Comprising the trio of Helen Marney, Daniel Hunt and Mira Arroyó, Ladytron is rooted in lo-fi electronic pop, the original dream pop/shoegaze movement, catalysed by Liverpool’s DIY post-punk tradition and subconsciously influenced by the widespread dance music culture in the city at the time. Made with cheap and then-outdated electronic instruments that now fetch tens of thousands of dollars, their raw and minimalist debut, 604 in 2001, was created within this improvised context. Its successor, the more refined and varied *Light & Magic* from 2002, which was recorded in Manchester and Los Angeles, saw Ladytron aligned with the new electro movement and the so-called Electroclash wave, whilst 2005’s Witching Hour saw them break out and win over an entirely new audience. Pitchfork wrote: “Every quantum leap record has a quantum leap single, and in this case it’s ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’. With a driving chorus and shimmering production that sounds equally indebted to shoegaze and synthpop, this is perhaps the most confident and menacing thing they’ve ever done.” The harder, darker, Paris-made Velocifero from 2008 saw them grow further with the iconic singles ‘Ghosts,’ ‘Runaway’ & ‘Tomorrow.’ The key to Ladytron’s individuality and creative progression has never been to react to any contemporary movement, scene or sound. ladytron.bandcamp.com
