Ladytron: Point of Survival

Image courtesy of ladytron.com

It's been a dozen-year of the 'icy' band's career. From the very first Ladytron debut album 604 (2001) when the single "Playgirl" brought some national and international attention to the band and when they were labeled as electroclash instead they rejected this tag but however they survived.

Beginning 2002 with a glosier darker released of "Light and Magic" and critically acclaimed album "Witching Hour" in 2004, made the group took the road of cult following, booking sold-out tours across North America and Europe, and playing capacity crowd  around Asia and Latin America. Without any real label support, Ladytron toured exhaustively over the next two years.

In June 2008, Ladytron released their fourth and most successfull album "Velocifero" on Nettwerk. The album spawned three single: "Ghost", "Runaway", and "Tomorrow" leaving behind their traditional hits on the dance floor. During their dozen-year career, they've endured the "electroclash" and "bloghouse" phases and persevered alongside plenty of flash-in-the-pan contemporaries. With this in mind, their fifth album "Gravity The Seducer" could have been approached as more of a victory lap than anything else.

Gravity The Seducer(Nettwerk 2011)

Gravity The Seducer, Ladytron's fifth studio album find its place as Ladytron's most hypnotic record to date, the vocals are submerged deeper in the mix giving more space for the synths to layer, intertwine and generate friction. The result is an album which is less immediate than the predecessors, but more atmospheric. This Liverpudlian synth-pop group build on their creepiest former glories while with holding the hooks that previously put the sweet in their bitter. Opener "White Elephant" signal their new approach, offering an intricate with a swaying melody, keyboards chiming rather than cutting, its rhythm lilting rather than propelling, it's clear that Ladytron have let some light into their previous darkness. "Moon Palace" sounds exactly like its dreary landscapes are covered by two frigid female vocalist. First released single midtempo "Ace of Hz" polishes chillwave's hazy psychedelia into glozzy yet dense ice sculpture. Gravity The Seducer is a transitional album between the periods but yet still frostbite guaranteed.

Considering electroclash "movement" that gave them recognition, it's a pleasant shock that they have stuck around this long and still manage to evolve. By stripping back the layers of overbearing electronic production of the past, they've recorded  an album of lush and elegant pop music, beguiling and gloriously cinematic.

At the moment Ladytron is in Asia tour, in two more days they will perform live in Jakarta at Djakarta Warehouse Project. I'm quite exciting, it's been a ten years waiting to watch Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo's band performance live. Now there is a real utopia coming into our town although very late ;)

Official music video for "Runaway" by Ladytron, taken from their fourth album "Velocifero".

Watch their amazing live performance at Astoria London 2009.

Before Sunset

DEW Magazine Pre-January Issue 2011

"Before Sunset"

Photography Teuku Ajie

Styling Arsy Medina

Models Kristell Chenut and Roman Blinov

The Pilgrims

DEW Magazine #3 Eastern Issue Story Cover

"The Pilgrims"

Photography Teuku Ajie

Styling Arsy Medina

Hair and Make-up Artist Tania Ledezma

Styling Assistance Rical Ardani Tedjoutomo

Models Michaela Novakova at VTM

Maria Del Carmen at Posh Management

DEW Magazine #3 Eastern Issue

DEW Magazine third issue 'Eastern' is ready to publish after two months delayed because of the technical problems. But we're relieved now with the result, our contributors mostly came from Asian regarding this issue. Featuring most talented young professional artist around Indonesia.

DEW third issue speaks about the influence of the Eastern against the world especially in fashion industry. From people, culture, history, celebration, and folklore coming into a theme, design and direction. So through out the growing tree of Asia, we try to pick up the blooming flowers from the late of summer/early fall and translate it into a pieces of artwork.

Let's begin now to celebrate with the colour of the East :)

Stay tuned for more from this issue.

