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Tomorrow November 30th, synthpop quartet Ladytron release “Far From Home,” the latest single from their eponymous sixth album which is set for release on February 15. “Far From Home” follows the enthusiastically received “The Island” and “The Animals” which ended the band’s seven-year hiatus.
With its lyrical intrigue and spectral harmonies floating along on an urgent modulating bassline, “Far From Home” is opaque, nonchalant, and very Ladytron, with a vocal evoking escape to a mysterious destination.
“We wave bye bye to the city, its rarity and energy. From the East is how we’ll come, just like the sun, as it breaks the canopy. The weaponry, ideas, flames and reverie…” they sing, as the track builds to a celestial climax.
“Far From Home” is the latest example of Ladytron’s signature mix of blissful electronic pop suffused with unusual themes. “Alongside a few others, it’s perhaps the most distilled Ladytron moment on the record,” saysDaniel Hunt to Self-Titled. He continues, “This was one of the tracks which sounded most like “us”. It is more refined, and vocally more complex but feels most intrinsically us somehow.” The song will be accompanied by a new short film directed by Fernando Nogari, who directed the “The Animals”.
Earlier this month, Ladytron played a handful of UK dates. “It was wonderful to be back playing live together again after so long. The three shows went great, we all went away smiling, and it was of course important to see audiences again, some of them would have never been able to see us before,” says Daniel. The Electricity Club agreed, stating that the shows were , “… a reminder of how important they were during the early years of the electronic renaissance – and how important they remain as we look to the next decade of music.”
Distilling twenty years of experimentation into one propulsive album, Ladytron’s new album again pushes 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 the band’s most definitive work, a hypercharged album full of catchy hooks, rousing riffs, sweeping melodies, and thick textured harmonies that radiates a visceral urgency.
Helen Marnie says, “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.” “It’s diverse and emotional,” Daniel Hunt adds. “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 album also features guest Iggor Cavalera (Sepultura/Mixhell/Soulwax) on drums.
Ladytron will be announcing US tour dates shortly.
Photo: Maria Louceiro
Clash – “A brooding, dystopian return, its taut paranoia and synthetic feel is perfect for these unreal times, and comes equipped with a magnificent short film”.
KCRW Blog – “…is dark, icy, and pulsating…and you feel that sense of danger embedded in the track. There’s also a thread of sympathy throughout that makes the whole thing all the more compelling. In other words, it’s classic Ladytron”.
PAPER – “The Island” feels like a nod to longtime fans…there’s some subtle expansion of sound….”The Island” intentionally affords space for crescendoing emotional effect”.
Brooklyn Vegan – “This is the Ladytron you remember, sleek and icy, with a wall of synthesizers barreling their way toward you, driven by a Teutonic disco beat while Helen Marnie, disaffected as ever, intones ‘There’s no wrong, there’s no God'”.
Rolling Stone – “The Animals” marches forward propelled by brittle percussion and the short, sharp synthesizer riffs popularized by early Eighties New Wave bands. Lead singer Helen Marnie condenses the hook into a punchy, breathless chant”.
Self-Titled “An airtight mix of mood-altering melodies, revved-up rhythms, and synths that sparkle and fade like shooting stars in the dead of night.”
Wired – “A new Ladytron recording, wow”.
Spin – “A dark, synth-driven track, the song’s lyrics describe the animalistic, base nature of humanity”.
Stereogum – “It’s a potent combination of smeary dream-pop and futuristic robo-music”.
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