40-613: Crystal World is the debut studio album by Scottish musician Marnie , self-released on 11 June 2013 through the site PledgeMusic . The album was produced in 2012 in Reykjavík , Iceland , by her Ladytron band-mate Daniel Hunt in collaboration with the Icelandic musician Barði Jóhannsson . Alessandro Cortini also produced the second song, "We Are the Sea". Crystal World comprises ten original songs written by Marnie while Ladytron had
80-514: A bit over 250% of her initial goal. On 15 June 2013, the album was released as music download on iTunes and Amazon through Cobraside label. In August 2013 the album was issued on CD format by Les Disques Du Crépuscule . Marnie released the James Slater-directed music video of "Hearts on Fire" on 19 April 2014. "The Hunter" was released as first single on 29 May 2013 through a music video . On 12 August 2013, "The Hunter"
120-463: A break after their fifth studio album, Gravity the Seducer in 2011. Crystal World is available in these formats: music download , CD , 12" vinyl . In an interview for The Electricity Club site, Marnie said: "I played around with the idea for a couple of years and joked about it for a while. I had a handful of songs and when Ladytron had some time off last year, I began to believe it could be
160-410: A decade, a body of work which has lent itself to this album’s escapist and dreamy textures." Victoria Segal on eMusic rated the album 4.5 out 5, saying that Crystal World "feels less strict, less pristine, as if all the wires and circuitry are slowly starting to melt down." All tracks are written by Marnie Helen Marnie Helen Lindsay Marnie (born 1978) is a Scottish musician, known as
200-458: A hugely emotive record which sees Helen step out from behind her mysterious sultry Ladytron persona and reveal herself to be a songwriter of enormous emotional depth and honesty, able to produce songs which are poetic, fragile, heartfelt and often downright heart-breakingly beautiful." Polari Magazine rated the album 5 out of 5, and added: "Crystal World is a rich and assured debut by a woman who has crafted and explored electronic music for more than
240-1158: A limited edition (500 copies). In 2015, Marnie performed vocals on Bang Gang ' song "Silent Bite". In 2016, she collaborated with the musician RM Hubbert on the song "Sweet Dreams". On 24 January 2017, she released the first single titled "Alphabet Block" from the forthcoming second solo album, Strange Words and Weird Wars . In 2015, Marnie started touring as a solo artist with a backing live band that consists of Emer Tumilty (synthesizers and backing vocals), Jonny Scott (guitar, synthesizers) and Peter Kelly (drums). She performed songs from her solo career and from Ladytron's back catalogue. Marnie and her live band played in Lima (Peru) and Santiago de Chile (Chile) so far. Marnie grew up with pop music like Whitney Houston , Belinda Carlisle , Michael Jackson , Madonna , The Bangles , Carly Simon , and ABBA . She claimed musical influences such as Kate Bush , Maria Callas , and Joni Mitchell . She also mentioned artists like Bat for Lashes , MGMT , Fairport Convention , Serge Gainsbourg , Grimes , and Chvrches as her favourites. Marnie
280-491: A limited edition 12-inch single, The Hunter Remixed , featuring mixes by Stephen Morris (of Joy Division / New Order ) and Glasgow electro radicals Roman Nose, as well as the album version of the song plus a mix of Sugarland by Mark Reeder . The single was limited to 500 copies in clear vinyl. She also released the James Slater directed music video of "Hearts on Fire" on the same day. On 9 September 2014, she premiered
320-420: A new single titled "Wolves" from the upcoming second solo album, initially planned for release in 2015. The song was produced by Jonny Scott and was released on iTunes on 14 September 2014. The music video was published on YouTube on 17 September and it was co-directed by Marnie and Michael Sherrington. On 18 April 2015 (Record Store Day), "Wolves" with a Marsheaux remix as a B-side was released on 7" vinyl as
360-760: A reality. I thought if I have the opportunity, I'm just going to go for it. So I started writing as much as I could." On 24 May 2012, her Ladytron band-mate Daniel Hunt announced that he would produce Marnie's solo album in Iceland in August 2012. Daniel Hunt, in collaboration with the Icelandic musician Barði Jóhannsson, produced Marnie's album. The album was recorded in Reykjavík, Iceland from August to early October 2012 and then for few days in December 2012. Marnie said on her PledgeMusic account about her debut album: "For
