Stereolab- Oscillons from the Anti-Sun

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i think i'll always love D&L most, becasue it was the first album i bought, and that time (97 is it?) MoM Tortoise and Stereolab were the three axes of my musical life, it just seemed liek the prfect coming together. I really liked the sloppiness and its jumbling nature, but it was the fist stereolab i had properly listened to, so it wasnt in contrast to anything else. I think ETK is a better album though.
And thinking about it I think the tracks I prefer on D&L ae the MoM ones rather than McEntire. I think Cobra.... is the album where that sort of wilful/perverse experimentation started to grate, the ditching of the tight pop format. althoguh there was one great track on that album too, cant remember the name.

― ambrose (ambrose), Saturday, 23 April 2005 11:11 (nineteen years ago) link

wha? surely Cobra was a return to guitar pop, with a hell of a lot less experimentation than D&L has. i'd never describe D&L as having a tight pop format! (i was going to illustrate with song titles and then remembered that Stereolab song titles are pretty much interchangable so i never bothered learning which applied to which tracks. i wonder how many stereolab fans could identify 'italian shoes continuum' or 'household names' or 'transona five' or 'mountain' or etc etc)

― zappi (joni), Saturday, 23 April 2005 12:11 (nineteen years ago) link

ahem. anyway, £12.99 + postage for 3 CDs + 1 DVD seems a pretty good bargain

― zappi (joni), Saturday, 23 April 2005 12:21 (nineteen years ago) link

not entirely related but maybe of interest: the latest issue of dutch design magazine dot dot dot has two articles about stereolab cover design by rick poyner & robert garnett. there's a website here, but the articles aren't on line.

― locus solus, Saturday, 23 April 2005 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link

The 'fussiness' percieved by previous Stereolab devotees was revelatory for me, I equate(d) the bubbling and popping and order and coolness(as in fresh/airiness, not hip) with life and possibility, probably the opposite of those coming at it from an appreciation of lo-fi or more generally convulsive, 'guitarry' sounds(I've only more recently developed a taste for postpunk/indie crunch and even then only to a point-I get to feeling trapped and hot and clogged and yuck, like being high when you don't want to be on a hot ass day). It's probably telling that my 'induction' into rock listening was SP's Mellon Collie, where I gravitated toward the quieter cleaner selections, then OK Computer, then Dots and Loops. Quite by accident I fell hard for the most mannered albums to date of each band, and lucky for them cos that's what I was looking for - perhaps an extension of my hip-hop 'upbringing'; no matter how hard the beats you could rely on there being the requisite 'breathing space' for both utilitarian and aesthetic reasons, and it's hard to give up. I don't know how that fits into this discussion, just wanted to present the other side in some form.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:58 (nineteen years ago) link

when I say 'by accident' I mean I didn't avoid their other work, I just happened to pick those up first by serendipity, as their other albums probably wouldn't have scratched my itch and I'd be on a whole different musical trajectory, which would be bad cos I like me.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:05 (nineteen years ago) link

if that's all it costs, that is a bargain regardless of the track order. you might have to do a little parsing but really, there are some great, great songs here.

if you miss Mary, 'Long Life Love' is my favorite song that she sang the lead on.

― milton parker (Jon L), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:07 (nineteen years ago) link

OK, I would have gotten this for the DVD alone, for $15.99, and I get three audio CDs to go with them filled with B-sides. (I'm not going to argue the "but but but they're SEPARATED!" argument. Resequence them yourself if that bothers you. They never segued into each other on the original releases anyway)

Seeing the Live With Jools Holland performance of "Les Yper Sound" with special guests Sean O'Hagan on keys and high on the pedestal of modular synths in the back.. SONIC BOOM!

HOLEE SHIT!

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 05:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Does Aluminum Tunes still come in some sort of unfavorable packaging?

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 05:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes, worth it for the storming performance of French Disko on The Word.

― harveyw (harveyw), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 07:34 (nineteen years ago) link

I bought this just to see the videos, pretty much (as the local record shoppe was out of Cure reissues, and, well, I had to buy *something*), and I liked them all. Also glad to have The Noise of Carpet in a digital versiona rather than crappy cassette dub from a billion years ago.

― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:21 (nineteen years ago) link

To me, "French Disko" was the great single that Transient was missing, but it never approached the live version, one of those great lost '90s songs...

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 15:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Hmm. Sounds like I need to grab this this weekend along with the Fall box...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 15:19 (nineteen years ago) link

> To me, "French Disko" was the great single that Transient was missing, but it never approached the live version, one of those great lost '90s songs...

FD was odd because it came in a couple of versions (one where it was the lead track, one where it was just another b-side). the first sounded so much better than the second, somehow, but i'm not sure i can describe why (or, in fact, whether the whole thing was imagined). but, to me, when they did it live they always seemed to be bored of it and did it as fast as possible in order to get it over and done with.

> Hmm. Sounds like I need to grab this this weekend along with the Fall box...

i am rapidly coming to the same, expensive, conclusion...

