STEREOLAB

The band's first full-length release of new compositions since the tragic death of Mary Hansen nearly two years before. Using an unusual and, of course, experimental engineering technique known as "dual mono" individual tracks are hard-panned to one of the two 'left' or 'right' channels giving them a mono feel despite the stereo sound. The effect of Lætitia Sadier covering all vocals, fore and background, is extraordinary for how little it makes Mary's loss seem. An extraordinary album on many levels.

1. "Vonal Declosion" (3:34) an amazing song with truly astonishing layers of vocals makes one confirm how important it is that Lætitia sing in her native French. Makes me realize how much I miss the "strings" and acoustic guitars of Dots and Loops and even Sound-Dust. (9.5/10)

2. "Need to Be" (4:50) the final minute downgrades an otherwise great song. (9/10)

3. "'...Sudden Stars'" (4:41) cool song with awesome Farfisa organ and complex keyboard weaves. (9/10)

4. "Cosmic Country Noir" (4:47) one of those stellar laid back groovin' tracks that has multiple parts, all equally charming and engaging. (9.5/10)

5. "La Demeure" (4:36) sparsely structured, this one, the 'Somewhere song', sneaks up on you. (9/10)

6. "Margerine Rock" (2:56) cheesy and too simple despite its overload of weird sound effects. Occasionally, even the gods show vulnerability. (6/10)

7. "The Man with 100 Cells" (3:47) smooth and soul-comforting. I'm a sucker for the Casiotone noises. Nice lyrics in English, too. (9/10)

8. "Margerine Melodie" (6:19) a kind of discofied ska beat supports a series of sensitive and pretty melodies--vocal and keyboard--but ultimately it fails to win over--despite its sublime midsection. (8.5/10)

9. "Hillbilly Motobike" (2:23) clavinet-based with a pop-click track, the opening section fails to engage and hypnotize, as was intended, and, uncharacteristically, it never really changes from there. (8/10)

10. "Feel and Triple" (4:53) slow guitar strums and drum machine support Lætitia's opening vocal before full drums and bouncy keys and bass pop in. Pretty nice groove. I like the instrumental sections, bridges and organ and lead guitar play best. (9/10)

11. "Bop Scotch" (3:59) another song with too many diverse ideas playing off (and, IMHO, against) each other. (7/10)

12. "Dear Marge" (6:56) First part (2:30) is okay. Second part is awesome. Third, ROLLING STONE "Miss You" section is tolerably good. (8/10)

An album that starts incredibly strongly but then looses its focus, magical chemistry and, ultimately, appeal. Seven great songs and five fair to middlin' ones do not a masterpiece make.

B-/a nice 3.5 star album; a nice addition to any progressive music collection that is recommended for its first half.

I am a sucker for Stereolab's music. (1997's Dots and Loops sits at #3 on my list of All-time Favorite Albums.) Sound- Dust is my second favorite from the group. The addition of horns is great but the more sectioned up songs doesn't always work for me as some parts are gorgeous and hook the listener in while the next part might be totally off-the- wall weird.

1. "Black Ants in Sound-Dust" (1:58) (3.5/5)

2. "Space Moth" (7:35) with it's 1:40 woodwind- and horn-laced intro, the song finally kicks into gear but doesn't really hook the listener until its fifth minute--and later when the horns finally return (12/15)

3. "Captain Easychord" (5:33) the piano-based song has many tracks weaving in and out including horns, steel guitar, and, of course, multiple vocal lines but it rarely feels as if all cylinders are firing (7.5/10)

4. "Baby Lulu" (5:13) one of my all-time favorite Stereolab songs, the melody earworms are endless on this one. (10/10)

5. "The Black Arts" (5:13) a gorgeous, hypnotic, emotional song (9.5/10)

6. "Hallucinex" (3:56) opens quite nicely, one of Stereolab's non-intro song that hooks you in right from the start, and the horns and acoustic guitars and tuned percussions are excellent, but it never reaches the heights of some of the others (8.5/10)

