Witching Hour is the third studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by English electronic

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 band Ladytron

Ladytron

Ladytron are an English electronic band formed in 1999 in Liverpool, Merseyside. The group consists of Helen Marnie , Mira Aroyo , Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu .Their sound blends electropop with New Wave and shoegazing elements. Ladytron described their sound as "electronic pop"...

. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2005 by Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

. A special edition of the album was released in 2007, containing a bonus disc of recent music videos and the documentary Once Upon a Time in the East: Ladytron in China, detailing highlights of their 2004 tour across China. "Sugar

Sugar (Ladytron song)

"Sugar" is a first single from the album Witching Hour by electronic music band band Ladytron. This song featured on the video game Need for Speed: Carbon...

" and "Destroy Everything You Touch

Destroy Everything You Touch

"Destroy Everything You Touch" is the second single from the album Witching Hour by electronic music band Ladytron. It reached a position of #42 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest position a Ladytron single has reached to date...

" were released as singles. Some versions of this album do not include "CMYK" or "Untitled".

Critical reception

Witching Hour received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic

Metacritic

Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, which assigns a normalised

Standard score

In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...

 rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average

Weighted mean

The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...

 score of 78, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".

Track listing

All songs written by Ladytron.

1. "High Rise" – 4:54
2. "Destroy Everything You Touch
   Destroy Everything You Touch
   "Destroy Everything You Touch" is the second single from the album Witching Hour by electronic music band Ladytron. It reached a position of #42 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest position a Ladytron single has reached to date...
   
   " – 4:36
3. "International Dateline" – 4:17
4. "Soft Power" – 5:19
5. "CMYK" – 1:49
6. "amTV" – 3:26
7. "Sugar
   Sugar (Ladytron song)
   "Sugar" is a first single from the album Witching Hour by electronic music band band Ladytron. This song featured on the video game Need for Speed: Carbon...
   
   " – 2:50
8. "Fighting in Built Up Areas" – 3:59
9. "The Last One Standing" – 3:11
10. "Weekend" – 3:57
11. "Beauty*2" – 4:23
12. "Whitelightgenerator" – 3:59
13. "All the Way..." – 4:08
14. "Untitled" – 9:03 (A track of complete silence, not listed on back of jewel case insert. Only present on initial pressings.)

Some copies included a DVD featuring the promo videos for "Sugar" and "Destroy Everything You Touch" and a short film, Once Upon a Time in the East: Ladytron in China. It is also available on 2006's Extended Play

Extended Play (Ladytron album)

Extended Play is the third EP by English electronic band Ladytron, released in the United States on 11 April 2006 by Rykodisc. The two-disc compilation features exclusive unreleased remixes and the UK B-sides from "Sugar" and "Destroy Everything You Touch", as well as a 35-minute bonus...

.

Special edition bonus disc

European edition

1. "High Rise" (Club Mix) – 6:08
2. "Nothing to Hide" – 3:51
3. "Weekend" (James Iha
   James Iha
   James Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
   
    Mix) – 4:00
4. "Citadel" – 3:48
5. "Tender Talons" – 3:28
6. "Last One Standing" (Shipps & Tait Mix) – 3:46
7. "Soft Power" (Ebon's Strong Weakness Mix) – 5:39
8. "International Dateline" (Harmonium Session) – 4:18

UK and US edition

1. "Soft Power" (Vicarious Bliss
   Vicarious Bliss
   Vicarious Bliss is an electro artist signed to Ed Banger Records, known primarily for his "Theme from Vicarious Bliss" and several remixes. He collaborated with Ladytron on their 4th studio album, Velocifero. Additionally, he produced the debut album by I Love UFO. Vicarious Bliss is also featured...
   
    Gutter Mix) – 6:48
2. "Soft Power" (Loz & Brendan Long Remix) – 7:39
3. "International Dateline" (Simian Mobile Disco
   Simian Mobile Disco
   Simian Mobile Disco are a United Kingdom-based production and remix team formed in 2005 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production...
   
    Remix) – 5:42
4. "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Hot Chip
   Hot Chip
   Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
   
    Remix) – 6:52
5. "Weekend" (James Iha Remix) – 4:04
6. "High Rise" (Ladytron Club Remix) – 6:11
7. "Sugar" (Jagz Kooner
   Jagz Kooner
   Jagz Kooner is a UK born producer who has worked with Radio 4, Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream for whom he co-produced their well-known cover version of the song 'Some Velvet Morning' sung this time by the model Kate Moss, Garbage and Infadels...
   
    Remix) – 5:27
8. "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Playgroup
   Playgroup (band)
   Playgroup is a British dance act. Basically the project of musician and designer Trevor Jackson, they were associated with the electroclash movement.Jackson has also performed under the names Underdog and Skull.-Albums:...
   
