The future of Stereolab

This seems to be a popular view of Stereolab and not one I subscribe to at all. Their scamper away from the indie disco dancefloor down ever-narrowing corridors of fussy detail and texture mirrors my own shift in tastes, and as a result I've loved most of their records (especially Sound-Dust and the last quarter of everyone's favourite one to knock, ...Milky Night).

That said, an end to Stereolab now, after Mary's tragic death, would seem appropriate, but there are unpleasantly humdrum things like brand identity and paying the mortgage to think about.

On the contrary, they aren't fun enough

Agreed, this is why I sold Dots & Loops which gradually revealed itself to be not much fun at all.

This could be cool. I remember an Autechre remix (of a song I can't recall) that was completely out of the ordinary for them, and very good. Maybe they should hook up with Matmos or something.

Yeah that could have gone further...although like I said I don't think the D&L melodies are quite up to snuff.

Madness! There are some flaccid moments sure, but "Super Falling Star", "Mellotron", "Orgiastic", etc... I ask you?

Am I still the only person who actually thinks Emperor Tomato Ketchup has been the least durable record so far?

Laetitia may be impatient with fans -- after a hiatus they produce Sound Dust which is such a good record -- so consistent (i love roughly every second song) -- having heard loops and milky i say it is their best album after tomato, perhaps the culmination of that direction in their sound

that tv program Cold Feet had a millenium special episode that reprised cul de sac perfectly, since the drift/ island/ end metaphor worked perfectly for the 'end of time' hoop-la surrounding 0/0/2000 and the possibilities of ths show drifting, out to sea or beached, which it sure ended up doing, even if they didn't think they were drifting then

i liked those promo photos of stereolab, with the power poles vertically alligned with the pictures perspective -- like harry lime as the giant (film) wheel comes to a stop over occupied vienna, a snapshot, on the road to the castle or back ? waiting for the flood ? (i don't stereolab are misanthropic, the fans tiny dots or dust, as if viewed from harry's perspective)

i like this album art, the indication of a peak, however insular, an acknowledgement by the band that they may well be too disconnected from their audience yet wishing to take the chicago computer collaborations to a decent conclusion .. i bet they knew sound dust was make or break time, if not for the group then at least for that sound, which surely they got right on this album tens times more so than on the two albums seemingly leading in that direction, validating for me those experiments along the way -- good on them for acknowledging the alienating potential, yet admitting that this was the peak of that stereolab at least

yes, i think they will go looking for other peaks, somewhere else (Lionel Stander did get to work in hollywood again, after all)

maybe the boo-boos will have to go and a new angle for the lyrics taken with both Marie's terrible departure and the band learning the hard lessons of producing something so good by their own standards even if these didn't meet the demands of their audience -- the artistic journey has been completed -- that concept in light of Marie's death is almost horribly prophetic in a spooky new way, beyond their worst dreams i imagine (is Polanski a real king midas of horror and despair ? dark forces ?) (i do not wish to trivialise _anything_ in saying this)

of course the album + art stands on it's own feet as beautiful music with a variety of sentiment -- most of the band can return to the main land and pursue some other groove -- after a presumably respectful period of meditation and change of trade-name

"hiatus"

http://www.stereolab.co.uk/news/

Perhaps a necessary thing, really.

diminishing returns for a while now

Question: is the future of Stereolab any different than the past of Stereolab?

:( At least Chemical Chords 2 will still come out (and I'm glad I saw them this last tour)

yeah, me too! their show last fall was wonderful. still, if anyone deserves a break, it's probably them. they've never gone more than a year or two without an album over the past 20 years, have they?

they've never gone more than a year or two without an album over the past 20 years, have they?

There were a couple multi-year gaps in between Sound-Dust, Margerine Eclipse, and Chemical Chords though I think the box set comes in there somewhere.

yeah, maybe i'm just thinking that there are always various collections coming out in between records -- never seemed like they disappeared for any significant amount of time.

They were great when I saw them live last year. Like, really great, as much fun as the first time I saw them. If this is one of those permananent breaks then they are going out with a bang, at least as far as live music is concerned. I don't think I have any of their albums from the last ten years, but live performance is at least as important to me.

My thoughts on seeing them in September -- if that's the last time I'll ever see them, then the last song I ever saw them do was a great version of "Jenny Ondioline."

I mean, I get why they do this, I understand modern keyboard gear, so don't need to be told multiple times that there are newer, more reliable keyboards that do a reasonable simulation while being easier to cart around. Still does not sound the same.

