New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Liverpool's synth-shoegaze quartet, Ladytron premiere the short film for "The Animals," their first single in seven years, at Noisey. Directed by Fernando Nogari, the short film is a love letter to São Paulo that follows a group of young people on a sensory, violent, and joyous trip through the megalopolis' underworld, creating a snapshot of Brazil's dark, contemporary moment where shifting mores regarding culture, gender, spirituality, and identity collide.
The film is the result of conversations between the director and Ladytron's
Daniel Hunt, who has lived in São Paulo for the past five years. Its saturated and murky hues and interplay between shadow and light capture the burgeoning city's tensions and pleasures and reflect the sonic palette of the song which is a combination of primitive synths, emotive harmonies, and lyrics that contemplate humans' bestial impulses.
The single, which features a remix by electronic icon Vince Clarke (Erasure, Depeche Mode), has received praise from many global outlets including Rolling Stone, SPIN, Wired, Stereogum, and Pitchfork. The project is also a reunion with Grammy-winning producer Jim Abbiss who produced their iconic album Witching Hour and hit single 'Destroy
Everything You Touch." "The Animals" was the first new song we had, and with it we went immediately into the studio with Jim Abbiss," says vocalist Helen Marnie. "He's the producer who has really understood us the most".
A second single will follow in the summer, followed in the fall by a new album, both available for pre-order as limited deluxe editions via Pledge Music, which provides a great opportunity to produce their album independently and reconnect with their audience.
VIDEO CREDITS
Written and directed by Fernando Nogari
Based on the novel "The Animals" by
Daniel Hunt
CAST
Daira Silva
Erik Matheus
Lucas Adrade
Produced by Banzai Studios and Conspiracao Films with the additional support of Flagcx
Executive Producer - Thales Banzai
Cinematography -
Douglas Bernardt
Production Designer - Carol Ozzi
Casting and Location
Director - Bruno Fellsman
Costume Designer - Tahthi Yumi Kurita
Editor - Thales martins and Fernando Nogari
"A new Ladytron recording, wow." -Wired
"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.' " -Brooklyn Vegan
"a potent combination of smeary dream-pop and futuristic robo-music." -Stereogum
"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 as choral backing vocals glide through the mix behind her." -Rolling Stone
About Ladytron:
Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo,
Daniel Hunt, Reuben Wu formed Ladytron in Liverpool, England in 1999. They broke through in the early 2000s with the Light & Magic and Witching Hour albums. After five records and a succession of world tours over a ten-year period, Ladytron took a deserved pause, pursuing other projects, collaborations and creative endeavors, before finally deciding in 2016 to begin work on new music together. "The Animals" is the first fruit of this new chapter for the group.