DEW Magazine Eastern Issue Cover Story

Photography Teuku Ajie

Styling Arsy Medina

Hair and Make-up Tania Ledezma

Model Michaela Novakova at VTM

DEW Journal is Officially Active

Welcoming the wind of summer, DEW Magazine just launched official blog today, it's called DEW Journal. This journal will provide Pre-Issue for every theme each seasons, and more editorials to published, more contributors to showed, more fashion film to watched, and more news to covered especially music that influences DEW at present and future. DEW Journal will have daily update every week, you can visit www.dewmagazine.blogspot.com to read and watch the whole updates of DEW activities. No longer need to wait, DEW condense more faster than before, enjoy the visual guys :))

visit www.dewmagazine.blogspot.com

May Playlist: Warpaint Back to Back Album by Bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg

Exquisite Corpse EP (2009)

The Fool LP (2010)

WARPAINT'S TOP 5 TRACKS

BY BASSIST JENNY LEE LINDBERG

1. BEETLES

This name was given to the song due to the sway I was doing whilst playing bass; indicative of the Beetles sway or any dance from the early 60's. This song evokes every emotion possible. It's the probably the most skitzo song.

2. ELEPHANTS

Sounds like elephants stomping the grounds - out to cause a rickus! A great trance and meditative experience, but also a very high energy song.

3. COMPOSURE

The opening of this song is a homage to the Lars Von Trier film, Antichrist. I love how high energy the song is, it reminds me of Elephants in that sense.

4. MAJESTY

We wrote Majesty in Malibu in 2007, when Warpaint was just a three piece (Emily, Theresa, and Jenny). Since then it has taken on a life of its own, and has transformed wonderfully. I love the tragedy in this song, you can hear it in Theresa's voice.

5. BEES

Bees was originally written for the bees! The bassline sounds a bit like a mass of buzzin' bees. I love this song, because it makes me dance, and it's not so in your face. I think it needs a few listens before you catch on, then I believe magical things are revealed.

The original Warpaint's interview by Anders Christian Madsen for i-D Magazine: The Livin' Loud Issue Pre-Spring 2011. Visit i-Donline.com to listen.

Psychedelic Warpaint

Image courtesy of warpaintwarpaint.com

A little bit late to fill an article about Warpaint now, because it's so difficult to imagine a suitable words for this amazing band. If Nirvana having an affair with Siouxsie and the Banshees then the childrens will be Warpaint. Apparently they are singing like the two little girls from The Shining, it 's thrilling and haunting. 

Hailing from LA, the band consists of Emily Kokal (vocalist/guitarist) and Theresa Wayman (vocalist/guitarist), Jenny Lee Lindberg (vocalist/bassist) and the piston-like drummer Stella Mozgawa. The original line-up of the band was formed in 2004 with childhood friends, Theresa, Emily, Jenny Lee, and actress Shannyn Sossamon. As the girls battled through the L.A. rock scene for three years, the group eventually parted ways with Shannyn and went through a string of line-up changes before they found Stella Mozgawa. 

The band weaves intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy. In 2009 the band released their debut EP titled Exquisite Corpse, followed by their full length album, The Fool, released on October 2010. Exquisite Corpse produced by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the EP successfully captures the band’s sonic textures and playful dynamism that they’re notorious for creating in a live setting. "The Fool itself is a reference to a state of innocence, to push yourself to see who you are, with the potential of falling on your face to reach liberation, The risk of laughing at the wrong moment or to choose not to act like you know everything," Kokal explained. Recorded in LA, The Fool was produced by Tom Biller (Beck, Karen O, Liars), with further mixes from Andrew Weatherall (New Order, Primal Scream, Bjork) and Adam Samuels (John Frusciante, Daniel Lanois). 

Soon they will performing live in Jakarta on July 21, watching the live version is beyond compare, cause the group playing consistently impressive. In Live, each one is in her own zone, often with eyes shut and head loose, It's almost like watching them make up songs in real-time at every show. Warpaint has toured incessantly over the last couple of years with standout performances at CMJ, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, as well as the Leeds, Reading and Laneway festivals. They have also shared the stage with The xx, Band of Horses, Yeasayer, Akron/Family, Javelin, and The Walkmen. But so should the fact Kokal and Wayman were raised in hippie communes, but sound like the sky has slightly caved in. Come smash yourself against their song and performance, you won’t regret it.

Warpaint - Stars from Adam Harding on Vimeo.

Official music video for "Stars" by Warpaint, taken from the Exquisite Corpse EP (Manimal Vinyl). Filmed in the ashes of the Angeles National Forest. 
Shot by Adam Harding, edited and directed by Burke Roberts and Adam Harding © 2009

Warpaint - Elephants Live Coachella 2011 from Tyzmatos on Vimeo.

Watch their amazing live performances at Coachella 2011.