Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse

It doesn't have any of the jazzy instrumentation that Sound Dust had, which is good; I really like Sound Dust but they didn't need to make it again. This one reminds me more of Dots and Loops than any of the other records (I like Dots and Loops, I know others don't). It's pretty poppy.

I don't but I do like this one quite a bit. It's a bit like the Cocteau Twins at this point, Stereolab is -- another single, another album, yay.

Good to see someone else on the "D&L/Cobra > ETK" wagon though. : )

I really loved margerine eclipse although like someone already mentioned, I knew what to expect. for me, that didnt stop me from thoroughly enjoying it.
I highly reccommend Sound Dust as well, I didn't find it iniaccessible at all & Long Life Love is one of my favorite tracks of theirs.

Jaunty Monty And The Bubbles Of Silence
Sudden Stars
Mass Riff
University Microfilms International
Banana Monster Ne Répond Plus
Margerine Rock
Margerine Melodie

Also, word to Christian ... As for albums I'd much sooner recommend Sound Dust. Frustrated me at first, but after a few listens, started to get it and really, really enjoy it. Not really a continuation of 'Cobra' -- it's completely different. I consider it one of the best.

vonal declosion is one of the best songs i've ever heard

I’m obsessed with the opening moments, particularly the way the tracks are mixed.

The 1-2-3 punch to start the album is god tier

honestly one of my top stereolab albums

About 15 years ago I went through a ridiculous project of going through my digital music collection and deleting every track I didn't love, Margerine Eclipse was one of maybe five LPs where I didnt delete a single track.

You people, you are my people

Put it on this morning, motivated by this thread, still top 5 Stereolab and a scintillating delight.

The recent 2 disc cd version is the best of the recent reissues to pick up on cd and play as loud as possible. Sounds like it's playing right inside your head at times.

I hear the dual mono recording means you can listen to one channel or the other and get two different stripped-down versions of the album. That sounds pretty neat, but I'm too lazy to try and hear it that way (no balance control on my receiver).

Pretty easy with headphones or ear buds

I'd go half crazy with just one earbud in

You can do it, I believe in you

contort the geometric chaos. the outro of "dear marge" ranks tall among lab jam moments

could load up a ripped copy into Audacity and just create two separate sets of MP3s... left channel mixed to stereo, right channel mixed to stereo

xp such a jam, the bass is delicious

'Feel and Triple' has gotten me misty eyed once or twice. Only Stereolab song I can say that about.

You
Will
Sing
For
Ever
Like
An
Angel
Who
Flew away

'dear marge' love is very otm

I have been getting into this band very slowly, just discovered this record and uhh it might be the best Stereolab record I've heard yet? Every track is killer but man, what an opener. Crazy because I kinda remember this being considered a disappointment at the time. This is the only one I have from the period between Doots & Loops and the new one, are any of the other records this good?

i remember Cobra Phases getting really destroyed in Pitchfork, which probably colored my memory of its overall reception, but I think that one is just incredible. Sound Dust is good. Chemical Chords is good. I don't think they ever released a bad record tbh.

I hated Cobra Phases at first. I came back to it years later and now I love it. The jazziest Stereolab.

both cobra and sound-dust are both good and worth hearing. i think margerine eclipse is my favorite post-emperor album of theirs

I have been getting into this band very slowly, just discovered this record and uhh it might be the best Stereolab record I've heard yet? Every track is killer but man, what an opener. Crazy because I kinda remember this being considered a disappointment at the time. This is the only one I have from the period between Doots & Loops and the new one, are any of the other records this good?

― frogbs, Friday, 20 March 2026 14:58 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Margerine Eclipse is the one. Did you not read my RYM review? :P

Yeah if you feel this way about Margarine Eclipse you'll like all of the post-2000 albums. Perfect example of a run of albums so consistently good that people started to get bored & underrate them at the time.

Margerine Eclipse is the one. Did you not read my RYM review? :P

― imago, Friday, March 20, 2026 11:10 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

I have now :)

Loving to see the Margerine love, such a wonderful record. Echoing other sentiments here: Sound-Dust and Cobra and Phases are your next stops, both incredible records. Fab Four Sutre is a step down but still plenty to love there as well.

The bass playing/bass sound is the best I have heard on a Stereolab album. Bought the CD in Neuss when it came out.

Check out Sound-Dust. I like it even better. :) The production and instrumentation are just gorgeous.

i was fortunate enough to pick up all of the 3 LP reissues from several years ago, they were especially revelatory w/r/t their taken-for-granted era. really sublime stuff throughout.

thanks for the recs everyone...sounds like Sound Dust will be next :)

Double Rocker is overwhelmingly beautiful

I prefer Sound-Dust over Margerine Eclipse, but it's very different, much greater emphasis on acoustic instruments and pretty, jazzy atmospherics. I like the double mono concept for Margerine Eclipse, but it tends toward being overly busy and the drums in particular sound very thin and skittery to me.

sound-dust is perhaps their most 'easy-listening' and also their most reich-esque, it's wonderful