400-400: Is more than that. Like Marnie herself, this album is pretty. Vocally and musically expansive, it is like a dreamy arctic escapist fantasy." The music site The VPME rated Crystal World 10 out of 10 and named the album "an electro-pop map of the human heart with more empathy, warmth and spirit than a million contrived indie lad rock 'anthems'." The reviewer also added: "make no mistake, this is
440-636: The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. She dropped out of university in Glasgow before going on to study music at the University of Liverpool , England where she received in 1999 a BA in pop music. In the summer of 1999, English producers and DJs Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu met students Helen Marnie (through various DJ gigs) and Mira Aroyo (through a mutual friend). Sharing similar interests in music, they formed
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#1732794277068480-476: The electronic band Ladytron in the same year. Since then, Marnie has performed as the lead singer of the band, and also plays synthesizers and contributes to songwriting. On 24 May 2012, her Ladytron bandmate Daniel Hunt announced that he would produce Marnie's solo album in Iceland in August 2012. On 16 September 2012, Marnie set up a PledgeMusic account to help fund the making of her album. The album
520-525: The 10 songs were written specifically for a solo record. The others were a little older but I knew I wanted them used for something. I guess after December 2011, I really started to write a lot, until I went to Iceland in August 2012. So that 7-month period was quite productive for me. 9 songs were taken to Iceland and completed. I then wrote the final track 'Gold' at home in Glasgow late last year, flew for one last time to Reykjavík, and recorded it there in December 2012. Having time away from touring really gave me
560-513: The Seducer did not measure up to the band's earlier work, picking out their earlier single " Destroy Everything You Touch " as a yardstick "that subsequent work will always be judged against". Spin magazine's Barry Walters remarked that the album "lacks the infectious, dark-disco rumble" of Ladytron's earlier work, noting that it "withhold[s] the hooks that previously put the sweet in their bitter". John Calvert of Drowned in Sound characterised
600-479: The Seducer is taken from a line in the song "Ninety Degrees", which Hunt has described as "expanding our creative horizons". The cover artwork, designed by Neil Krug , has been described as an "endless vista" thematically linked the music's "vast atmospheres", and has been compared to the works of design group Hipgnosis . Gravity the Seducer was released on 12 September 2011 in the United Kingdom, and
640-470: The Seducer was recorded in Kent , England, and was co-produced by Barny Barnicott, who had previously collaborated with Arctic Monkeys and Editors . as well as having worked on Ladytron's 2005 album Witching Hour . The band felt that the production of the album was different from that of Velocifero , with band member Daniel Hunt noting that the latter record had been "made with performance in mind", as
680-505: The album as "slightly bland" and "nondescript in its understated sophistication", concluding that " Gravity the Seducer never manages to get under your skin the way the band intended". In the band's home country, the United Kingdom, Gravity the Seducer peaked at number 72 on the UK Albums Chart , spending one week on the chart. It became the band's highest-peaking album on the chart to date. The album's highest chart position
720-462: The album feeling "almost barren". Heather Phares of AllMusic described the album as "an admirable artistic choice, even though it doesn't always pay off". The A.V. Club 's Christopher Bahn called the album "heart-on-sleeve and icily detached at the same time"; however, Bahn opined that "the lack of a propulsive single ... as well as an overabundance of instrumentals, suggests a band that's spinning its wheels". Jamie Crossan of NME found
760-427: The album to be "nothing new", but felt that the album's content is more of what "the band have always excelled" at. Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork dubbed the album "upsettingly uneven", adding that it represented a transition away from the sound of band's earlier work, which he felt was still evident in "Ace of Hz" and "Mirage", towards a "floatier, airy feel". Michael Hann of The Guardian expressed that Gravity
800-513: The album's sound. Gravity the Seducer was Ladytron's second studio album released under the Nettwerk record label, with whom they signed in 2007. Their first release through Nettwork was the 2008 studio album Velocifero , followed in March 2011 by the greatest hits album Best of 00–10 . Ladytron also self-released the live album, Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 in 2009. Gravity
