Ladytron released seven studio albums so far: 604 (2001), Light & Magic (2002), Witching Hour (2005), Velocifero (2008), Gravity the Seducer (2011) , Ladytron (2019) and Time's Arrow (2023). They also issued the live album Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 (2009), the compilation album Best of 00-10 (2011), and the EPs Miss Black and Her Friends (1999), Commodore Rock (2000), Mu-Tron EP (2000), Extended Play (2006), The Harmonium Sessions (2006), Ace of Hz EP (2011). Their sound is usually described as electropop mixed with new wave and shoegaze influences.
Liverpool-based producers and DJs Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu met in the 1990s. Hunt was the founder of the indie record label Invicta Hi-Fi and of a nightclub. Wu trained in Industrial Design at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated in 1997. He became an industrial designer at Team Consulting Limited until 2002.
Using the moniker Ladytron, taken from the song "Ladytron" by Roxy Music, Hunt and Wu recorded the debut single "He Took Her to a Movie" with the guest vocalist Lisa Eriksson (who later formed the band Techno Squirrels). "He Took Her to a Movie" was released in July 1999 and gained positive reviews.
In the summer of 1999, Hunt and Wu met Helen Marnie (born in 1978 in Glasgow, Scotland) and Mira Aroyo (born in 1977 in Sofia, Bulgaria). Marnie and Aroyo joined Ladytron as vocalists and keyboard players. Marnie studied music at the University of Liverpool where she received a Bachelor of Arts in pop music in 1999. Aroyo was a postgraduate research geneticist in the Oxford University's Biochemistry department.
In December 1999, Ladytron issued the EP Miss Black and Her Friends in Japan only. It was followed in June 2000 by the EP Commodore Rock and in October 2000 by Mu-Tron EP. All the songs from these EPs, except "Miss Black" and "Olivetti Jerk", were later included on their debut studio album. "He Took Her to a Movie", Mu-Tron EP, "The Way That I Found You", were all selected as NME "Single of the Week".
In 6 February 2001, Ladytron released their critically acclaimed debut album, 604 on Emperor Norton (US). The album was also released in 26 March 2001 on Labels (Germany) and in 2 April 2001 on Invicta Hi-Fi (UK). It was re-released in 20 July 2004 on Emperor Norton (US) and in 14 January 2011 (Germany)/18 January 2011 (US)/24 January (UK) on Nettwerk.
604 has been written mostly by Daniel Hunt and co-produced by him and Lance Thomas. Three singles supported the album's promotion: "He Took Her to a Movie", "Playgirl", and "The Way That I Found You".
Also in 2001, Ladytron covered The Human League' song "Open Your Heart" for the compilation album Reproductions: Songs of The Human League. Until 2004, the band wore uniforms on stage. Daniel Hunt stated in 2001 that their uniforms were inspired by the SF movie The Andromeda Strain. In an interview from 2002, Hunt also said that the meaning of 604 album title is the area code for British Columbia.
In 17 September 2002, Ladytron released their sophomore album Light & Magic at Emperor Norton (US) and Telstar (UK). The album was also released in 7 April 2003 at Warner Music (Germany) and in 21 June 2003 at Victor Entertainment (Japan). It was re-released in 20 July 2004 on Emperor Norton (US) and in 14 January 2011 (Germany)/18 January 2011 (US)/24 January 2011 (UK) on Nettwerk.
Light & Magic was co-produced by the band and Mickey Petralia in Los Angeles. The album featured a darker sound than their debut and spawned three underground hits, "Seventeen", "Evil", and "Blue Jeans". They toured over a year to support this album.
In 7 October 2003, they issued the mix compilation Softcore Jukebox on Emperor Norton. The compilation includes songs of other artists selected by the band and also two of their own songs: the single remix of "Blue Jeans" renamed "Blue Jeans 2.0" and the cover "Oops Oh My" by Tweet. In 2004, they played a series of shows in China as part of an exhibition tour set up by the British Council.
In 3 October 2005, Ladytron released their third studio album Witching Hour on Island (UK). The album was also released in 4 October 2005 on Universal Music (Germany) and Rykodisc (US). It was re-released in 5 April 2007 on Major (Germany), in 5 November 2007 on So Sweet (UK), in 18 January 2011 (US)/24 January 2011 (UK) on Nettwerk.
Witching Hour was co-produced by the band and Jim Abbiss. The album featured live drums and guitars mixed with their trademark sound. This album was very well received by critics and fans. It was supported by the singles "Sugar" and "Destroy Everything You Touch". The single "Destroy Everything You Touch" became the band's signature song.
Their third album was followed in 2006 by Extended Play, a two-disc EP CD/DVD compilation that features exclusive unreleased remixes and UK B-sides, as well as a 35-minute bonus DVD that included a 27 minutes documentary titled Once Upon a Time in the East: Ladytron in China based on their short 2004 tour in China. In the same year Ladytron recorded The Harmonium Sessions, which contained four reworked songs from Witching Hour.
