Ladytron - Paradise Theater, Boston, MA, 2006

Final writing session before recording their new album

Helen: "Had lunch with this guy yesterday, after a final writing session round mine @daniel_iv_ @ladytronmusic".

Had lunch with this guy yesterday, after a final writing session round mine @daniel_iv_ @ladytronmusic

A post shared by Marnie (@helenmarnie) on Jun 14, 2018 at 8:24am PDT

Daniel: "At @helenmarnie's for the final writing before we go and make this damn record." (Source)

Ladytron: "Final writing session in Glasgow before we go in to record our new album on June 25." (Source)

5 years of Crystal World

Today it's the 5th anniversary of Marnie's awesome debut album, Crystal World.

Ladytron - The Animals lyrics

There's no wrong, there's no God
There's no harm, there's no love
We are more like you
Than the ones that you knew

Phantom road, erased address
Duplicate queen, dismantled cross
We are more like you
Than the ones that you knew

Is it that we know we are animals
Or because to them we are animals
You're inventing words for defending me
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
You're inventing words for defending me
It's because to them we are animals
Or because we know we are animals

Concrete soul, machine-read heart
Poison creed, primate savant
We are more like you
Than the ones that you knew

Is it that we know we are animals
Or because to them we are animals
You're inventing words for defending me
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
You're inventing words for defending me
It's because to them we are animals
Or because we know we are animals

Is it that we know we are animals
Or because to them we are animals
You're inventing words for defending me
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
While lined up to shoot for the enemy
You're inventing words for defending me
It's because to them we are animals
Or because we know we are animals

There's no wrong, there's no God
There's no harm, there's no love
We are more like you
Than the ones that you knew

Ladytron announced the first tour dates in 2018

2 November: O2 ABC, Glasgow
3 November: O2 Academy, Liverpool
4 November: Roundhouse, London

The Electricity Club interview (2018)

Named after a wonderfully eclectic song from the first Roxy Music album, appropriately it was Brian Eno who said that Ladytron were "the best of English pop music". Despite Eno's description, one of the most distinctive aspects of Ladytron is their diversity, with Bulgarian-born Mira Aroyo and Glaswegian Helen Marnie joining Liverpudlians Danny Hunt and Reuben Wu in Summer 1999.

With five internationally acclaimed albums in '604', 'Light & Magic', 'Witching Hour', 'Velocifero' and 'Gravity the Seducer' under their belt, Ladytron are now working on their sixth long player after a hiatus of 7 years. It will be released via Pledge Music, the crowdfunding platform which was used by Helen Marnie to support the recording of her debut solo offering 'Crystal World'.

The new Ladytron album has been launched with 'The Animals', a dark electronic rock number in the vein of 'High Rise', 'International Dateline' and 'Tomorrow' which also comes with a Vince Clarke remix. With all systems go in the Ladytron camp, Danny Hunt kindly took time out from the studio to chat to The Electricity Club about the new album, his favourite synths and his own career highlights.

When did the genesis for the first Ladytron album in 7 years begin? Was it a gradual process?

We knew we were going to do it eventually, but various things made it not come together as early as we imagined. Huge changes in our personal lives, and our locations – two of us moved across hemispheres. In mid-2016, we felt ready to move ahead and began writing and planning.

Was there any point where you personally thought there might not be another album?

That was never a possibility.

Helen did two solo albums, but what were the rest of you up to during the hiatus? You co-produced Helen's first solo offering?

Yes, I produced and co-wrote some of Helen's first one. Since then, I've worked with some other artists that I felt a creative connection with, for example last year I co-wrote and produced an EP 'Lua Vermelha' with a very special artist in Brazil called Lia Paris. I also produced Lush's comeback EP 'Blind Spot', which I loved doing. Other than that, film scores and some other things that'll see the light of day soon enough.

Reuben has been concentrating on his photography, he's built a big reputation with that.

Mira has been working a lot with documentaries which was always a love of hers. We're generally creative people, and were never solely focussed on one project.

The individual members all live in different parts of the world now, so in terms of writing, has there had to be a more remote approach by necessity?

As it always was, even with the first five records we never lived in the same city, or at times even country, there were only brief moments when more than two of us did. Eighty percent of the time we weren't living in the same place.

The method is the same regardless of distance; we work, collaborate remotely and then come together for a period to turn the work we've done individually and collaboratively into a record.

How would you describe the creative dynamic of Ladytron and how it has evolved over the years?

These days everyone is pretty much self-contained. Technology has changed enormously after all, when we began it was a different world in so many ways. And we were basically children playing around with brand new methods.