840-722: The album, "White Elephant", "Ambulances" and "Mirage". The song "Ace of Hz" had previously been released as a single from the greatest hits album Best of 00–10 before appearing on Gravity the Seducer . Release of the album coincided with a tour across Canada and the United States. Gravity the Seducer earned generally positive reviews and reached number 72 on the UK Albums Chart , the group's highest-peaking album in their home country as of September 2012 . "It isn't like our other albums. It sounds warm, lush, full of strings, organs and bells. It won't please everyone, you never can, but we're all pretty happy with it." —Marnie on
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#1732794277068880-517: The album, signed 8x10 studio photos, disposable cameras filled with random pictures chosen by her, market bags customized with her logo, screen printed posters, handwritten lyric sheets, a pair of shoes and a dress that she wore in Ladytron 's " Tomorrow " music video, a blue bikini that she wore in a pool photoshoot , personalized ringtone package, test pressing package, and her 1998 Mini Cooper Sport car. On 16 February 2013, Marnie offered to
920-426: The band "at their most electronically pure". Chris Todd of Clash magazine lauded Gravity the Seducer as "an album of lush and elegant pop music, beguiling and gloriously cinematic." Slant Magazine 's Eric Henderson described the album as "uniformly sleek [and] polished like a summer skyline" and praised singer Helen Marnie's "lightly lilting" vocals, but felt that the similarity between certain songs left
960-442: The band had recently finished touring when it was produced. Gravity the Seducer was produced "while removed from that thinking". In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, singer Helen Marnie described the album as "the warmest, most emotional, thing we've ever done". The vocal parts on the album have been mixed at a lower volume than previous Ladytron albums, while four tracks are entirely instrumental. The title Gravity
1000-437: The elements do play a part in much of the record, with the sea being particularly dominant and reoccurring. So, with the sea in mind and beautiful landscapes, I decided to fly to Iceland to record in a studio there. The light is so pretty, the air fresh, the sea vast, that I thought it would be the perfect setting to record." Regarding the recording process of her album, Marnie said in an interview with The VPME: "I'd say 8 out of
1040-403: The following day in the United States. In support of the album, Ladytron toured Europe, North America, Brazil, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore throughout 2011. "Ace of Hz", the fourth song from Gravity the Seducer , also appeared on band's greatest hits compilation Best of 00–10 and on their Ace of Hz EP . "Ace of Hz" had been released as a single on 30 November 2010. The song
1080-496: The incentive to write." She also mentioned that the majority of the songs were written over the course of 6–8 months. On 16 September 2012, Marnie started the PledgeMusic campaign in order to fund the making of her solo album. She also posted a short trailer about this project. She achieved 100% of her goal in three days. Helen Marnie offered various items for potential pledgers, like digital download / CD /gatefold vinyl of
1120-434: The lead vocalist and one of the keyboardists and songwriters of the electronic band Ladytron . In 2012, she started a solo career as Marnie and released her debut solo album Crystal World on 11 June 2013. Her second solo album, Strange Words and Weird Wars , was released on 2 June 2017. Helen Marnie was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. She is a classically trained pianist. Marnie studied classical piano at
1160-482: The original version of "The Hunter", two "The Hunter" remixes (one by Stephen Morris of Joy Division / New Order , and another one by the Scottish electronic band Roman Nose), and a "Sugarland" remix by Mark Reeder. Crystal World was positively reviewed by the site The Electricity Club: "'Crystal World' achieves Marnie's objective 'to create an electronic album with more of a pop element and pristine vocals' but it
1200-407: The past year I've been writing more than ever, and I'm so pleased with the results thus far. The album, as yet untitled, is straight from the heart. I can't put it any other way. It means a lot. It is me, no one else. It is everything around me, my loves, my life, hopes and loss. I wanted to create an electronic album with more of a pop element and pristine vocals. Lyrically, the album is expansive, but