7. "Double Rocker" (5:33) for its first 2:27 this song moves along like a slow time-piece: hypnotic and soporific, then it kicks into third gear with a great sound and weave (9/10)

8. "Gus the Mynah Bird" (6:10) great, slow fade-in intro, then awesome body with gorgeous vocals; even the ambient mid-song shift and second half is pretty cool (9/10)

9. "Naught More Terrific Than Man" (4:10) one of the prettiest and best Stereolab songs ever. (10/10)

10. "Nothing to Do with Me" (3:38) is made so special by the 'dialogue' of vocals between Lætitia and Mary. (9.5/10)

11. "Suggestion Diabolique" (7:53) starts out sounding like the rare sinister-sounding S'lab song but then shifts in the second minute into the hypnotic, beautiful, PSYCHEDLELC FURS-like "jouer" section. The song springboards back and forth from positive to negative, yin and yang. (12.75/15)

12. "Les bon bon des raisons" (6:44) really showcases the vocal symbiosis of these two amazing vocalists with it's Beatles-esue opening half melodies but then morphs into a kind of space-satire piece for the second half. (12.75/15)

Rife with incredible highs, Sound-Dust is also populated with a few dogs.

B+/4.5 stars, a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

A very highly praised album by these pop/Post Rock/MathRock pioneers, representing a major leap forward in the band's evolution--thanks to the inputs and influence of TORTOISE mastermind's JOHN McENTIRE and his Chicago production team.

1. "Metronomic Underground" (7:55) funk and Hammond! Building layers slowly, carefully, this is a textbook illustration of a Post Rock/Math Rock song but with vocals. Not so very exciting, it's more like a band's study in and display of discipline. So clean and solid! (13.25/15)

2. "Cybele's Reverie" (4:43) introducing the sound the band would perfect on Dots and Loops, melody and weave. Nice use of Motown-like "strings." (9/10)

3. "Percolator" (3:47) more fresh introduction of sounds and stylings that will be perfected on their next album, the bouncing Farfisa and running bass line provides perfect backdrop for vocals (in French) and other instruments' additions. Slightly monotonous. (8.75/10)

4. "Les Yper-Sound" (4:03) or perhaps a blend of older British and French sounds and styles with a social-political message. (8.25/10)

5. "Spark Plug" (2:29) a sparky little modern dittie for the deliverance of another politically-weighted message. (8.75/10)

6. "Olv 26" (5:42) Interesting OMD-like sound palette over which the French vocal is a little pitchy. Becomes a little more CURE-like with the addition of percussive guitar mid-way. (8.25/10)

7. "The Noise of Carpet" (3:05) another 80s-like (even 70s punk in its simplicity and political lyrics) sounding song. This one feels a bit immature, not fully formed; it doesn't quite stand up to the quality and sophistication of the opening three songs. (8/10)

8. "Tomorrow Is Already Here" (4:56) Americana guitar and bass are joined by Hammond in a Math Rock weave. Drums and cymbals join in to set the stage for Mary Hanson's lead vocal. More social-political commentary. Sounds a bit like JANE SIBERRY. Nice Post Rock build and crescendo. (8.25/10)

9. "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" (4:36) CLASH-like "London Calling" opening groove with all kinds of squishy computer- synth noises spilling out over the sound scape. Great bass play. Vocals don't start until the third minute! Beautiful soprano vocal from Mary in French--adds so much to the stark foundational weave. (8.5/10)

10. "Monstre Sacre" (3:44) opens with some very proggy chords and sounds, slow and spaciously woven with Lætitia's gorgeous vocal front and forward enunciating the English words so clearly.Very cool song! A top three for me. (9/10)

11. "Motoroller Scalatron" (3:49) synth spits open this one before rhythm guitar, bass, and drums enter to provide very basic bubble-gum pop sound & structure. The multi-voice vocal harmonize the simple lyrics to make it interesting ("built on love ? words") Cute pronunciation of "responsible" in second half. (8/10)