'The Animals' is the first single and appears to be a return to the harder, more intense sound of 'Witching Hour' and 'Velocifero'?

Perhaps, but it's still too new to judge.

Vince Clarke has remixed 'The Animals', how did he become involved and are you pleased with his quite different and more rigid interpretation?

I love it. I always wanted us to collaborate in some way with him. It came about when I remixed the ERASURE single last year.

After the textural atmospherics of 'Gravity the Seducer', is 'The Animals' representative of the new album's overall sound? If not, how would you describe it?

Well the album isn't finished, the songs are there but it has a long way to go. To me, it is difficult to describe beyond simply that it sounds very much like a Ladytron record.

How do you now look back on 'Gravity the Seducer'?

Very proud of it. It was intentionally more sedate, which was exactly what we wanted, needed at that time. Some of the tunes on it, such as 'White Gold' and 'Transparent Days', are amongst my favourite things we've done. I've had people whom I really respect tell me that they didn't get into any of our stuff until that record.

The way music is financed and consumed has changed considerably since 2011 with crowdfunding and streaming more prominent. What are your own thoughts on this?

I don't have strong feelings on any of this. I am rather traditionalist in this respect.

You've opted to market the new album via Pledge Music, had the band been drawn to it from Helen's positive experience of it?

In our case, it is an ideal way to make records independently.

Being on Pledge Music often involves providing fly-on-the-wall insights into the recording process and other benefits, like China Crisis offered an opportunity to see Liverpool FC match with a band member while Gary Numan sold his old gear. As a band who have generally not courted a personality based profile in the past, have you decided what types of updates you will do yet?

We don't know yet.

You're offering vinyl, CD and download versions of the new album, but also cassette! Have you got your head around why there's a resurgence in this format, what are your own memories of using cassettes?

I'm of the generation for whom the cassette was the format of choice, I never accepted that it went away.

Isn't there just a general longing for actual objects now that our digital lives can evaporate in a moment?

And is not just in the case of records, for example I now buy more actual books than I ever did. We need to leave the historians some physical record of our culture.

Have you added any more vintage synthesizers to your armoury for the new album or have you moved towards VSTs these days? Do you have a particular favourite synth?

We have all our old toys and a couple of new ones. I had to transport as much of my gear as I could halfway across the world to fit my studio out down here. Each time I returned home, I brought a few more things south with me. I love my Crumar Stratus, that and the SH-2 are my main instruments.

What do you think about these recreations like the Korg MS20 Mini, the Korg ARP Odyssey or the new Minimoog?

About 15 years ago, we begged Korg to make a new MS20. We insisted that if they were available, they'd become as ubiquitous in studios as a bass guitar.

So I'm all for this gear being available in a cheap, practical and reliable way. We sometimes used to burn through old analogue synths every couple of days on the road – rare gear we had collected over many years.

As Ladytron's guitarist, how do decide when it's best to integrate the instrument into proceedings?

I'm a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist whatever. To me, through a chain of effects, it's just another object that makes noise.

Are you self-producing the album or have you brought in an outsider for this?

We have people we trust and work with regularly. How we are going to approach this one is still being discussed.

Are you able to reveal any of your own personal highlights of the new album? What are your hopes and fears after 7 years away?

It's early days to talk about highlights as there are still tracks being worked on. All I'd say is that we are already very happy with how it is progressing.

Do Ladytron intend to tour the new album?

Yes, we will, but the most important thing for us is to make a new record. Once that is done we will think about everything else.

Which territories have generally been your strongest?

Besides the US, Canada, Spain and various countries in the EU, we always did well in South and Central America. But we've been all over. Australia. China. It is hard to say which is strongest because obviously everyone does more shows in the EU and North America, where we have always done well with our tours.

What's your proudest achievement as a member of Ladytron? Any particular songs, shows or tours?

Sydney Opera House for Brian Eno was special obviously. When something exceptional happens – like we played China when very few had, and in Colombia at a time when almost no artists would go there because of the civil war – those ones stick in the memory.

I'm simply proud that our work has reached people, that we've made five albums and we're making another.

Source

Into More interview (2018)

Over the last twenty years, few bands have been more pivotal in the development of electronic music than Ladytron. The Liverpudlian four-piece, founded in 1999, has consistently walked the line between critical and commercial success, attracting praise from the legendary Brian Eno and a string of high-profile collaborators.