1240-481: The pledgers a 1-minute 45 seconds preview of an unfinished version of one of her songs titled "The Hunter". Marnie shot her first solo music video on 30 April in Glasgow with a group of friends. On 16 May 2013, she announced the cover and the title of the album, Crystal World . On 29 May, Marnie premiered on her official YouTube account the music video for her debut single as solo artist, "The Hunter". The video
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1280-657: The title of the album, Crystal World . On 29 May 2013, Marnie premiered on her official YouTube account the music video directed by Michael Sherrington for her debut single as solo artist, "The Hunter". After some delays, Marnie released her debut album Crystal World on 11 June 2013. After PledgeMusic copies of the CD version were delivered in July 2013, Crystal World was issued to stores by Les Disques Du Crépuscule in August 2013. Marnie marked Record Store Day in April 2014 with
1320-508: Was also included in the video game FIFA 11 . "White Elephant" was officially released as the lead single from Gravity the Seducer on 17 May 2011. For further promotion, the songs "Ambulances" and "Mirage" were released as digital downloads on 21 June and 9 August, respectively. The video for "Mirage" was filmed at the Callanish Stones , a five-thousand-year-old stone circle near the Scottish village of Callanish . The video
1360-403: Was co-directed by Michael Sherrington and Daniel Hunt. Gravity the Seducer received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 68, based on 20 reviews. The Independent ' s Simon Price praised the album as "faultless", noting that it represented
1400-592: Was directed by Michael Sherrington, who also directed Ladytron's " Mirage " video. On 1 June, she shared to the pledgers a 55-second-long sample from a song titled "Hearts on Fire" and also confirmed the official track listing of the album. The album was initially scheduled to be released in March 2013, but it was delayed multiple times, to 10 May, then 31 May, and then 2 June. The album was released and available for download to pledgers on 11 June 2013 in FLAC and mp3 formats. There were 1517 pledges in total and she achieved
1440-603: Was married in 2011. Near the end of 2012 she moved back to Glasgow , after living in London for more than a decade. In November 2024, Marnie opened up a coffee shop in Montrose . During Ladytron 's live shows, Helen Marnie sings and occasionally plays one synthesizer. She played live the following instruments for the band: On the early part of Witching Hour tour, Ladytron used to name their four identical Korg MS2000 B to be easier installed on stage. Her MS2000B keyboard
1480-535: Was named Cleopatra. On her solo career gigs, she sings and plays a Korg Delta. Studio albums Studio albums Singles EPs Music videos Collaborations Mirage (Ladytron song) Gravity the Seducer is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron , released on 12 September 2011 by Nettwerk . Recorded in Kent , England, the album has been described as "haunted, evocative, romantic", and having "a feminine warmth". Three singles have been released from
1520-782: Was on the United States' Heatseekers Albums chart, where it peaked at number two. The album reached 112 on the Billboard 200 , as well as number 27 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and number six on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Gravity the Seducer reached number 50 on the Finnish Albums Chart , spending one week on the chart; number 90 in the Canadian Albums Chart ; and number four on
1560-408: Was produced in 2012 in Reykjavík , Iceland by her bandmate Daniel Hunt in collaboration with the Icelandic musician Barði Jóhannsson . Regarding her album, Marnie said that she wanted "to create an electronic album with more of a pop element and pristine vocals". Marnie shot her first solo music video on 30 April in Glasgow with a group of friends. On 16 May 2013, she announced the cover and
1600-477: Was released on 7" vinyl format (limited edition) on Soft Power Records. The B-side of this disc is "The Wind Breezes On". There were 200 clear vinyls pressed for pledgers and another 300 classic black vinyls for general release. Marnie released a special single titled "The Hunter Remixed" through Les Disques du Crépuscule. It was issued in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies on clear 12" vinyl to celebrate Record Store Day on 19 April 2014. The single includes
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