小简介
来自英国利物浦的四人团Ladytron自组成起便被誉为新千年英国音乐新浪潮——Electroclash的领军人物。这股风潮以向80年代电子音乐文化,及著名乐队取材与致敬为主题。而Ladytron音乐当中浓厚的复古情调与摩登的合成器音色、人声吟唱,醒目的乐队制服,让其甫一出道便引起国外音乐杂志、专业乐评人、歌迷们的注意。无论电子类或摇滚类的音乐节均纷纷邀请乐队出席表演。
时间回到1998年,Ladytron只是利物浦青年Daniel Hunt脑子里的构思与口头的玩笑。“我在乐队成立的两昵耙迅嫠呷嗣俏沂钦庵Ю侄拥某稍薄保珼aniel笑着说。当时Daniel在利物浦一俱乐部Liquidation工作,而乐队另一成员Reuben Wu则在那里表演。两人在利物浦大学时已经认识,及后一同加入一支已无从考证队名的乐队,Daniel负责Rhythm Boxes、Reuben弹奏键盘。出于共同对复古电子合成音乐的喜爱,Daniel与Reuben迅速达成共识,Ladytron就这样诞生了。乐队名字取自80年代著名二人组合Roxy Music的同名作品。而同一时间,在偶然的机会下,Daniel认识了保加利亚籍的Mira Aroyo,当时Mira正在牛津攻读遗传工程博士学位,兼职在俱乐部打碟。两人在数次的Email通信后,Daniel便邀请Mira加入到Ladytron。在他们三人开始录制乐队首张单曲《He Took Her to a Movie》时,能同时担任歌手和键盘的苏格兰歌手Helena Marnie亦在朋友介绍下认识Daniel,一拍即合,Ladytron便组成现时的四人阵容。
1999年,在没有任何唱片公司支持的Ladytron仅以50英磅录制了他们首张单曲《He Took Her to a Movie》。歌曲一出版迅即成为英国地下热门歌曲,一众乐评人纷纷对此复古声音抛下喜悦与赞誉的言词。夹着《He Took Her to a Movie》的声势,乐队另一单曲《Playgirl》及后于2000夏天带来的首张EP“Commodore Rock”照样大获成功。乐队混合了Gary Numan和Human League等新浪潮先锋那富感染力的电子流行乐,和队员自身的幽默魔力,让Ladytron轻易地在这股Electroclash风潮下脱颖而出,乐队那时髦的喷射机员制服更让其享有最酷复古流行乐队的称号。2001年,乐队以惊人的速度录制了首张大碟“604”。15首作品,平衡掉实验电声与电子流行乐之间的鸿沟,Helena带点悲伤的唱腔与Mira声音里的保加利亚气质,“604”让当时沉闷的英国乐坛陷入一片狂喜。著名英伦杂志《Muzik》立即给予“The First Great Electro Record Of The Millennium”的殊荣,而《NME》杂志亦以“Singles Of The Week”作为评鉴。尽管只是在英国独立厂牌出版,乐队亦只得500英磅的宣传费,但“604”除有着优异的本土成绩外亦同时赢得海外乐迷与乐评人的一致赞誉。在美国,乐队的唱片不费吹灰之力便卖了不错的成绩。“604”当仁不让地成为2000年在英美地区爆发的新浪潮电子音乐复辟运动的重要里程碑。
“604”的成功,让乐队平添了不少的演出机会。英美等地的音乐节均纷纷邀请乐队出席参加。在经过两年的现场演出经验累积下,2003年全新专辑“Light & Magic”比起前作,有着更为丰富的情绪,与多变的音乐元素。这次乐队远赴洛杉矶邀得曾参与Beck、Beasties Boy作品录音的Mickey Petralia为其作音乐监制。Mickey Petralia的加盟让“Light & Magic”呈现出已不仅是80年代的音乐肌理,涵盖Chicago House、New Wave、Funk、Disco、Folk、New Age、Rock等丰富元素的专辑,更像是洛城的阳光般灿烂温暖。而比起一众Electroclash分子或其它新浪潮电子乐队,Ladytron也不再一味制造令人欢愉的派对电子乐了,他们在《Light & Magic》里开始带来感伤与忧愁的歌曲,另外像《17》这类物有所指的歌曲也是乐队希望挣脱80年代复辟潮流,而更着力于反映当下时代的决心之一。就如Reuben所说,(我们开始用)这种合成器是因为那时候我们还很低级,不是因为我们希望听起来跟80年代的音乐相似,我们的音乐里有更多不属于那个年代的东西。”
现时,Ladytron正忙于他们世界各地的巡回演出,而两位始创人Daniel与Reuben则在演出的间隙时间继续他们DJ打碟工作。现时,乐队正埋手制作他们第三张专辑,而在此之前,他们重新出版了“604”与“Light & Magic”,并加入了乐队一些珍贵的现场录音和从未发表的作品。
Buzzy glam rock fashion plates Ladytron came together in a jet-set miracle in mid-1998. Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu, who lurk in the background playing rhythm boxes and keyboards in the band, settled in Liverpool after a spate of DJ work in Japan and world travel, including a train trip in Bulgaria where they met vocalist Mira Aroyo. Helena Marnie, who also sings and plays keyboards for the group, also joined them and they began work on their first single, "He Took Her to a Movie," which was recorded for 50 pounds. The release brought a wave of critical attention with writers extending into jubilant metaphor to describe the band's unique sound, including one who wrote that they were "...a teasing glimpse of how Britney Spears might have sounded, had she been born in the GDR and a heroin addict."
Ladytron toured throughout the continent before beginning work on their debut EP, Commodore Rock, which was released in the summer of 2000, providing their fans another foray into the noisy world of early-'80s sound. The studio full-length 604 followed a year later, and gained many positive reviews. 2002 saw the release of Light & Magic and the mix album Softcore Jukebox. The group returned in the summer of 2005 with the Sugar single, which heralded the rock edge of Ladytron's third album, Witching Hour. Extended Play, which featured remixes of Witching Hour's singles, arrived the following spring. Ladytron moved to Nettwerk for their fourth album, Velocifero, which they produced themselves.