Now, seven years after their most recent release, Gravity the Seducer, the band is back with a frenetic, haunting new single, "The Animals," as well as a PledgeMusic campaign to fund the creation of a new album. The project is still very much in its early stages, but demos have already been laid down and Jim Abbiss, the producer behind the band's seminal album Witching Hour, has been enlisted to work his magic once again.

Individually, the members of Ladytron have been hard at work on their own separate projects, but the announcement of a new album has sent a shockwave of excitement through the band's core fanbase; already, over 70% of the crowdfunding target has been met. So, we reached out to lead vocalist Helen Marnie to find out more about the upcoming project, the choice to crowdfund, and the band's ongoing determination to maintain full creative control.

Tell us a little about "The Animals" – why did this feel like the right song to come back with?

Seven years is a long time in the music world. So much has changed since we last toured our album Gravity The Seducer and, personally, I've changed, as has the rest of Ladytron. So really it was about choosing a song that was quintessentially Ladytron, but which also reflected that we've moved on and are ready to create again. We're bursting with ideas and itching to get new stuff out there, so "The Animals" is easing people in gently.

A PledgeMusic campaign has been launched for the album. Why did you decide to go down this route?

We'd been talking about doing a crowdfunding campaign for quite some time, so it was just a matter of finding the right platform for us, and PledgeMusic fitted the bill. I'd also had the experience of doing a Pledge campaign for my first solo record, Crystal World, so knew all the pros and cons from that. We like the control that we have doing it this way: we get to choose everything from PR to art to songs to formats. The only pressure is the pressure we put on ourselves.

What benefits are there to crowdfunding an album?

It means complete control. Although, I guess, Ladytron has never really been the type of band that was ever dictated to. However, it's the little things that sometimes make a difference, and we get to make the decisions on them, too. In the past, with record labels, we've experienced mistakes being made here and there, and they end up making quite an impact.

Why did you decide to reunite with producer Jim Abbiss for this new project?

Of all the albums we've made, making Witching Hour with Jim Abbiss really stands out, and I think it comes across on the record. It's a coherent, interesting body of work, and that, in part, is due to Jim. I can remember times making records where it wasn't all fun and games, but not with Witching Hour. I think, as people, we all just get along. Jim is super experienced and is full to the brim with ideas, and having that extra dimension is what matters. A fifth brain. He also knows how to push you without "pushing" you; like, how to get the best out of someone in the right way. We all agreed that he was the person we wanted to work with again.

You've worked with some huge names in the past. Are there any collaborators you're keen to get involved with this project?

Oh, there are numerous people we'd love to work with, but I think our new record needs to be about Ladytron and not who we're collaborating with. Having been out of the game for so long, I think it would be weird to come back with an album full of names that weren't ours.

You're already well on the way to meeting the album goal; how does it feel to have this fan support even after such a long hiatus?

As of today, we're at 73%, which is pretty fucking amazing. I can't deny it – it feels good! It feels good that people still have our back and haven't forgotten about us. We have a very loyal fanbase though, so I wouldn't expect any less from them.

Sonically, what can we expect from the new album?

It's difficult to say at this stage, because we're yet to go into the studio and record everything. However, I can say that all the material is there and that the demos are already sounding great – if the Pledge campaign goes according to plan, then we'll be going into the studio soon. That's when everything will come together and the record will take on a life of its own.

We've seen a glimpse of the new aesthetic in the PledgeMusic video. How important will visuals be to this campaign?

Visuals are so important. That is the way of the world right now, so, of course, we'll be really putting the work in and keeping things interesting. "The Animals" video, due for release soon, was shot in Brazil; it looks so beautiful.

Source

Ladytron premiered "The Animals" (Vince Clarke Remix)

Vince Clarke (Erasure, Yazoo, VCMG, Depeche Mode) remixed the new Ladytron single "The Animals". Listen to it below:

Ladytron's 6th album trailer

Ladytron - The Animals

The first single from the upcoming Ladytron album:

Ladytron's new album is finally confirmed!

The first Ladytron since 2011 will be released through PledgeMusic platform. More details:

Ladytron enter another chapter with their first new music in seven years.

Beginning with single 'The Animals', the group will be working in the coming months on a full length album to be released later in 2018.

The group have chosen Pledge Music as a way to record a new album with the direct participation of their audience.

By pledging you can be part of this record. Every pledge includes the “Access Pass,” which gives you entrée to exclusive updates running through the release of the record, a digital download of the album when released plus downloads of the band’s new single, “The Animals” and the remix by Vince Clarke as instant gratification tracks in March.