12. "Slow Fast Hazel" (3:53) another cool song that previews that which will be perfected on Dots and Loops. My other top three and my favorite song on the album. (10/10)

13. "Anonymous Collective" (4:32) opens with a darkness that feels more like something from Dutch band THE GATHERING. Lætitia's very deep voice enters at 0:30 singing as if from a closet in the background. When she switches to an upper octave, her voice becomes a little pitchy. The music is getting a little monotonous just when she quits and allows for the simple, sparse inputs of other instruments. Not my favorite song by them: too simple. (7.75/10)

One of the standout features of this collection of songs is the perfection of the weaves. Another is interesting social- political commentary.

B/four stars; a solid contribution to the progression of pop-fusion music that demonstrates the band's willingness and interest in growing, evolving. Still, this is very much a transitional album as there are songs that find them caught in "old" patterns while, at the same time, there are songs that demonstrate new, fresh sounds and stylings. Dots and Loops will show the band's full metamorphosis and maturity.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup (named after a very Infamous movie) is an amazing modern take on krautrock, fusing elements of electronica, french pop, post rock and psychedelic. And i say *modern* because while there's pure 70s krautrock worship there's lots of stuff here that make it sound unique and frankly i can't find any other band that sounds like Stereolab, the sound is very playful yet laid back with hints of progressive pop, funk and electronica it's like if CAN was a french pop group with hints of THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, the album is experimental while still being very accessible, like i said it's very playful and laid back at the same time, i honestly find it impossible to not enjoy this album

The metamorphosis and maturation of Stereolab is complete! The vocal weaves! The acoustic guitar strums! The drumming and sophisticated rhythm constructs! The flamboyant bass play! The horns! The Motown rhythm guitar play! And they've even constructed two epic length songs! And, of course, the ever-present Farfisa and social-political messages of Lætitia Sadler.

1. "Brakhage" (5:13) a clear demonstration of the maturization that has occured within the band's compositions, production, and levels of instrumental mastery. (9/10)

2. "Miss Modular" (4:29) it's like four or five songs going on in one--all at the same time: quirky keyboard offerings, funky groove from the rhythm section, catchy acoustic guitar strum-fest, funky-futuristc horn arrangement, and then two separate vocal lines! Amazing! (10/10)

3. "The Flower Called Nowhere" (4:55) the spacey opening turns full-French soundtrack before strumming acoustic guitars and Farfisa keys bounce together with the drums and gorgeous, sophisticated multi-layered vocals permeate this masterpiece. (10/10)

4. "Diagonals" (5:15) a bit of a trip hoppy, acid jazz sound and beat open this one as horns and xylophone add to the rhythm track. The bass almost feels on its own!--until the rhythm guitars/Farfisa come in. Lætitia enters, singing in French, before Mary's multivoiced background vocals work into the weave with their own lyrics accenting and off- setting those of Ms. Sadler. Brilliant construct if lacking a bit of accessibility due to the sophistication of the weave, low-engaging melodies, and lyrics in a foreign language. (8.75/10)

5. "Prisoner of Mars" (4:03) Tom-tom play, percussives, sustained organ chords, and wonderful bass line provide the foundation for Lætitia to sing two of the most gorgeous melody lines in the Stereolab repertoire--the first in English, the second in French. Amazing! Brilliant! (10/10)

6. "Rainbo Conversation" (4:46) probably the most accessible, catchiest earworm of a song on this album full of catchy, brain-haunting melodies and rhythms. Even has a section for impassioned instrumentals and some amazing drumming! (10/10) As proggy of a song as you can get ? until ?

