Editing Ladytron (section)

===''Witching Hour'' (2004–2007)===
[[File:Ladytron live in Seattle 2006.jpg|thumb|left|Ladytron live in Seattle, 2006]]
Ladytron began working on demos for their next album immediately after concluding Light & Magic tour with a homecoming gig in [[Liverpool]] in September 2003, where they were supported by [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]].<ref name="XLR8R" /> Within a few months, they had mapped out the entire record and by the time they were ready to start recording in April 2004, their UK label [[Telstar Records]] had gone into administration.<ref name="XLR8R" /> Their US label, [[Emperor Norton Records|Emperor Norton]], also had problems: the company was purchased by [[Rykodisc]] in 2004 and was then shut down later that year, with Rykodisc inheriting its back-catalogue. The band announced on 7 December 2004 that they signed to [[Island Records]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ladytron |url=http://www.ladytron.com/textsite/news.php |date=17 December 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217114526/http://www.ladytron.com/textsite/news.php |archive-date=17 December 2005}}</ref>

In 2004, Ladytron were booked to play a series of shows in China as part of an exhibition tour set up by the [[British Council]].<ref name="LadytronInChina">{{Cite web |title=News |url=http://www.ladytron.com/news.html |date=6 December 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041206082217/http://www.ladytron.com/news.html |archive-date=6 December 2004}}</ref> They played on 24 and 25 September 2004 in [[Shenzhen]], 28 September 2004 in [[Chongqing]], 6 October 2004 and 7 October 2004 (DJ set) in Shanghai.<ref name="LadytronInChina" />

Ladytron released their critically acclaimed<ref>{{Cite web |title=Witching Hour – Ladytron |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/witching-hour |publisher=[[Metacritic]]. [[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=13 June 2011}}</ref> third studio album ''[[Witching Hour (Ladytron album)|Witching Hour]]'' on 3 October 2005 on [[Island Records|Island]] (UK) and later in other territories. Island Records also released a limited edition of this album in the form of a 2 disc set: a CD with the album and a DVD of video from the tour of China ("Once Upon a Time in the East: Ladytron in China") plus 3 music videos ("Destroy Everything You Touch", "Sugar", "Seventeen").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ladytron – Witching Hour |url=https://www.discogs.com/Ladytron-Witching-Hour/release/565708 |publisher=discogs}}</ref> ''Witching Hour'' was re-released on 5 April 2007 on [[Major Records|Major]] (Germany), on 5 November 2007 on [[So Sweet Records|So Sweet]] (UK), and on 18 January 2011 (US)/24 January 2011 (UK) on [[Nettwerk]].

The album was recorded in 2004 at Elevator Studios in Liverpool and it was produced by Ladytron and [[Jim Abbiss]]. It featured [[Pop Levi]] on bass, live drums by [[Keith York]] and electric guitars mixed with their trademark sound. [[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]] described it as a "quantum leap record".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pitchfork: Ladytron: The Witching Hour |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4635-the-witching-hour/ |date=18 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318092627/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4635-the-witching-hour/ |archive-date=18 March 2009}}</ref> The songs "[[Sugar (Ladytron song)|Sugar]]", "[[Destroy Everything You Touch]]", "International Dateline", "Weekend", and "Soft Power" were issued as singles. "[[Destroy Everything You Touch]]" ({{Audio|Ladytron Destroy Everything You Touch.ogg|sample|help=no}}) became the band's best known song.

In 2006 saw the light ''[[Extended Play (Ladytron album)|Extended Play]]'', a two-disc EP CD/DVD compilation that featured exclusive unreleased remixes and B-sides, as well as a DVD with the same content as the one from ''Witching Hour'' limited edition. Also in 2006 Ladytron recorded and released the live EP ''[[The Harmonium Sessions]]'' with 4 songs from their third album.

Without any real label support, Ladytron toured exhaustively over the next two years, on the strength of their cult following. They played in North America, Europe, and South America.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ladytron tell Jude Rogers about their tussles with lady luck {{!}} Music |work= The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/may/30/popandrock.electronicmusic |date=13 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713231908/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/may/30/popandrock.electronicmusic |archive-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> In early 2007, they also opened for the European shows of [[Nine Inch Nails]], at the invitation of [[Trent Reznor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ladytron joins Major Records and Nine Inch Nails on tour - Ladytron news at SIDE-LINE.COM |url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=21088_0_2_2610_C |date=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614051013/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=21088_0_2_2610_C |archive-date=14 June 2013}}</ref>