Taking their name from a song by the legendary band Roxy Music, Ladytron first made waves on the music scene of Liverpool, England in 2001 with their debut album, 604. The first single, the irresistibly catchy "Playgirl," got them some much deserved world-wide attention with that, their career blossomed. The next year, 2002, saw the release of their sophomore album Light & Magic, saw them take their 80's synth-pop revivalist sound to new, and more expansive heights. The gang of four - DJs Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu paired with dual singers Mira Aroyo and Helen Marnie - take their cue from late-70's and early 80's technological tunesmithery (I know it's not a word - but here I am, making it up and trying to make it stick) - think Kraftwerk mixed with a touch of glam pop and a dash of nihilistic je ne sais quoi mixed vigorously and strained into a chilled Cosmopolitan glass - and then run with it in new and exciting directions. This, in essence, is what makes Light & Magic tick, and what makes it such an interesting and exotic addition to any electro fan's collection of modern classics.
Lead member Daniel Hunt has referred to his band's sound as "softcore techno," and when one listens to their music, it's not hard to see the definition take shape, for a lot of interesting ideas and thoughts are woven into their musical tapestry, flowing along effortlessly like a black snake through the boughs of a skeletal tree. I'm not sure if that analogy makes the record sound dark, for not all is gloomy here. But there's something that boils under the surface, a certain "something" that is ambiguously dangerous and fierce. But it's also a something that has quite an elegant structure, and is startling in its eloquence and dictation. Let's take a look at some of the tracks that make up this piece of work, shall we?
"Hey, where do you come from?
And, why don’t you stay where you belong?
Seek, everyone that you kissed,
Do they cease to exist, when you stop being missed?”
And thus goes the chorus for “Cease2exist,” just one of the thirteen tracks that make up Light & Magic. There’s an idiosyncratic quality to the lyrics here that, when superimposed over the song’s throbbing and vaguely menacing rhythm, make them particularly poignant and loaded with double-meaning and innuendo. One of the reasons that the songs work so well, besides the multi-layered density of the music itself, is the simple fact that the vocals are so damned dreamy. The singers, Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo, are in possession of starkly different timbres and styles. Marnie, hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, has a voice that seemingly floats in the ether; it’s somewhat wispy, up there in the clouds, but one can tell there’s a toughness lurking beneath the airiness. Aroyo, on the other hand, is from Sofia, Bulgaria, and the deep richness of her Eastern European upbringing shows through in her stern and vaguely austere style. Now, when you put those two voices together, then voila! Magic happens.
Well, Light & Magic certainly happens. And that’s what makes Ladytron so special. Take, for instance, the track “NuHorizons.” Sung entirely in Bulgarian by Aroyo, it is, ostensibly, a paean to NuHorizons Electronics (unless, of course, it is not. But I like to think that it is). I don’t speak a word of Bulgarian, and lyrics are not helpfully provided, so it can mean anything – anything at all. And that, right there, is reminiscent of the power wielded on this album, foreign languages or otherwise. With its stark drums, a menacing organ blaring its dirge-like squawk, strange little bleeps and bloops careening in the background, and mysterious otherworldly voices whispering here and there, it’s hazily threatening, and I wouldn’t have the ambiguity any other way.
Then there’s the opening track, “Seventeen.” Deceptively simple, it pretty much repeats the chorus seven times, but there’s a dark undercurrent at work here. When Marnie sings,
“They only want you when you’re seventeen,
When you’re twenty-one, you’re no fun.
They take a Polaroid and let you go,
Say they’ll let you know,
So come on,”
I personally look at it as a denunciation of our modern throwaway culture and how we tend to value women when they’re younger and prettier, and then discard them when their time has come. It’s a sinister song, but one with no easy answers. It’s completely open to interpretation, and I’d like to say one more time that that’s one of the aspects of Ladytron’s work that I find so utterly refreshing. Not that having solid and quite danceable music doesn’t hurt.
Ladytron have two other albums under their belt: 2005’s Witching Hour and their most recent, Velocifero from 2008, two pieces of work that are absolutely fantastic in their own right – full of vigor and a dense, psychedelic power that has the power to overwhelm the senses. But I would recommend adding Light & Magic to your collection first, if only to introduce you to Ladytron and their dark, brooding, and brilliantly realized soundscapes. You won’t be disappointed, not by a long shot, and you might even pick up some Bulgarian while you’re at it! Cheers, and have a lovely day.
While I'm on the subject, I'd like to share the video for "Seventeen."
And here's another track off of the album, "Evil." Enjoy!