If I can be nerdy down that path I thought the Yamaha reface was fine for the combo organ and a smart call, my complaint was using a Kong minilogue in place of the minimoog…and I own and love the minilogue but it’s a thinner sound and doesn’t do the bubbly moog they need...and there are newer dependable moons that could’ve filled that role.

I've finally given a spin to the new Dots & Loops reissue and wanted to join in saying it's stellar. Nice, clean pressing and just all-around great sounding. I've not listened to the album in a long while so I don't pick up any tweaks they may have made, but the care and emphasis on producing a great sounding record is evident.

Saw the DC show and I wished Sadier’s vocals were higher in the mix.

L.A. setlist:

Anamorphose
Ping Pong
Infinity Girl
Double Rocker
Crest
Need to Be
Lo Boob Oscillator
The Extension Trip
Brakhage
Miss Modular
Percolator
Metronomic Underground
French Disko

Encore:

The Stars Our Destination
Blue Milk
Contronatura
Come and Play in the Milky Night

demo version of Motoroller Scalatron is soooo lovely, really all these demos are such great snapshots

Just picked up the new reissues of Sound-Dust and Margerine Eclipse...

Wow, some seriously different beginnings/endings (and maybe mixes? Unsure as of now) on some tracks... much more extreme than on the other reissues thus far.

Also curiously/disappointingly brief liner notes on Sound-Dust and a moving, sad essay in lieu of individual song notes in Margerine.

Both sound and look incredible, of course.

Yeah, I'm hearing different mixes on the Margerine tracks, as well about 5 or 6 major re-edits. Sound-Dust doesn't seem to differ much from the o.g. vinyl edition, but I dare say the remastering has had a more subtle impact.

I ti sinteresting to hear the demos vs. the polished product. I used to have a live bootleg of dots and loops live performances taht were neat. I think the tape broke

I may be able to help with that...

Extended version of "Gus The Mynah Bird" is nice. What a cool song.

On the FLACs from them, Margerine Eclipse is now 57:17 rather than 53:35. Biggest change: "Hillbilly Motorbike" goes from 2:23 to 4:52.

and Sound Dust goes from 1:03:32 to 1:06:23. "Gus the Mynah Bird" has gone from 6:11 to 9:05 and most of the other tracks look like they've been slightly shortened?

The new ending of "Vonal Declosion" is tripping me up every time I hear it!

Picked them up today -- nice that that basic run is complete of 'the Elektra years.'

Speaking of which -- idly checking Stereolab's Discogs page just now led me to discover that back this July, Terry Tolkin posted this huge entry on that page in comments about being their A&R guy in the early 1990s. Needless to say it's a treat. Just scroll down past the album entries, it's the first thing you'll see.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/388-Stereolab

Wow, what an amazing little story tucked away there! Particularly liked this detail:

One thing he didn't like was when we wanted to use old Elektra Records logos from 1960's and 70's.
"What, Terry? Why? Do you know that I spent 250,000 fukin dollars on our new logo?"

Yeah I loved that.

h/t Raymond Cumming, how many of us had heard of this? not me!

https://www.discogs.com/Mary-Hansen-Hybird/release/2300268?fbclid=IwAR3glfVHxQ6mrUCTdG3ttiOdzYH7uvnPRx80leCuCNdeVBT4Fc6kdGjHnY0

Not heard that.

The other release on that label also appears to involve her.

more US tourdates!

https://mailchi.mp/b978b55fc506/stereolab-the-lab-report-22-01-20?e=6d464d9535

PS - Keep an eye / ear out for news of Switched On volume 4 and Switched On volume 5 in 2020.

!!

Okay, THAT is key.

ooh, glad they are coming back to my neck of the woods — was out of town for their show out here last year.

Okay, now THAT'S the sort of reissue I can get behind. (re SO#4/#5)

What'll be on 'Switched On' 4 & 5?

A cover of When the Levee Breaks?

Don't tease me like that.

My post from 2010 itt lists what may show up on Volume 4 and the potential Volume 5 tracklist can be found in the Stereolab Albums poll.

It's all really good, too.

tickets for their show at Big Sur start at $300... that's utterly criminal.

Glad I saw them a few months ago...