Without any real label support, Ladytron toured exhaustively over the next two years, on the strength of their cult following. They played in North America, Europe, and South America. They also opened for Nine Inch Nails in early 2007 at the request of Trent Reznor.
Along their career, Ladytron have produced remixes for many artists, including Dave Gahan, Goldfrapp, Placebo, Blondie, Bloc Party, Kings of Convenience, Gang of Four, She Wants Revenge, Soulwax, Nine Inch Nails, Simian, Indochine and Apoptygma Berzerk.
In 2 June 2008, the group issued on Nettwerk their fourth album, Velocifero. The album was recorded in Paris, with the band handling production duties with Alessandro Cortini (Modwheelmood, Nine Inch Nails, SONOIO) and Vicarious Bliss (Justice, DJ Mehdi). Their sound evolved to an even more organic sound and harsher beats. The band states that "velocifero" literally means "bringer of speed" and is also the name of a classic retro styled scooter. The album spawned three singles, "Ghosts", "Runaway" and "Tomorrow".
In 6 April 2009, Nettwerk issued the remix compilation Velocifero (Remixed & Rare). In the same year, the band self-released their first live album entitled Live at London Astoria 16.07.08. They also co-wrote and produced the songs "Birds of Prey" and "Little Dreamer" for Christina Aguilera. These songs featured on her 2010 album Bionic.
In 2009, Ladytron toured North America with The Faint (co-headline tour), and performed two special shows with Brian Eno at the Sydney Opera House in the summer. They also announced that they will be the opening act for Depeche Mode on few concerts in Eastern Europe, but these concerts were cancelled due to Dave Gahan's illness.
The soundtrack of the video game FIFA 11 featured a new Ladytron song, "Ace of Hz", which was released as digital single on 30 November 2010. In 11 January 2011, the band issued the digital EP Ace of Hz, which includes the album mix plus 5 remixes.
In 28 March 2011, Ladytron released the compilation Best of 00-10 on Nettwerk. It featured 17 tracks on standard edition and 33 tracks on deluxe edition (plus a 80 pages booklet). They also issued the remix compilation Best of Remixes and the iTunes video compilation Best of 00-10 Videos.
In 12 September 2011, they released the fifth studio album, Gravity the Seducer, on Nettwerk. The album was recorded in Kent's countryside and it was produced by the band and Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Editors). Daniel Hunt said "Gravity the Seducer is more of a jump than the last album was, more ethereal and melodic, a touch more abstract in places than we've gone before, baroque 'n' roll".
Gravity the Seducer has been preceded by the single "White Elephant", issued on 17 May 2011. The band premiered the song "Ambulances", in 16 June 2011. It was followed by the single "Mirage" in 8 August 2011.
On 20 December 2011, Nettwerk issued the remix compilations 604 (Remixed & Rare), Light & Magic (Remixed & Rare), Witching Hour (Remixed & Rare).
Using the stage name of Marnie, Helen Marnie started in 2012 a solo career. She self-released her debut solo album Crystal World on 11 June 2013. The album was produced in 2012 in Reykjavik, Iceland by her band mate Daniel Hunt in collaboration with the Icelandic musician BarĆ°i JĆ³hannsson.
Touring:
There have been six main Ladytron tours: 604 tour (2001), Light & Magic tour (2002ā2004), Witching Hour tour (2005ā2007), Velocifero tour (2008ā2009), Best of 00-10 tour (2011), and Gravity the Seducer tour (2011) and Time's Arrow tour (2023). During the years, they toured in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.
The band played at various music festivals like La Route du Rock 2001, Reading Festival 2001, Festival Internacional de BenicĆ ssim 2001 and 2005, Coachella Festival 2003 and 2006, Hultsfred Festival 2003, Arvikafestivalen 2003 and 2006, Lowlands Festival 2003, Dot-to-Dot Festival 2005, Pukkelpop 2005, Exit Festival 2005, Creamfields 2007, Electric Picnic 2007, Bonnaroo Festival 2008, Ruisrock Festival 2009, Traffic Festival 2009, Standon Calling Festival 2009, Electrosonic Festival 2009, Ping Gu Valley Festival 2011, Donaufestival 2011, Selector Festival 2011, Hegyalja Festival 2011, Decibel Festival 2011, DeLuna Fest 2011, Zouk Festival 2011.
Since Light & Magic tour, Ladytron started to tour extensively and to add touring members to play live bass and drums. Previous touring members include Pop Levi (bass during Light & Magic tour), Andrea Goldsworthy (bass during Witching Hour tour), and Keith York (drums during Light & Magic tour and Witching Hour tour).
Bands to open for Ladytron on their tours include Simian, The Presets, Client, Phaser, CSS, Asobi Seksu, Mount Sims, Crocodiles, Franz Ferdinand, SONOIO, VHS or Beta and Geographer.
