Light & Magic

Ladytron

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 17, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Emperor Norton
• ASIN: B00006IQHJ
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,253 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. True Mathematics

2. Seventeen

3. Flicking Your Switch

4. Fire

5. Turn It On

6. Bluejeans

7. Cracked LCD

8. Black Plastic

9. Evil

10. Startup Chime

11. NuHorizons

12. Cease2xist

13. Re:Agents

14. Light & Magic

15. The Reason Why

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Second album from Ladytron, the follow-up to their debut 604, an album that sneaked out of Liverpool and quietly crept up on people everywhere-from London to Los Angeles-to become one of the most critically acclaimed and influential records of recent years. This album outshines their debut, but still keeps their killer pop instinct intact on tracks like 'Bluejeans' & 'Evil'. Emperor Norton Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Are The Robots, February 18, 2003

By	W. Davidson (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ladytron will probably have to tolerate being saddled with the "eighties" retro tag for as long as they exist (hopefully they will exist for a very long time) but to see them as just some sort of nostalgia band is to do them a great disservice. Apart from the fact that they write excellent pop songs, they have struck on as sound as unique as, say, Stereolab with their astute use of clever electronics, passionless and unique vocal sound and lyrics that help construct their individual futuristic landscape.

They plunder the electronic heritage with a magpie-like selection of shiny objects, everything from Visage to Moroder and beyond, then add their individual touches and make the contributions of yesterday sound very new, very now and also very tomorrow.

Seventeen is an infectious and great single (and I'm thrilled it is getting consdierable airplay here in Australia, all the less air time for Avril Lavigne - someone please stop her!) but it's only the start. This album sparkles with pop hits, crazy roboticism ("Cracked LCD") and the totally luscious ("The Reason Why") and there's so much more. Listen to with their first album "604" for extended enjoyment. If you love electronica, this will be for you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Retro-electro never sounded so current..., September 20, 2002

By	Christopher Betche (Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ladytron consists of five members: two guys, two girls, and a room full of 1980's era drum machines and synthesizers. Electro with spoken word vocals (and occasional melodies) is perhaps the easiest way to describe their style. '604', their first album, despite some instrumental head bangers, was a fairly poppy affair. 'Light & Magic' has taken a harder approach, and that's for the better. More sound effects, harder beats, and distorted melodies add up to a stronger second effort. Don't let the first two mediocre songs fool you. "Flicking Your Switch" pairs a funky retro 4/4 beat with droning vocals and simple background chords. "Turn It On" sounds like Mantronix or even Afrika Bambaataa going crazy on a synthesizer. "Black Plastic" has the feel of the first single (if there is one), with synth strings bouncing off staccato basslines and surprisingly musical vocals. "Startup Noise" is loud, classic, end of the world techno. This album also has a more consistent feel than its predecessor. So if you like video game soundtracks, early dance music, or just the idea of hopping back in time twenty years, 'Light & Magic' is the album for you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a bit different from 604, good and bad..., September 18, 2002

By	Bernard (Upland CA United States) - See all my reviews

Ladytrons new album is stylistically very different from their debut. The warm analog synths from 604 are all but gone replaced by colder digital synths. For most of the tracks the sound seems to have shifted from 1980/81/82 UK (Human League/Kraftwerk/Visage to name a few) to post electro New York or Detroit. We're talking 1985/86/87. Unfortunately I find that most tracks are just genre exercises lacking the great hooks found in 604. Tracks 10-15 I skip entirely.

There are some exceptions. The first song "True Mathematics" is my favorite on the whole disc. Clocking in at 2:22 it's a perfect slice of sleezy Soft Cell esque pop. It brings up funny memories of the video for "What". I know it's not likely as a single but I'd love to see this fleshed out to a 12 incher.

The next song is a feeble attempt at recreating "Playgirl", right down to the monotamous lyrics and bassline. Whereas "Playgirl" literally hugged you with it's warm sound, "Seventeen" will leave you cold. Moving on to "Flicking Your Switch", the biggest shocker is what sounds like an early Acid House style bass and synthline. Amazingly, it works.

Other highlights include "Turn it On", a fine 808 driven instrumental that sounds like a lost New Order B Side. Hey, I'm a sucker for anything with that 808 cowbell. "Black Plastic" is a keeper as is "Evil" which starts out almost sounding like a Kylie Minogue song. Try singing "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" over the opening synths. "Evil" ends with over a minute of beautiful atmospheric synths, reminding me of something Beck would do. "Evil" is my other pick for a single.

I wanted to like this album even more than I liked 604 but it's just not happening for me. When this album is good, it is really good. But only one track (True Mathematics) matches the genius of "The Way The I Found You" or "Paco" or most of the brilliant pop of "604". I'd say there's about 5 really good songs on this disc, and if it was only those 5 songs on an EP I'd give it 4 stars. As a whole I'd give it 2.5 stars, but I'll be nice and give it 3.