New Ladytron music coming soon

Daniel Hunt tweeted: "Just played new @ladytronmusic tunes to @andrewpmhunt - one of a handful of people who I would trust with the phones right now."

Ladytron tweeted: "This is as Christmassy as we ever got, yet. News *very* soon, we promise. xxxx".

New Marnie merchandise

Helen Marnie added new mechandise: a "G.I.R.L.S" t-shirt. Get it from here if you want one.

Marnie - Submariner (Electric Fields Weekender, 2017)

Marnie released the single "G.I.R.L.S"

The single "G.I.R.L.S" (taken from the excellent album Stange Words and Weird Wars) is available on 7" limited white and black vinyl at her Bandcamp page. There are just 150 copies printed.

Track listing:
Side A: G.I.R.L.S
Side B: Lost Maps (HQFU remix)

Marnie - Lost Maps Remixes

In 27 October, Helen Marnie released a 5-tracks EP with remixes of "Lost Maps", one of the highlights of her excellent second solo album, Strange Words and Weird Wars. You can buy it from her Bandcamp page.

1. Lost Maps (HQFU Remix) – 03:27
2. Lost Maps (-La Roc- Remix) – 03:57
3. Lost Maps (John Baillie Jnr Baby Diego Remix) – 05:23
4. Lost Maps (John Baillie Jnr Baby Diego Remix Dub) – 05:23
5. Lost Maps (John Baillie Jnr Baby Diego Remix Radio Edit) – 02:58

Erasure - Love You to the Sky (Ladytron Remix)

Maja Magazine interview (2009)

Ladytron: sensual synth

In the music industry, a fourth full-length album validates the staying power of any music group; thus have Liverpool, England-based electro pop band Ladytron, proved able to leave fans demanding more. As the band — Mira Aroyo, Helen Marnie, Reuben Wu and Daniel Hunt — prepares to release Velocifero this summer, they reflect on the gradual changes that have taken place since it all began in 1999.

"We started out a really long time ago; it kind of felt like we were kids when we started," laughs Mira, who was born in Bulgaria and holds a biology Ph.D from Oxford University. "We didn't have a clue it was going to go the way that it's gone. We didn't really have any big plans or ideas. It started off as a fun project and it basically turned into our lives. Musically it's just grown immensely."

After the foursome found their calling they were off and running with 2001's debut release, 604. It was with this synth-pop record that imitators began springing up, nevertheless leaving Ladytron to shine in a light all their own. Through vintage analogue equipment and hours of experimentation, Ladytron achieves their distinct sound.

"We just try and be ourselves," Reuben explains. "For us it's natural and instinctive to produce music the way we do. I expect that if I was in a different band I would find it very difficult to come up with the Ladytron sound. It's a magical combination of many things."

"We put things through keyboards and a lot of distortions and delays to the point where you can't really distinguish live drums from programmed drums or keyboards from guitars. I think what distinguishes us from a lot of live bands is that we do write things with an electronic means. We don't start writing songs by jamming out to the guitar and then converting them. It's always about sitting down and having these instruments around you," Mira adds.

After 604 came 2002's Light and Magic, followed by 2005's much-praised Witching Hour, with hit singles "Destroy Everything You Touch" and "Sugar." Between albums, Ladytron developed their live show, doing DJ sets and performances in what seemed to be a constant state of travel—touring Argentina, Brazil, North America (on Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers tour), and Europe (opening for Nine Inch Nails).

"The way that we are live really helps us grow musically," Mira said. "This whole touring experience is really getting to know each other more personally but also, more importantly, musically."

"When we started working on Light and Magic I suppose we'd become a proper band at that point," Reuben added. "Some people perceived the sound of our music as being a bit darker with slicker production techniques, and we went a stage further with Witching Hour. By that time we'd done a hell of a lot touring, and I think it was that critical point when we realized we were a different band from what we were when we started out."

Witching Hour has been described as Ladytron's best album – but with Velocifero following, it's apparent they intend only to get better. After being recorded in Paris, the new release includes collaborations with Vicarious Bliss and Alessandro Cortini of Nine Inch Nails. The innovation and emotion in this particular album radiates through songs like "Ghosts," "Black Cat" and "I'm Not Scared." Velocifero also marks the first release with the band's new label, Nettwerk.

"The new songs are really quite different from each other. It was hard for us to pick singles," Mira said. "It's a leap forward from Witching Hour. We were more interested in making different sounds, in getting different sounds from keyboards rather than just tweaking tracks after with effects. Rhythmically I think it's much more diverse and much more interesting."

