List The Direct References of Stereolab

Nothing To Do With Me
(aka Moonflies (aka Chris Morris))

(as seen on This is the thread where you talk about Chris Morris - genius, and the finest satirist of modern times )

Does one of those links go to Gil Scott-Heron?

i'm not a huge stereolab fan, but this list is mindboggling. good work, guys.

Here's an obscure one - the title of "Animal Or Vegetable (A Wonderful Wooden Reason)" which was on the Crumbduck EP, is a line from a Faust song (at least the bit in brackets is).

Should also mention the later McCarthy releases which offer a neat segueway into the first Stereolab record. (eg: "The Home Secretary Briefs the Forces of Law and Order").

http://www.uh.edu/engines/switchedonbach.jpg

Does one of those links go to Gil Scott-Heron?

You're talking about the bass line to "Metronomic Underground," I take it?

Song on Aluminum Tunes:

http://www.reel.com/Content/Reelimages/hollconf/1013_getcarter.jpg

Pack Yr Romantic Mind from Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements begins with a sample from "Pop Orbite", a song on Chico Magnetic Band's album.

Obvious one, they recorded a split record with her.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigitte_Fontaine
http://www.discogs.com/release/256204

I always thought Speedy Car had a bit of the Soft Machine about them.

But if you want to talk United States of America, it's Broadcast on their first album that really rips that.

On Dots and Loops.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Brakhage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Road_Again_(Canned_Heat)

But if you want to talk United States of America, it's Broadcast on their first album that really rips that.

I agree, I'd prefer to keep this to direct references / uncredited samples / lyrical lifts rather than vaguer incorporated influences or else I'd just be Sylvie Vartaning it up over here

first track on Refried Ectoplasm, 'Harmonium', where the 70's DJ spools up a tape which promptly breaks and falls off the reel is lifted from an aircheck of Negativland's 'Over the Edge Vol 4 - Dick Vaughan'

http://www.filmpolski.pl/z1/47o/7547_1.jpg

http://www.film.org.pl/images2/fearless_vampire_killers/plakat.jpg

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/si/silver-cross-sleepover-classic-pram.jpg

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/health/images/lemonade.jpg

- le

great work, Milton!

This
http://www.yellowmelodies.com/e-zine/numero5/portadas/Stereol7.jpg

is supposed to be based on the comic series Pravda la Survireuse by Guy Peellaert.
http://www.bedetheque.com/thb_couv/pravda.jpg

Yes, this is a nice thread. Milton rocks.

nabisco, do they really reference _À Rebours_? That's one of my favorite books ever.

Here are the YouTube dissections of musical origins I was talking about. Apart from a couple things that seem too basic to see as steals (e.g., the Canned Heat), they're mostly pretty clear lifts or pastiches, without too many stretches -- and a couple disappointing "oh man, I can't believe you lifted the melody" parts. Mostly it's rhythmic grooves and feels they're snipping from things and using as a basis for their own stuff.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IrFdR7I_kjM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s9N1uwNEraM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E9iiJy0jWSg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LNAO-vqa6R0

Artists mentioned: Faust, Piero Piccioni, Canned Heat, Gal Costa, Krzystzof Komeda, Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Sun Ra, Snapper, Wanderlea, Laurie Anderson, the Association, the Archies, Serge Gainsbourg, Neu!, Silver Apples, Steve Reich, and Plastic Ono Band (as source of "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" bass line -- this was the only one that kinda surprised me!)

xpost turangalila I'm not 100% sure. 'against nature' is the title in translation and a direct reference would have used the original french. the lyrics do seem to me like a commentary or response to the book, I linked them upthread

if it is a reference it's admittedly not a very direct one (though I'm sure they've read it) -- with those lines about 'war', probably something else made the song's orbit as well

I actually liked this translation better, but I went for the pop edition to underscore the reference

You're talking about the bass line to "Metronomic Underground," I take it?
Yup, that's what I'm talking about, jaymc.

Milton I can't believe you didn't post this -

http://files.myopera.com/E.%20Driver/albums/35120/JohnCage.jpg

xxpost Milton

Hmm... yes. "Living fantasy of the immortal"

thanks!

I've actually only read it in Spanish. Going to buy this version you recommend!

Gastr del Sol opened for Stereolab at the Metro in Chicago back in the mid-90s, and a couple weeks before the show I bumped into David Grubbs at the Hyde Park Kinko's on 57th St. He showed me the gig flyer he was printing up which read "Stereolab - 'John Cage Bubblegum' / Gastr del Sol - 'Steve Reich n Roll'"

I didn't actually go that show tho. Dumb! I never saw Stereolab.

