breathe In" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "It's Good to Be in Love" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Must Be Dreaming" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Psycobabble" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Only Got One" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Shh" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Hear Me Out" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Maddening Shroud" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Flicks" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "The Dumbing Down Of Love" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation)
    • "Old Piano" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation) ("Details" UK/Japan bonus track)
    • "Close Up" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation) ("Breathe In" B-side)
    • "Deal With It" (co-written/co-production/co-instrumentation) ("It's Good To Be In Love" B-side)
  • Baz "Psychedelic Love" (album) (2002)
    • Whole album (production)
  • Baz "Smile To Shine" (single) (2002) (production)
  • Baz "Believers" (single) (2002) (production)
  • Madonna "American Life" (2003)
    • "Nothing Fails" (co-written)
  • Britney Spears "In The Zone" (2003)
    • "Everytime" (production/instrumentation)
  • Sugababes "Three" (2003)
    • "Maya" (co-written/production)
    • "Million Different Ways" (production)
  • "Shrek 2 Soundtrack" (2004)
    • "Holding Out For A Hero" (co-production/co-instrumentation)
  • Bebel Gilberto "Bebel Gilberto" (2004)
    • "Cada Beijo" (co-written/production)
  • Britney Spears "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative" (2004)
    • "Everytime" (production/instrumentation)
  • Juliet "Random Order" (2005)
    • "New Shoes" (co-written/production)
  • Bebel Giberto "Bebel Gilberto Remixed" (2005)
    • "O Caminho (Guy Sigsworth Remix)" (remix/additional production/additional instrumentation)
  • Britney Spears "Britney & Kevin: Chaotic... The DVD & More" (2005)
    • "Someday (I Will Understand)" (production/instrumentation)
    • "Over To You Now" (co-written/production/instrumentation) (UK/Japan only)
  • Sugababes "Taller in More Ways" (2005)
    • "Bruised" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
    • "Like The Weather" (co-written/production/instrumentation) ("Push The Button" B-side)
  • Mozez 'The voice of Zero 7' "So Still" (2005)
    • "Feel Free" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
    • "Venus Rise" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
  • Temposhark "It's Better To Have Loved" (2005)
    • "It's Better To Have Loved (Guy Sigsworth Mix)" (production/instrumentation)
  • Kate Havnevik "Melankton" (2006)
    • "Unlike Me" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
    • "Not Fair" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
    • "You Again" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
    • "Kaleidoscope" (production/instrumentation/mixing)
    • "Sleepless" (co-written/production/instrumentation)
  • Josh Groban "Awake" (2006)
    • "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" (vocal production)
  • Mirah "Joyride: Remixes" (2006)
    • "La Familia (Guy Sigsworth Remix)" (remix/additional production)
  • Kate Havnevik "So:Lo" (single) (2006)
    • "So:Lo" (production/co-written)
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