"The new album is really exciting," Reuben said. "I think it's a stronger album; I think there are more songs on it with the potential to be people's favorites. Obviously the band has moved on and branched out in different directions, but at the same time there are a lot of songs which have a familiar sound that people know from the previous albums."

Now that the fourth album is complete, Mira and Reuben both say Ladytron is getting ready for the extensive tour they have scheduled throughout the summer that, so far, include Europe, Canada and the U.S. Mira said they're also beginning to talk already of another album following in quick succession with songs held back from Velocifero that will be "a bit weirder and more downtempo."

And how does Ladytron see itself when it comes to fitting into the current state of pop music?

"We kind of occupy a space on our own," Reuben explains. "I don't think there are any bands out there who are similar to us. I think we stand alone; we've been on the scene for a really long time now. I think we're in a really good position because we're seen as a band who would go out and do their own thing."

"From when we started it's a lot more diverse, people are using a lot more mixtures of sounds," Mira said. "I think that with Witching Hour we basically gained a lot of confidence because electronically it was just a lot thicker than previous albums. It seems like we're kind of on a train now, forging through."

Source

Chevette - We Can Dance Again

Before Ladytron, Daniel Hunt had a project called Chevette and released a couple of singles in 1997: "Everything Changes at 6" and "We Can Dance Again". The song "Ladybird" is from that time. They got a little exposure when the famous DJ John Peel played "We Can Dance Again" on the radio. By the way, this song is a Pulp cover.

Fred Perry interview (2017)

Name?
Marnie.

Where are you from?
Glasgow, Scotland.

What do you do?
Singer/Songwriter.

Describe your style in three words?
Prudish with ruffles.

You can make a record with anyone from history who would it be and why?
Michael Jackson, because I was somewhat obsessed and amazed by him. When I was a kid my next-door neighbours swore he was a robot. I kind of believed them.

What British music icons inspire your sound today?
My other band, Ladytron.

You can spend an hour with anyone from history?
I like divas, so this is a hard choice. But perhaps Maria Callas. She was opera's controversial star, unique in her singing style, beautiful, and scandalous. I reckon it would make for a good chat.

If you could share the bill with any British band in history?
I've been lucky enough to share bills with a lot of brilliant bands already, but probably Broadcast. Their record The Noise Made By People was a constant for me at university and their lead singer left this world far too soon.

What music did you listen to growing up?
I listened to pop and rock along the lines of Madonna, Guns N' Roses, Prince, and ABBA.

What was the first song you played on repeat?
"Joe Le Taxi" by Vanessa Paradis. I taped if off the chart show on the radio and used to prance around my room imagining I was a little French pixie like VP.

One record you would keep forever?
"Some Velvet Morning" by Nancy & Lee. I was introduced to this album towards the end of my university course, and I guess it was a game changer. I loved how the voices worked together.

A song from your favourite album?
"Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac. It's so easy to just lose yourself in this song and believe you're capable of anything.

A song you wish you had written?
"Video Games" by Lana Del Rey. It's so simple, it's brilliant.

A song that defines the teenage you?
"Slight Return" by The Bluetones. When I was 17 I discovered The Bluetones. When you find something yourself at that age, it feels like you own them. I got the bus from Aberfoyle in Stirling, to Paris with a friend, just to see them. It was my 18th birthday present.

What was the last piece of music you bought?
"Naive to the Bone" by Marie Davidson.

A song lyric that inspires you?
"We don't have to take our clothes off to have a good time." Jermaine Stewart.

Is there a song you like that people wouldn't expect?
I'm not sure what people expect really because the music I've made or been a part of has been quite diverse. "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado.

Best love song of all time?
"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.

Best song to turn up loud?
"Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode.

Best song to bring people together?
"You Got the Love" by The Source & Candi Staton.

4 songs you can't stop listening to right now?
"Body" by Bossy Love
They are one of the best live bands in Glasgow right now and keep putting out tracks that are great fun.

"Familiar" by Agnes Obel
This song is beautiful and I was blissfully unaware that it was not a duet. Only later did I realise she has manipulated her own voice to create a deeper, male-like vocal.

"Stupid Face" by Haley Bonar
I've had on repeat in my car for months. I find Haley's voice so soothing against the indie guitar sound.

"Dust & Dirt" by HQFU
I happen to be friends with HQFU (Sarah J Stanley) and she also plays with my band, however, I am not biased. She makes brilliant electronic music and I love the juxtaposition of the music and her sad, soft, voice which sounds like Tracey Thorn's sister.

Source