Ladytron (album)

Ladytron

Ladytron are an electronic pop band originally formed in Liverpool, UK.

Background

Ladytron formed in the summer of 1999 when Liverpool musicians and DJs Reuben Wu and Daniel Hunt met dual singers Glaswegian Helen Marnie and Bulgarian born Mira Aroyo. The name of the band was taken from the song of the same name by Roxy Music.

Their debut album, 604 (2001), was released on the Emperor Norton/Invicta HIFI labels. The single "Playgirl" brought some national and international attention to the band.

Light & Magic (2002) was released to wider exposure and included the underground hits "Seventeen", "Evil", and "Blue Jeans". Following 18 months on tour supporting Light & Magic, Ladytron recorded their third album, Witching Hour (2005). The album was released with two singles; "Sugar" and "Destroy Everything You Touch". The band were awarded 5 NME singles of the week in the process.

The band finished work on their fourth studio album, Velocifero, in February 2008. It had a full release worldwide on June 3, after making the top 40 through a two week exclusive release on iTunes. Velocifero was recorded in Paris, with the band handling production duties with some collaboration from Alessandro Cortini (Modwheelmood, Nine Inch Nails) and Vicarious Bliss (Justice, DJ Mehdi). Velocifero has been the band's most successful release to date.

Style

Ladytron makes electronic pop music, using an array of vintage analogue equipment to achieve their distinct sound. Albums so far have focused on a balance between pop structures and digitally edited analogue electronic sound, along with some more experimental leanings. All four members write songs differently, which adds to the eclectic nature of their albums. Their third album, Witching Hour, saw an augmentation of their sound, leading the album to be described by Pitchfork as a "quantum leap record".

Touring

The band have a large cult following worldwide, and toured extensively since the release of Light & Magic, intensifying on the Witching Hour and Velocifero albums. They have also on rare occasion opened for other artists; taken by Soulwax onto their UK tour in 2001, Bjork in 2003, and across Europe, they opened for Nine Inch Nails in early 2007 at the invitation of Trent Reznor. Mira Aroyo and Reuben Wu also play DJ sets in clubs and events around the world. The Velocifero tour has seen them play the longest run of dates, and to the biggest crowds, in their career so far.