• News

• All

Feb 08, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Ladytron

Ladytron are releasing a new self-titled album next Friday, February 15, via Ladytron Music and !K7. It’s their first album in seven-and-a-half years, since Gravity the Seducer, which came out in September 2011. Now you can stream the album a week early. Head over to NPR First Listen to hear the whole thing there.

Ladytron includes the band’s 2018 singles “The Animals” and “The Island.”

In a previous press release singer Helen Marnie had this to say about the album: “For us, it’s like getting together with an old friend. You’ve both changed, but still have that common ground. Familiarity crossed with excitement.”

The band’s Daniel Hunt added: “It’s diverse and emotional. It’s a lot heavier than Gravity, which was an intentionally more sedate, ethereal record. The atmospheres are there, but there’s more urgency underneath.”

The previous press release described the album as such: “Their self-titled sixth album is the band’s most definitive work to date, full of catchy hooks, rousing riffs, sweeping melodies, and thick textured harmonies…. Distilling 20 years of experimentation into one propulsive album, Ladytron again push the boundaries of electronic pop in invigorating directions with thirteen songs that explore the disquiet of our times. Loaded with their trademark analogue synths propelled by relentless rhythm, Ladytron is a hypercharged album that radiates a visceral urgency.”

The album also features guest Iggor Cavalera (Sepultura/Mixhell/Soulwax) on drums. Jim Abbiss, who produced Ladytron’s 2005 album Witching Hour (perhaps the band’s highpoint), worked with the band on the album.

Back in March 2018 Ladytron released their first new music in seven years, the new song “The Animals.” It was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they also shared a remix of the song by Vince Clarke of Erasure (and formerly of Depeche Mode) and a video/short film for “The Animals” filmed in São Paulo, Brazil. Then the band shared the audio for another new song, “The Island” (it was an honorable mention in our Songs of the Week list), and also released an additional track, “Tropic of Capricorn,” digitally and as the B-side of “The Island” 7-inch. Then they shared a video for “The Island,” which featured a naked humanoid female (perhaps an alien, perhaps an experiment or a clone) escaping from a lab and being hunted.

Marnie had this to say about “The Island” in a previous press release: “These past two years, during which we’ve been making this record, have been an accelerating turmoil, traumatic for everyone. I think only by confronting and embracing this reality do we stand a chance of getting beyond it.”

Under the Radar go way back with the band, we interviewed them about their debut album, 604, way back in our very first print issue in 2001. Since their last album, Marnie released two solo albums and Daniel Hunt co-produced the comeback EP by iconic shoegazers Lush.

Earlier in 2018 Ladytron launched a Pledge Music campaign to raise funds for their next album (check it out here). The Pledge Music campaign offers such rewards as the lyrics to any of their songs handwritten and autographed by a member of the band, vinyl test pressings, a photo book about the history of the band, and more.

Ladytron U.S. Tour Dates:

February 27, 2019 - El Plaza Condesa, Mexico City, MX
February 28 - Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
March 1, 2019 - Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
March 2, 2019 - CRSSD Festival, San Diego, CA

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.