$300 for two tickets, which is the minimum you can buy... looks like it's at some remote location, since the tickets include a shuttle to the venue.

yeah I misread the fine print... anyway sounds fun but over twice what I paid for the fillmore 2 months ago. The venue location is very beautiful....

yeah I misread the fine print... anyway sounds fun but over twice what I paid for the fillmore 2 months ago. The venue location is very beautiful....

whoops

Here's what I've put together. I skipped some demos, remixes, radio sessions and live versions and stopped at the end of 2001:
1. Super Falling Star (Moog mix) - from Volume 4 compilation
2. Low-Fi
3. (Varoom!)
4. Laisser-Faire
5. Elektro (He Held The World In His Iron Grip) - these 4 from "Low-Fi" EP
6. Ronco Symphony (demo)
7. The Seeming And The Meaning (demo) - these 2 from the Spacewatch flexi
8. I'm Going Out Of My Way (WHFS session) - from "Inside Dave's Garage" split single
9. The Eclipse
10. Yes Sir! I Can Moogie - these 2 from "The Cat's Miaow" split single
11. ABC (The Multitude) - from "Godz Is Not A Put On" compilation
12. Simple Headphone Mind
13. Trippin' With The Birds - from "Simple Headphone Mind" collaboration with Nurse With Wound
14. Endless Summer (as Microlab) - from "Microstonia - Reprovisers" compilation
15. St. Elmo's Fire (radio)
16. Less Time
17. St. Elmo's Fire (Red Corona)
18. St. Elmo's Fire (Spatio-Dynamic)
19. Impulse Rah!
20. St. Elmo's Fire (Snow) - these 6 as Uilab from "St. Elmo's Fire" collaboration with Ui
21. Miss Modular (Automator mix)
22. Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Feebate mix by Autechre)
23. Contranatura (Prelude To The Autumn Of A Faun mix by Kid Loco) - these 3 from "Miss Modular Remixes" EP
24. Freestyle Dumping - from JP release of Aluminum Tunes
25. Symbolic Logic Of Now! - from "Soi-Distant" split single
26. Chinese Whispers (Stereolab mix) - from "Chinese Whispers" compilation
27. Untitled / 008 - from Thurston Moore's "Root" compilation
28. Blaue Milch - from Peter-Thomas-Sound-Orchester's "Warp Back To Earth 66/99" compilation
29. Galaxidion - from "Social (Bodies)" compilation
30. Caliméro
31. Cache Cache - from collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine
32. Ticker Tape Of The Unconscious (Thievery Corporation remix) - from Thievery Corporation's "Abductions & Reconstructions" compilation
33. The Super-It
34. Fried Monkey Eggs (vocal)
35. Monkey Jelly - these 3 from "The Underground Is Coming" EP
36. Brain Drain - from "Collaborations 2: Constant Friction" compilation
37. Négatités - from "Yeti 1" compilation
38. Free Witch And No-Bra Queen
39. Speck-Voice - these 2 from "Free Witch And No-Bra Queen" EP

here's what gerald posted in 2010 for Switched On 4 potential tracks.

Socialism or Barbarism $300

#24 already on expanded ETK reissue but yes to all of this

Got tickets to the Pappy & Harriet’s show!

Of the gerald / brotherlovesdub list, I think only 12, 13, 25, 30 and 33-39 are realistic candidates for SO4 & 5. Maybe some of the other collabs, but def not demos, session tracks or remixes. And I believe Beggars (who own Too Pure) still has the rights to Low-Fi.

29 was on the expanded Cobra reissue.

Plenty of other candidates though.

This isn't going to just be a repackaging of Oscillons, is it?

A box set of cd EPs. Plz

Hadn’t realised there was a rights issue for low-fi. That’s a pity.

I was lucky enough to get a scratch card with 5 cliffs. Has there been any word on what that will get me? I had it in my head it was going to be a record of some kind but that could be a faulty assumption on my part

Think it's a record, might be some other stuff also.

I have three failed scratchcards. Might send them in anyway

don't be a dick, they actually asked people not to do that

The latest Lab Report mentioned above said there were manufacturing delays and it'd be 5-8 weeks before the free item is shipped.

I had four failed scratch cards.... I would've appreciated some announcement of how many golden (ball) tickets were out there, as it required some effort to actually get clear vinyl (let alone the obi strip versions).

god Dots and Loops is so good.

thrilled to nab a copy of Oscillons from the Anti-Sun at the used CD shop today for 9 bucks. it even still has all the stickers! Looking forward to spending the rest of the weekend blasting it

don't be a dick, they actually asked people not to do that

― The Squalls Of Hate (sleeve), Saturday, January 25, 2020 4:23 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Fair enough, was only semi joking..

Suppose they had leftovers and did a special thing, and I'd sent them in already and they gone?

you don't need to see them at Big Sur (though I'll bet that'll be awesome), you can do the Warfield.

Ever closer pic.twitter.com/hPprwmQ521

— Stereolab (@stereolabgroop) February 17, 2020

yessss so psyched