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Side-note: this box has left me kind of suddenly obsessed with the relationship between prices and reviews -- it changes everything! And it's interesting that while publicists in just about every other field send out promotional items that use the price as a selling point, or at least inform you what it is, music publicists can't, not really. Not unless they work for Fugazi. For $30 I'd have had primarily negative things to say about this box -- for $20 it doesn't seem worth bitching. I wanna see one-sheets that work the angle: "With this album, the trio of Josh Morris, Ben Klugman, and ex-Clawjockey drummer Tad Showalter have delved deep into their lives and experience, crafting a record that is chaotic yet hopeful, delicate yet crushingly intense. Also the label priced it a little cheaper so it could get in stores."

― nabiscothingy, Thursday, 28 April 2005 03:50 (nineteen years ago) link

Music publicists should, though.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 28 April 2005 07:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Hmm, I don't really like the idea of buying things that just make several inches of CD shelf contents redundant (it's not like I could even sell those EPs now). Still, I didn't buy the Captain Easychord single, I've only got The Free Design on 12" (which means I can't ever find it) and there's five or six videos on there that I've never even seen (bloody Chart Show). And it's a good title.

£12 is my maximum. Off to Berwick Street at lunchtime.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 28 April 2005 09:08 (nineteen years ago) link

It's £12 at Fopp down the road, or it was on Monday. Not that I want to curb your lunchtime excesses, mind.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 28 April 2005 09:30 (nineteen years ago) link

I laid out fifteen quid for it @ HMV yesterday, and I don't feel particularly ripped off. It's a good set! I especially like the slightly lovably sloppy version of "nihilist assault group". The "Later" curse of good group suckage strikes a little on the DVD, mind.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 28 April 2005 12:44 (nineteen years ago) link

It was £13 at Fopp! Boy, they move fast with their pricing policy. Still, I got Sound Of Water for £3 and Mulholland Drive and Barry Lyndon for a fiver each. That effectively means the Stereolab was free.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Perhaps I was wrong. I think I was wrong.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:34 (nineteen years ago) link

I dunno about the title, actually: how many millions of people are going to wind up frustratedly googling "oscillations?" (A word one could pretty reasonably expect to appear in a Stereolab title?)

Another thing I'm finding funny about this: I specifically didn't buy all these EPs, even at the peak of my Stereolab fandom -- I remember hearing most of it, but the Switched On volumes had pretty much trained me to wait on purchasing. This should theoretically be the big payoff moment on a whole lot of late-90s telling-myself-I'll-own-"Pinball"-soon-enough -- and while it isn't, not entirely, I'm happy not to have those EPs on the shelf to give me mixed emotions about owning this one.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Well, this just saves me from needing to back up my Stereolab DHF CD-EPs before I sell them off now. It's not as if they would have gotten me that much more money beforehand anyway (then again, they be lotza ebay suckaz these days, so who knows.)

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:30 (nineteen years ago) link

I dunno about the title, actually: how many millions of people are going to wind up frustratedly googling "oscillations?" (A word one could pretty reasonably expect to appear in a Stereolab title?)

Yep, I did that already. I don't know about "millions" though. Maybe thousands.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 28 April 2005 21:06 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh no, "Oscillons" makes it. A lovely word.

(If you do Google Oscillations From The Anti-Sun you get 19 hits*, including the BBC and Drag City. Buffoons! * - now 20.)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 28 April 2005 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link

sister ray(?) had it down as 'Ant-Sun' in their recent email. which was a new twist.

ordered mine yesterday (along with the 99 track fall sessions thing - couldn't they have found just one more track?). was £14 from amazon but saves me £4.70 on a travelcard into town. suppose i could've gone on the bus but...

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 29 April 2005 10:18 (nineteen years ago) link

Dad, what's an Oscillon?

http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-osc1.htm

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 29 April 2005 10:29 (nineteen years ago) link

You could bloody walk, Koogy.

I listened to disc one last night and thought to myself that I could do without some of the lengthier B-sides. So I'm glad it was cheap.

Also I am increasingly intolerant of flat singing.

I don't know what happened to my love of things my brother-in-law says, 'sound bad on purpose'.

I am surprised by joy to find that the box contains STICKERS of all the original record covers. I'm going to have the hippest kagoule in Berkshire. Mate.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:04 (nineteen years ago) link

but time is money. shoe leather is money too.

and what would a b-sides collection be without the b-sides?

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:13 (nineteen years ago) link

along with the 99 track fall sessions thing - couldn't they have found just one more track?

Got 99 Fall Tracks
But "Winter" ain't one.

(Though actually it is, isn't it.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:14 (nineteen years ago) link

A-sides?

I'd forgotten about your shoe problem.

The daleks are back tomorrow.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link

So is this set worth $22.99 for a casual Stereolab fan? I've been in the mood for some new Stereolab lately and this set is mighty tempting.

Also, are there any in-store places that are selling it for cheaper than $23? I saw it for that at Best Buy, but I haven't gone anywhere else yet.