7. "Refractions in the Plastic Pulse" (17:32) like a slow stroll through an endless French park: Versailles, Bois de Bologne, Fontainbleau, Chambord, Les Vosges--take your pick--it's gorgeous, peaceful, soul-recharging. The first shift occurs at 3:28 when everything tightens up and is slowly squeezed down a drain until it comes out the other side at 4:35 as an upbeat trip-hoppy jaunt--perhaps on a horse or in an ATV. The lyric remains the same, just speeded up and embellished with other layers differently. In the eighth minute a radio-telegraph-sounding high trail of sound enters while the other tracks fade away, leaving a very spacey display of heavily effected synth burbble-waves to provide the new foundation for Lætitia and Mary's wonderful weaves--now clear, front and center from the former and murky-background from the latter (still in French. Gorgeous!). The synth play is very Pink Floyd/Richard Wright-ish. At the end of the twelfth minute we enter another transitional passage in which some very electro-computer-pop percussive noises are generated and sequenced for the new foundation. Berlin School (TD, Klause Schulze)-like down to the synth sounds chosen to carry the new chord sequence. At 14:15, full bass n drums rhythm section enters and violin-like synth in the lead while Farfisa bounces slowly from measure to measure, chord to chord, while L & M rejoin, returning to their original lyric in a slowed down, violin- mirrored, medium-paced fashion to the song's end. This final section is my favorite. (31/35)

8. "Parsec" (5:34) a straight on TripHop jam that sounds like it came straight off of EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL's Walking Wounded. Awesome! (9.25/10)

9. "Ticker-Tape of the Unconscious" (4:46) a very cool, very French soundtrack sounding groove in which the lyrics of the lead vocal are tucked within the music by a muting effect--this while the supporting "background vocal" track is clear, open, and in the fore! Ingenious! (9.5/10)

10. "Contronatura" (9:04) another Frenchified acid jazz sounding construct over which both Mary and Lætitia sing their separate tracks in dreamy/sexy voices. Great bass play that must have been an inspiration for Norwegian duo KOOP. From 4:00 to 5:40 the rhythm tracks drop away leaving only the squirts and spurts from the computer keyboard, but then the song recommences with a totally pop-rock groove and smoothed out paired vocal track--all the while the computer keyboard continues to spit out all kinds of sounds in line with the "this is the future" lyric the girls are singing. Brilliant! (18/20)

The key difference from the previous year's excellent Emperor Tomato Ketchup and this offering is the band's mastery of disciplined multi-layering--both in vocals and in their foundational instrumental/sound weaves.

A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the most refined pop-oriented Math Rock albums with vocals ever made. In my humble opinion, this is one of the all-time great albums of music; it sits at #4 on my own personal list of 600 Favorite Albums of All-time having stood firm within the Top 5 since it came into my life around Y2K.

STEREOLAB sneakily entered the indie 90s not by releasing an album that shouted its arrival but rather by releasing its material incrementally throughout 1991 with two EPs and a single. While the band would find critical acclaim throughout the decade with its hypno-trance indietronica that mixed Neu! inspired motorik Krautrock grooves with fuzzy psychedelic guitar work, bouncy bass grooves and Laetitia Sadler's French child-like chanson vocal contributions, the band would continue to deliver an onslaught of new material throughout its career with a never-ending series of albums, EPs and singles. Add to that a veritable collection of compilation releases that all started with this first one called SWITCH ON, a play on the "Switched On Bach" albums by Wendy Carlos.

SWITCHED ON would actually become a recurring theme with the band releasing a total of five of them to date and then compilations of multiple editions! How's that for marketing genius? This first edition though simply compiled the band's first two EPs "Super 45" and "Super-Electric" along with its single titled "Stunning Debut Album" which featured the two tracks "Doubt" and "Changer." The material released in 1991 was a tad bit different than what came after even though at its essence STEREOLAB had found its calling early on and hit the ground running with its classic style from the get go. The main differences on this compilation are subtle such as the greater emphasis on acid rock guitar fuzz and a bit more amateurish mixes that don't quite offer as much of the electronic wizardry that the band would become known for.