I HAVE THAT FIRST RECORD!

it's been so long, but they ripped the bassline for a song directly from a yoko ono tune from her first or second solo album

http://www.zenker.se/Books/the_stars_my_destination.jpg

http://www.see.com.au/blog/archives/Darren%20002.jpg

Prokofiev's Symphonie Diabolique:
http://website.lineone.net/~dmitrismirnov/image020.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51It1cvE6cL._SS500_.jpg

if it is a reference it's admittedly not a very direct one (though I'm sure they've read it) -- with those lines about 'war', probably something else made the song's orbit as well

This is the future of an illusion
Aggressive culture of despotism
Living fantasy of the immortal
The reality of an animal

One of their tracks is based on "Disco Rough" by Mathématiques Modernes.

Can't think of anything less obvious right now (I thought I was a genius for spotting the 100 Years of Solitude thing once and then googled it and nabisco had already written about it on Pitchfork, thus I lose), but "Enivrez-Vous!" from Peng! takes its lyrics from a Baudelaire prose-poem.

I'd always wondered about some of these! Thanks.

Maybe someone knows what that French Disco line really is: Bubble Withdrawal?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Pamela

I have her CD somewhere, it is bats!

a lot of that youtube series of comparisons are a little on the vague side, but they're fun

I would not have compared 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' to 'Why?' by the Plastic Ono Band, I'd have used "Les Histoires D'A" by Les Rita Mitsouko

Stereolab guilty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9PWVm0wEQ

& I will post these anyway

Sylvie Vartan - Cette lettre-là (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOlx2MxC6eQ

Sylvie Vartan - Par amour par pitié (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3uL8M0svSQ

Sylvie Vartan - Irresistiblement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZCbwg6VmnI

Pack Yr. Romantic Mind:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataille

http://www.bigoven.com/uploads/margarine.jpg

that was feeble, sorry

brilliant thread, that Jirí Trnka film is mindblowing. good work!

has anyone mentioned family fodder yet?, as a general influence and specifically savoire faire and it's uncanny resemblance to (i think) wow and flutter. was it milton who mentioned upstairs somewhere that sterolab steals seem a bit disingenuous? i dunno if i could go along with that, their references generally seem pretty overt, if obscure. i think it's pretty key to the appeal of stereolab that you just know everything is pilfered.

Yet nothing sounds quite like Stereolab. Sort of like a robot made of all sorts.

holy shit this thread. overwhelming amount of info. more pls!

What Charlie No4 said above.

thanks, people

"All good things to come.."

Makes me think it's a direct reference to an indirect reference... or something.

... a song covered, somewhat bizarrely, by Pete Townshend!

I heard a radio interview with Tim Gane years ago where he played through a lot of his favourite records, I remember there being something by The Doopees in there (which is a project of Yann Tomita, ex Ippu-Do). I can hear it I guess, although this post-dates the earlier Stereolab releases so who knows who's influencing who.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT5BlCZsiCQ

I'm getting a French Disko vibe from this 70s Aussie prog plodder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEmsy0UgqoA

Don't think this has been posted yet.

Koloman Moser - Woman's Head with Roses (1899). The artwork features on the picture sleeve of Rose, My Rocket-Brain! by Stereolab (2004). pic.twitter.com/PkE9l1qI0S

— Graeme McNay (@GraemeRMcNay) September 7, 2019

!!!! good catch, I own that as a 3" CD sold on tour

not a direct reference but this Eurythmics album In The Garden has some moments that sound a lot like early Stereolab to me. same kinda droney vocals and farfisa thing going on... check out “your time will come” and “all the young people (of today)”. idk has this been noted before? I’m just hearing this album.

“your time will come”: https://youtu.be/VcZjwxnscp8

“all the young people”: https://youtu.be/2xh0R5WRIwU

well, the farfisa is in “all the young people” anyway

Is Sing-Sing the one that sounds like one of the Mouse On Mars collaborations?

I've long maintained that Caveman Head sounds like Th' Faith Healers.

Agree about the first Eurythmics album. 'She's Invisible Now' sounded the most like Stereolab to me.

I’m just hearing this album.

u lucky guy, it's great, total Can action

"The Long Hair of Death":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3HkESAaMDE
(Just noticed this today since it's now on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07JX589FB/ref=atv_dp_b07_det_c_UTPsmN_1_18)

I bet that "Allures" borrows its name from the Jordan Belson short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HVo23jC7cs

Updated link for *Allures*