    - Vocal Edit) – 5:27
9. "Nothing to Hide" – 3:53
10. "Citadel" – 3:56
11. "Tender Talons" – 3:31

Re-release bonus tracks

14. "Sugar" (Archigram Remix) – 6:14
15. "International Dateline" (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) – 5:20
16. "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Hot Chip Remix) – 6:49
17. "Soft Power" (Vicarious Bliss Gutter Remix) – 6:45

Witching Hour (Remixed & Rare)

1. "International Dateline" (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) – 5:40
2. "Weekend" (James Iha Mix) – 4:02
3. "Soft Power" (Vicarious Bliss Gutter Mix) – 6:46
4. "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Hot Chip Remix Edit) – 6:50
5. "Sugar" (Archigram Remix) – 6:12
6. "Citadel" – 3:54
7. "Nothing to Hide" – 3:51
8. "Soft Power" (Loz & Brendan Long Remix) – 7:37
9. "High Rise" (Club Mix) – 6:09
10. "Destroy Everything You Touch" (Playgroup Vocal Edit) – 5:25
11. "Tender Talons" – 3:31

Personnel

• Ladytron – production
  Record producer
  A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
  
  
• Helen Marnie
  Helen Marnie
  Helen Marnie is a member of the electronic music band Ladytron. She sings the majority of Ladytron's songs, with Mira Aroyo providing vocals on some songs or singing simultaneously with Helen on others.Helen also plays keyboards during Ladytron's live shows Helen Marnie (born in 1978 in Glasgow,...
  
   – vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  , keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Mira Aroyo
  Mira Aroyo
  Mira Aroyo , born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1977, and now living in London, is a member of the electropop band Ladytron. She is also keyboardist, songwriter and producer. She writes and sings her songs for Ladytron in her native Bulgarian as well as in English....
  
   – vocals, keyboards, photography
  Photography
  Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
  
  
• Daniel Hunt
  Daniel Hunt
  Daniel Hunt is the founder member, and principal songwriter/producer of the band Ladytron. He is a keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer. He also DJ's around the world both solo and with other band members...
  
   – keyboards, electronic drum
  Electronic drum
  An electronic drum is an electronic synthesizer which mimics an acoustic drum kit.The electronic drum usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand in a disposition similar to an acoustic drum kit. The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like coating. Each pad has a sensor which generates...
  
  s, drum programming
  Drum machine
  A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
  
  
• Reuben Wu
  Reuben Wu
  Reuben Wu is a British musician and member of the electropop band Ladytron. His role in the band is keyboardist, songwriter and producer. He's also an accomplished photographer and a DJ....
  
   – keyboards, electronic drums, drum programming
• Jim Abbiss
  Jim Abbiss
  Jim Abbiss is a British music producer, best known for his work on records including Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Ladytron's Witching Hour, Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X, Editors' debut The Back Room, Kasabian's...
  
   – production
• Keith York
  Keith York
  Keith York is a professional session drummer who has toured and sessioned throughout the world and worked with a range of bands, including Pitchshifter, The Lightning Seeds, Bivouac, Ladytron, and Esoteric, Bentley Rhythm Ace , Broadcast and Love Amongst Ruin...
  
   - live drums & drum loops
• burneverything.co.uk – design
  Graphic design
  Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
  
  , illustration
• Dean Chalkley
  Dean Chalkley
  - Early life :Dean Chakley's first years were spent on a farm in Essex where his parents were Labourers. At the age of seven the family moved to Southend-on-Sea where he eventually attended Fairfax High School for boys, in Westcliff-on-Sea....
  
   – band photograph

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...	81
US Top Electronic Albums	7
US Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...	32
US Top Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...	40

Release history

Country	Date	Label	Edition
United Kingdom	3 October 2005	Island Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...	Standard
Germany	4 October 2005	Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
United States		Rykodisc Rykodisc Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
Germany	5 April 2007	Major Major Records Major Records is a music label from Hamburg, Germany, focussing on electronic pop music. Currently, their most popular artists include Ladytron, IAMX, X-Perience and Boytronic.- History:...	Special
United Kingdom	5 November 2007	So Sweet So Sweet Records So Sweet Records is an independent record label, based out of Santa Monica, California. So Sweet Records has branches in the US, UK, and Japan....
Germany	1 September 2009	Redbird Redbird Records Redbird Records is an independent record label founded by the pop punk band Ludo. In October 2006, Ludo signed a five-album deal with Island Records that turned Redbird Records into an Island Records imprint... , Cobraside	Witching Hour (Remixed & Rare) (digital only)
United Kingdom
United States
United States	18 January 2011	Nettwerk Nettwerk The Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...	Re-release
United Kingdom	24 January 2011