Ladytron have opened for other artists like Soulwax on their UK tour in 2001, Bjƶrk in 2003, and Goldfrapp in 2006. In early 2007, they opened for Nine Inch Nails on their European tour, at the invitation of Trent Reznor. In 2009, Ladytron and The Faint co-headlined a North American tour.
Official site: www.ladytron.com
Seventeen
Ladytron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're 21, you're no fun.
They take a Polaroid and let you go
Say they'll let you know, so come on.
The song "Seventeen" by Ladytron is a commentary on society's obsession with youth and beauty. The opening lines, "They only want you when you're seventeen, When you're 21, you're no fun," suggest that people are most desirable and attractive when they are young and inexperienced. This is a sad truth as many people grow old and lose their youthful features and this no longer makes them attractive or interesting to others.
The next line "They take a Polaroid and let you go" signifies the superficial nature of our society. People are easily disposed of once they become less attractive or less useful to others. The line "say they'll let you know, so come on" suggests that there is always hope that they will call you back, but the reality is that they will only call you when they need you again.
The song is a commentary on the shallow nature of our society and its tendency to dispose of people once they are no longer young and attractive. It highlights the need for us to value people for their inner qualities rather than their superficial appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
They only want you when you're seventeen,
You are in demand and popular by others when you are at this particular age.
When you're 21, you're no fun.
After reaching the age of 21, people stop finding you interesting and attractive.
They take a Polaroid and let you go
They capture a moment, but it doesn't last, and they leave you.
Say they'll let you know, so come on.
They promise to contact you, so you should follow along eagerly.
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Monikanoid
'Seventeen' is about modeling agencies.
"They only want you when you're 17, when you're 21 you're no fun."
This is exactly how modeling agencies work. When you're 17 you're young enough to not have fully developed female curves yet, perfect for that skinny catwalk look, and old enough to legally work without all the parental hassle. When you're 21 you're considered an adult, have more female curves, plus harder to work with because of an adult mindset, as in knowing this is not a career you want to pursue, busy with university and (jealous) boyfriends.
"They take a polaroid and let you go, say they'll let you know, so come on."
17 year olds go knocking on doors at modeling agencies, full of hope, thinking they're gonna be the next big thing. In reality you're just girl #186 that day. So they'll just take a quick Polaroid photo of you, write down your info on the back and they literally say "We'll let you know.." Just like any job interview, so yeah, come on..
All the young girls dancing in the observation room are resembling the hundreds of applications the agencies get on a daily basis, the staff walks around, keep making the application pile (all the Polaroids from the past few days) smaller and smaller till there is just one left, the best girl of that pile, who they might hire.
@mmiller6342
I think this song is not just a commentary on the fashion industry, but on society as a whole.
Men are allowed to age and have wrinkles and grey hair and still be considered attractive(Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, etc), but most women in the public eye are discarded when they arenāt very young anymore. The only older women celebrities are the ones that have no signs of aging (Jennifer Lopez).
Women are taught that they should be hairless, short and petite, have high voices, and to be innocent and submissive (all are characteristics of children). Women are mostly valued in society for our ability to fit the impossible beauty standard and to please men. I We are not valued as much on our maturity and intelligence. Once you are no longer oblivious to the world around you and you have lost your childlike features and you age(which is normal) you are no longer seen as of worth. Once you hit 30 you have reached your expiration date even though that is a very young age.
The type of girl that men want is a young girl that is essentially a child. When you are 17, you have not yet realized what the world is like and are āmore funā. You are easier to take advantage of. When I was in my senior year of high school there were many men in their 20s waiting around for 17 year old girls. On porn websites there is a high demand for ābarely legal videosā. When Danielle Brigolli turned 18 everyone was excited and there were comments saying they waiting for āso longā.
When women are in their early 20s they are told to get settled while they still can so they donāt become an āold maidā while men are encouraged to settle down much later.
There is so much more that I can add, but I will stop now lol.
@Heaven-lh2sx
This is about
Men only want you at 17.
Your parents want to baby you at 17 but want you to leave at 21.
Film directors want you to act at 17 but at 21 they think youāre too old.
Youth centers only want 17 cause you arenāt full grown at 17 but 21 you are and youāre no longer fun.
@user-sy9il3tc5p
āYou canāt make a good song with two linesā
Ladytron: hold my birthday candles
@timetraveler9518
Daft punk made a song with 1line it's called "around the world"
@xymez3743
@@timetraveler9518 the gods of edm
@maimunamay6198
Fatboy's Slim "Right Here, Right Now" only contains the words of the title.
@VV-nz4dv
alice deejay
@Kets4ekis_biggest_fan
Nya itchy ni san
@bobatea3911
this isnt just a critique abt the fashion industry. its ALSO abt society's beauty standards and how men feel abt women aging
@aliaboulekema-amraoui5317
Thank you
@bow_wow_wow
That's ludicrous. What 21 year old woman had any trouble whatsoever attracting male attention?
@cherrygloombae
@@bow_wow_wow is this a joke or...?