These are minor quibbles of course and subject to personal taste. For all intents and purposes STEREOLAB's entire canon never deviated from the basic formula laid down on these earliest recordings and only offered slightly off variations. For my liking i actually find these earliest recordings as interesting and endearing as anything that came after whereas the band's most classic and beloved albums like "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" don't quite seem to scratch that itch so to speak. Whatever the case, STEREOLAB proved to be a one of a kind act from its earliest origins and then simply offered slightly different takes on its established stylistic approach. The year 1992 was also prolific with not only this first compilation appearing but the band's first full-length album "Peng" as well as another slew of non-album singles that would end up on future editions of the SWITCHED ON series.

This is probably one reserved for the hardcore fans who can't get enough of STEREOLAB and want to take the deep dive into the band's origins. It will neither disappoint or ecstatically thrill as it's not significantly different from the band's status quo that they would make a career out of. This compilation also provided a means of acquiring the earliest releases that only found a home on vinyl as a way to acquire these release on CD but the comp was also available and vinyl and unlike the releases that appeared separately has been reissued numerous times on various labels including the remastered update on the 2018 rerelease on Duophonic Records. Overall this is a fine debut from one of indie pop's most interesting and distinct groups to hit the London scene in the 1990s and one that still evokes a nice uplifting warmth in stark contrast to some of the more dissonant and darker versions of indie rock that emerged around the same time.

— First review of this album —

SUPER-ELECTRIC EP

Emerging only a mere four months after its electrifying fuzzy guitar-laden debut, STEREOLAB unleashed its second EP of 1991 in the form of SUPER-ELECTRIC which found the band deemphasing its brash guitar dominate of "Super 45" and rather engaging in a wider array of more relaxed approaches that allowed the band to experiment with a wider range of tones, timbres, dynamics and most significantly tempos. As with its first EP release, SUPER-ELECTRIC featured four tracks that focused on the same contrasting forces that made STEREOLAB sound utterly distinct from the beginning.

A much mellower affair, the guitar tones had been de-noised and rather offer a clean slightly echoey effect which allowed the electronic atmospheres to resonate with a less suffocating effect. Likewise Seaya Sadier's vocals take an even greater role in delivering a more emotive display of her French origins that evoke the classic chanson tactics of her heritage. While the rhythmic drive is still set to the already established motorik robotic detachment of the debut, here the four tracks find different speed settings thus allowing a wider variety of percussive approaches rather than a simple time keeping beat.

Most notably the layering of synthesized elements is more in the forefront with the guitars demoted to the same status as the drums which are designed to simply maintain an incessant hypnotic drive that allows Sadier's vocals to wail over with her relaxed nonchalant mannerisms. Immediately flaunting a newfound confidence in its electronic the title track opens with an explosive electronic display of noise before breaking into the first track that offers the true potential of the band's future output. Dreamy indie pop hooks nurtured by a hypnotic droning guitar drive and smothered with a shoegazy atmospheric covering, Sadier seems to have found her niche in weaving her chanson inspired vocals into a the greater Kraut-fueled procession of the motorik rhythms and web of electronic wizardry.

Expanding its style beyond the usual motorik dominated noise pop, "High Expectation" offers a cleaner approach with less guitar fuzz and a more expansive array of chord changes and vocal possibilities evoking more of a Velvet Underground detachment than the world of Kraut. "The Way Will Be Opening" slows things down even more offering what could be called an indie pop ballad of some sort with clean guitars and a throbbing bass allowing an almost Cocteau Twins approach with Sadier's vocals taking on a more angelic role in delivering her dueling off-kilter harmonic twin voice effect. And with the closer "Contact," the band breaks free of its time restrictions and lets loose for over eight minutes of jamming dream pop meets Neu! inspired motorik rhythms. While as hypnotic and endearing as the other tracks, this one allows the proper expansiveness for the tempos to slowly ratchet up incrementally which offers the early characteristics of post-rock which the band would add to its infusion of sound.

