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Mira Aroyo

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Mira Aroyo
Мира Аройо
Mira looking out from the stage at Ottawa Bluesfest in 2008
Aroyo performing in July 2008
Background information
Born (1977-07-11) 11 July 1977 (age 47)
Sofia, Bulgaria
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • DJ
  • geneticist
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • synthesizers
Years active1999–present
LabelsNettwerk
Websiteladytron.com

Mira Aroyo (Bulgarian: Мира Аройо, [ˈmirə ɐˈrɔjo]; born 1977) is a Bulgarian-born Israeli-English singer, musician, songwriter, DJ, and geneticist. She is best known as the keyboardist, co-lead vocalist, and co-songwriter of the electronic band Ladytron, which she co-founded in Liverpool in 1999. She writes and performs her Ladytron lyrics in both Bulgarian and English.

Early life

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Aroyo was born in Sofia on 11 July 1977,[1][2] the daughter of Jewish parents.[2] She moved with her family to Israel when she was 10, and later to England.[2] The first musical instrument that she played was the guitar,[3] having also played the accordion when she was younger.[4] Although her parents were uneasy about her decision to pursue music, they were nevertheless supportive and respectful of her choice of vocation.[5]

Career

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Scientific career

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Following the completion of her undergraduate education, Aroyo pursued postgraduate research studies in genetics;[6] she was a doctoral student[7] in the Division of Molecular Genetics at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Oxford,[8] where she was supervised by Dr. François-Xavier Barre[9] and Professor David J. Sherratt.[10][11][12] In 2003, the Department of Biochemistry noted that Aroyo was a postgraduate geneticist and recognised the release of her band's second album, Light and Magic.[13]

Contrary to claims that she completed her DPhil degree, specifically in or around 2002[14] (though it has also been claimed that, as late as 2008, she was still a candidate),[15] Aroyo left science and her doctoral programme before completing it and graduating.[7] In an interview with The Sunday Mail, she explained that, "We all had jobs when we started Ladytron then little by little we ditched them. I was a geneticist doing a PhD and realizing lab work wasn't for me. We were doing Ladytron at the same time and I was enjoying it more. It was easier and more fun".[16] In a later interview, when asked, "Apparently you were enrolled as a PhD student in Oxford. Seems like a pretty prestigious post did you ever have any doubts leaving academia for Ladytron?", Aroyo replied, "Yes. For the first 3 years of Ladytron I was juggling both, until it became apparent that I would be compromising both if I continued that way. I was young and it seemed a lot more fun at the time to travel the world playing music".[17]

Musical career

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In the summer of 1999, Liverpool-based producers and DJs Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu met students Helen Marnie through various DJ gigs[18] and Aroyo through a mutual friend.[19] Sharing similar interests in music, they formed the electronic band Ladytron in the same year. Since then, Aroyo is the secondary singer of the band, and also plays synthesizers and contributes to songwriting.

Aroyo also collaborated with the indie pop band The Projects.[20] The song "Don't Eat Meat" featured her as vocalist.[21] She also collaborated with John Foxx & The Maths for the song "Watching a Building on Fire".

Film and TV Production career

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Aroyo was a producer of the 2018 documentary "Can You Feel It - How Dance Music Conquered the World". She is the Director of History 101, a 2020 TV Series on Netflix.[22]

Personal life

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Aroyo married photography curator Harry Hardie in 2010.[23] Their daughter, Noa, was born on 23 February 2012.[24][25] They live in London.[26]

Aroyo is a pescetarian[27] and an advocate for animal rights.[28] She has an interest in architecture and presented a 15-minute short film, The Folly, about "the cottage home of an elderly lady who has to adapt to her remote surroundings as she gets older".[29]

Instruments

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During Ladytron's live shows, Mira Aroyo plays synthesizers and occasionally sings. Her primary synthesizer is Korg MS-20, which she used since the band's beginnings.

Aroyo played live the following instruments for the band:

On the early part of Witching Hour tour, Ladytron used to name their four identical Korg MS2000B to be easier installed on stage. Her MS2000B keyboard was named Babylon.[30]

Discography

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Ladytron

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Main article: Ladytron discography

References

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  1. ^ Pompor, Paris (25 September 2008). "Ladytron - Gig Reviews". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
  2. ^ a b c "Ladytron's Mira Aroyo on Bulgarian Chalga Music". BEAST Magazine.
  3. ^ "Beatport Live presents Ladytron's Mira Aroyo | Beatportal". Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Insider: Ladytron". Roland U.S.
  5. ^ Lai, Chi Ming (4 March 2011). "An Interview with Ladytron's Mira Aroyo". The Electricity Club. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.
  6. ^ Hanman, Natalie (3 August 2007). "I love technology that simplifies my life". The Guardian.
  7. ^ a b Cadden, Avril. "60 second interview: Ladytron's Mira Aroyo". Sunday Mail. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ Perry, Andrew (5 December 2002). "In a league of their own". The Telegraph.
  9. ^ "F.-X. Barre's lab". Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  10. ^ "2000 D.Phil. Symposium Programme and Abstracts - Mira Aroyo". Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Prof David Sherratt Page". Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Sherratt Lab". Department of Biochemistry, Oxford.
  13. ^ "Department of Biochemistry - Admin & Adverts January 2003" (PDF). Archived from the original on 10 July 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "Home entertainment: Ladytron". The Guardian.
  15. ^ Matich, Thomas (10 June 2008). "She Blinded Me with Science". Real Detroit Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.
  16. ^ "60 second interview: Ladytron's Mira Aroyo". The Daily Record. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ Ng, Peter Quincy (23 March 2011). "Mira Aroyo (Ladytron) - March 23, 2011 - Interview".
  18. ^ "3/29 – Ladytron – 'Best Of: 00 – 10'". Nettwerk Press Blog. 14 February 2011. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Videovision: Ladytron interview". 2002. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  20. ^ THE PROJECTS | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's
  21. ^ The Projects - Don't Eat Meat - YouTube
  22. ^ "Mira Aroyo". MUBI. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  23. ^ Bedales Association. "Bedales Association and Old Bedalian Newsletter 2011 (PDF page 40)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  24. ^ Forsyth, Brennan (15 October 2011). "Ladytron Wraps Their Tour in Miami". Rhythm Scene. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.
  25. ^ "Bedales Association and Old Bedalian Newsletter 2013" (PDF). Bedales Schools. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2013.
  26. ^ stonebanks (22 March 2013). "Interview: Ladytron's Reubun Wu". City Weekend Guide. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  27. ^ Morley, Cat (13 September 2008). "Electropop Band Ladytron Tell Us What's Really on Their Mind". Cut Out + Keep.
  28. ^ "Mira Aroyo". Viva! Activists. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  29. ^ "Architecture of Re-assurance". University College London.
  30. ^ Aroyo's Korg MS2000B Archived 2010-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
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