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In 2001, the first fruits of what would become the new electronic-rock movement
began to fall. Ladytron’s debut, 604, was an integral part of that first strike. A
pristine, analog adventure of sound and substance, the album would go on to
influence the genre itself, while the group quietly made a global impact both visually
and stylistically.
Hits like “Playgirl” and “Seventeen” (from their 2002 follow-up, Light & Magic) quietly
rebelled against the bratty, disingenuous motifs of the time, instead invoking the sonic
storytelling of groups like Air, Stereolab, and My Bloody Valentine. Ladytron’s
counterbalance of emotional vulnerability and psychological ingenuity–personified by
the opposing vocals of Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo—created their own world that
had yet to be fully explored.
Their live performances immediately set them apart: “We wanted to play all these
exotic instruments live,” says Mira of the mountain of antique synths the group
brandished on stage. Daniel Hunt adds, “Not many people ever performed that way,
besides Emerson, Lake and Palmer or something. It felt like hanging around at
Bell Labs in 1970.”
A year’s worth of touring and experimentation led to the creation of Witching Hour,
Ladytron’s most sonically complex production to date. It retained the unmistakable,
mechanized warmth of their Korg MS20s, but Reuben Wu’s dynamic programming
coupled with Hunt’s shoegazey guitar layers in tracks like the intoxicating single
“Destroy Everything You Touch,” “International Dateline” and “High Rise” flexed a
more indie rock tenacity. While the album showed distinct creative growth, their
resilience outside the studio provided a different kind of maturity; the group took to
the road on the strength of their massive cult following, booking sold-out tours across
North America and Europe, and playing for capacity crowds in China and Latin
America. Without any real label support, Ladytron toured exhaustively over the next
two years, performing for over 4,000 people in Bogota, Columbia—where their show
was eventually shut down by local military—and opening for Nine Inch Nails in early
2007 at the request of Trent Reznor…only their second opening slot in seven years.
“We found ourselves completely independent, yet everywhere we went the crowds
only got bigger,” says Reuben. “It made us feel like things were really in our hands.
Like we were tapping into something.”
What transpired in the studio as a result of that confidence and freedom enhanced
the vision they achieved on Witching Hour, and in doing so, has simultaneously
redefined and escaped the genre. Produced by Ladytron with assistance from
Vicarious Bliss (Ed Banger Records) and Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails),
Velocifero fully transcends the confines of electro-pop with a fresh wave of distorted
soul. Mira and Helen—whose disparate vocal styles already provide considerable
depth—have evolved both as musicians and songwriters, lending provocative harmonies
to songs like “Runaway” and “I’m Not Scared.” While, rhythmically, there are
moments reminiscent of their old favorites Os Mutantes and the Birthday Party.
JUNE 3, 2008
VELOCIFERO
“We’ve gotten to know each other’s strengths a lot better,”
explains Mira, who earmarks albums by Grace Jones and Dr.
John as influential to her in the recording of Velocifero. “With
previous records, the sound that we imagined wasn’t quite there.”
“Black Cat” rips the album open with a buzz saw bass line and a pounding, distorted
kick/snare cadence. Mira’s vocals—sung in her native Bulgarian—echo the track’s
foreboding sentiment. Traces of Ennio Morricone appear on the galloping “Ghosts,”
as Helen repeats the unapologetic chorus, “There’s a ghost in me who wants to say I’m
sorry. Doesn’t mean I’m sorry.” “Kletva,” a cover from a 1970’s BG children’s movie,
turns a simple shuffle groove into a swirling mix of drums and keys, while additional
collaboration on “The Lovers” from Columbian group Somekong adds even more
dramatic timing and energy. It’s this diversified, rhythmic palette and labyrinthine
layering of effects and synths that galvanizes Velocifero, and should finally put an end
to the mistaken comparisons.
“It can be good to have a chip on your shoulder when you’re making music, it is an
energy for some,” Daniel admits, “but that doesn’t need to manifest itself in an
emotional way. It’s like putting down ‘Black Cat’ as the first track. It’s setting the scene
for the rest of the album. It’s a statement of intent.”
Mixed by Michael Patterson (Beck, P.Diddy, BRMC), Velocifero cycles through a
wide swath of emotion, from sentient and blissful (“Tomorrow”) to forthright and
impassioned (“Deep Blue”). “Predict The Day,” which starts off with a faint, whistled
melody and crescendos into a bounce-rock onslaught of programmed hi-hats,
background vocals, and jagged guitar, typifies the album’s graceful charge against the
status quo.
Attach whatever imagery you like to the album’s title. “It’s just a word, rather than a
translation,” says Reuben. “Velocifero literally means ‘bringer of speed.’” The album
named itself during a meeting with Brazilian-born installation artist Eli Sudbrack, the mastermind
behind the art collective Assume Vivid Astro Focus (avaf) that created the
artwork for the album, marking the first time avaf has ever worked on an album cover.
“At no point have we ever responded to anything that’s been going on outside,” says
Mira. “There are always going to be people who want you to remain in the same place
forever, but that’s not the way you make music, or anything else. It’s obvious that you
have to be allowed the benefit of the doubt to do whatever you want, because ultimately
when you started out, there was no one there to tell you what to do. You just did it.”
With a full slate of European and North American tour dates planned for early summer—
including the Bonnaroo Festival in June—audiences will have ample opportunity to take
in Ladytron’s synthesis, and see for themselves how the group has redefined the
genre they helped establish.