― Christian, Friday, 29 April 2005 15:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes, I noticed some of the singing on the live tv appearances was a bit set-yer-teeth-on-edge. I don't remember them being like that when I've seen them live.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 29 April 2005 15:13 (nineteen years ago) link

I'll probably pick this up eventually, for some of the same reasons as Nabisco enumerated (I've heard Fluorescences but don't own it, haven't heard the "Miss Modular" b-sides, etc.) -- but also wondering if I can find it cheaper. (It's $23 at Tower, too.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 29 April 2005 15:24 (nineteen years ago) link

I am surprised by joy to find that the box contains STICKERS of all the original record covers. I'm going to have the hippest kagoule in Berkshire. Mate.

Quote of the day! You've just made me embarrass myself in a deathly quiet office.

I've got a dull promo copy but might have to buy the real t'ing just for the stickers innit.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 29 April 2005 15:29 (nineteen years ago) link

and what would a b-sides collection be without the b-sides?

The Sterolab Sticker Collection!

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Actually, I probably wouldn't blink at the price but Donut said he got it for $15.99! (Where?)

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link

the reviews cometh

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/s/stereolab/oscillons-from-the-anti-sun.shtml

― invisible sun, Friday, 29 April 2005 16:08 (nineteen years ago) link

jaymc: Easy Street in Seattle.

Sonic Boom has it cheaper: $14.99..

Go to http://www.sonicboomrecords.com and click on the online store.

― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:46 (nineteen years ago) link

For those of you who aren't buying it because of the sequencing...it's easy to put it in Itunes and make a playlist of the original sequencing, and then when you listen to the CDs enjoy it in "shuffle" order. The packaging for this box is pretty cool, but the stickers are almost worth the list price alone.

― Christian, Friday, 29 April 2005 20:02 (nineteen years ago) link

What would the original sequencing be?

Yes, I suppose I could find out for myself. Fair point.

I was wrong to diss the B-sides, except for Fruition.

I know more of this stuff than I thought I would.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 2 May 2005 09:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Newbury Comics in New England has it for $17.99

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I finally got it yesterday (16.98) and so far have only watched the videos. They're not as good as I thought they would be but they have their charm. I like the live performances though. I wonder if there is enough live footage out there to eventually do a live DVD?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:24 (nineteen years ago) link

The box sure is hard to open

― Aerodynamic (Aerodynamic), Monday, 2 May 2005 20:14 (nineteen years ago) link

It's REMASTERED.

― sooper scooper, Tuesday, 3 May 2005 03:18 (nineteen years ago) link

it is hard to open! that sticky plastic

― ronny longjohns (ronny longjohns), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 04:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Are you guys serious?

I have more difficulty getting certain DVDs off their platform (or some CDs even.. like the AC/DC remasters) more than I can open this box.

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 3 May 2005 05:31 (nineteen years ago) link

came yesterday. watched all the videos this morning (wasn't there a 15 minute film they did, a long form version of Cybele's Reverie video or something? have never seen it). the 'Ba Ba Ba' bits made me sad. and the whole thing made me dig out ETK.

packaging is nice (and not hard to open at all, as long as you have fingers). dvd titles / menu nice too.

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 5 May 2005 10:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Mine was hard to open to. Some must be wedged more tightly than others.

Watching the live videos made me feel sad about Mary too (assuming that's what you mean by the 'Ba Ba Ba' bits.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 5 May 2005 15:09 (nineteen years ago) link

I thought it was ridiculously easy to open, like the golden age of pokey vinyl evoked within its... erm... grooves.

Hardcore early morning viewing, Koogy. Biggie props, bro! Balamorey for anoraks!

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 5 May 2005 15:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 8 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

solution - move to east anglia

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 9 May 2005 08:59 (nineteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I think the "Ping Pong" single version and the 'unreleased' album version are the wrong way round.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:32 (eighteen years ago) link

For someone who doesn't own any of the Stereolab EPs, is this worth getting?

― Gear! (Ill Cajun Gunsmith) (Gear!), Monday, 4 July 2005 04:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Sure for the stickers and dvd alone for 17 bucks well worth it, plus a box that is a bitch to open.

― svend (svend), Monday, 4 July 2005 04:37 (eighteen years ago) link

SOLD

― Gear! (Ill Cajun Gunsmith) (Gear!), Monday, 4 July 2005 04:42 (eighteen years ago) link

It's v. grand, Gear -- get it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 4 July 2005 04:54 (eighteen years ago) link

the box really is a bitch isn't it...

― That One Guy (That One Guy), Monday, 4 July 2005 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link

You guys must have a tough box.

Mine's very easy and always has been.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 July 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link

three years pass...

i listened to this today, boy Soop Groove #1 is so hypnotic!

and "Oscillations From The Anti-Sun" now has 551 htis on google. talk about lack of attention to detail.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 20:59 (fifteen years ago) link

six months pass...

wuz one of the tracks on this labeled wrong? Golden Ball or French Disko or another wasn't the version listed on the tracklisting and was the album version instead?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 5 August 2009 21:19 (fourteen years ago) link

oh it was "Ping Pong" not really an unreleased version, did they ever fix that on later copies?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 6 August 2009 00:49 (fourteen years ago) link

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