| Carlos Pereira |
LADYTRON
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 those exotic instruments live,” says Aroyo of the mountain of antique synths the group brandished on stage. Daniel Hunt continues “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 their most well known; “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 Wu. “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. “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.
THE FAINT
Omaha, NE's the Faint have gone through countless changes in their relatively short career, but with each shift, both personnel-wise and stylistically, they have made a distinct new impression and turned more and more heads. Originally called Norman Bailer and featuring current members Clark and Todd Baechle, as well as bassist Joel Peterson, the band's early years were a mix of lo-fi pop and tongue-in-cheek easy listening with a touch of punk rock ideals borrowed from their early skateboarding days. Along with a prepubescent Bright Eyes and a recently formed Cursive, the band was one of the seeds that spawned the explosive Omaha scene as well as a flagship act for the highly regarded Saddle Creek Records. A very limited cassette release and a few tracks on split 7"s and samplers were the band's only output, but the spark was there, and after adding Matt Bowen.
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