While "Super 45" found the band ecstatically declaring their independence in a brash (for STEREOLAB) way, SUPER-ELECTRIC is an easy-going acceptance of having found a style which its unflinchingly displays in full sonic regalia. The age of STEREOLAB had pretty much arrived and the band would begin to release its arsenal of innovative album's beginning with "Peng" in 1992. While often ignored in the greater STEREOLAB canon, these first two EPs are very worth checking out. Likewise SUPER-ELECTRIC along with "Super 45" and a couple of unreleased tracks were compiled together and released as the compilation "Switched On" the following year. In effect, SUPER-ELECTRIC is where STEREOLAB completed its alchemic experiment of melding the worlds of Krautrock, space rock, noise pop, post-rock, dream pop, shoegaze and French chanson into an irresistible force that would soon take off.

— First review of this album —

SUPER 45 EP

STEREOLAB has been a fairly unique act ever since it was formed in 1990 not only in its stylistic approach of fusing far flung genres such as Krautrock, indie pop, funk, jazz, electronica, French chanson and Brazilian music but also in the fact that after the London born Tim Gane and the Paris born Laetitia Sadier met at Gane's current band McCarthy's concert in 1988, they fell in love and forged a unique bond that would propel their musical vision into one of the most influential underground artists of the 1990s and early 2000s.

While speculated to be partially influenced by Family Fodder's sole track "Savoir Faire" off its 1980 debut album "Monkey Banana Kitchen" which latched onto a very similar niche but never followed through by nurturing it as well as the obvious motorik rhythmic drive of Germany's Neu!, STEREOLAB was born in 1990 and named after hi-fi effect developed by Vanguard Records. The visionary couple didn't just have the desire to create music and release it through any old record label but were wise enough to set up their own record label called Duophonic Super 45s before releasing its own music which surely allowed them the freedom to innovate their sound throughout the 90s and beyond.

The first release to emerge from STEREOLAB was this four track EP titled SUPER 45 which was issued exclusively on 10" vinyl and limited to around 800 copies. It was primarily sold at concerts but a few were sold through the mail and at the Rough Trade record store in London. This EP while somewhat overlooked in the band's vast canon of full-length albums and even more EPs that have been released in the three decades since their inception nevertheless found STEREOLAB a fully developed act from the very beginning including its history of releases with colorful cover art that often features a loud background with a limited secondary colored artistic expression.

Likewise the band found its sound from the very beginning with a unique droning style of staccato guitar drive, a Neu! inspired motorik rhythmic drive, ethereal atmospheric backing and most prominently the eccentric vocal style of Laetitia Sadier who alternated between singing in French and English with many moments dedicated to mere wordless utterances. The hypnotic effect of the musical drive along with the almost child-like innocence of the vocals offered something completely unique to the world of art pop and indietronica and propelling STEREOLAB to the top of the heap in the 1990s underground of innovative outsider music.

The four tracks on SUPER 45 aren't overly different than the vast majority of releases that followed however on this first offering there is a much greater emphasis on Tim Gane's fuzzy delivery of guitar drive which offers a noisier affair with the electronic swirlies a bit subdued however Sadier and Gane's off-kilter harmonic approach had been fully implemented at this point. This is as good of a release as any and while it's fair for a casual listener to accuse every STEREOLAB album and EP to sound pretty much the same, it's really the subtle effects that differentiate them. Still though a noble beginning for one of indie pop's most elegant acts.

With a greater emphasis on the noise rock aspects, this first release of STEREOLAB doesn't often get as much love as the more nuanced releases that follow but it offers an intriguing glimpse into the origins of the band's distinct underground sound that has only gained appreciation in the ensuing decades. This release was never repressed but rather compiled with the band's second EP "Super-Electric" along with a couple unreleased tracks in the form of "Switched On" which was released initially in 1992 and has seen a number of reissues including a remastered version 2018. While the band would cement its sound on the second EP, this first release was 85% already developed.