Trosa Music

Stereolab: Ahead Of The Game

More than a band, more than just a label on CDs in a million post-punk-loving bedrooms, Stereolab, the crystallization of an English / French union formed in the mid 90s, were a unique cultural force that will never be replicated. Blowing minds with their by turns bizarre and unpredictable musical inventions, nothing about Stereolab could be considered in any way governed by popular music trends: simply put, they went with what they believed in at all times, and what they believed in turned out to be what a whole lot of people wanted.

Words aren’t much good when describing Stereolab, since parameters were something the band tended to drift in and out of at will, ignoring genre, stretching the box that the industry tried to contain them within—listening to one of their records is like getting lost in a crazy maze of psychedelic rock, spattered with fragments of thousand of outside influences.

But that is not to say that the experience is a harrowing one; indeed, Stereolab are the band to pull you out of a bad mood; shutting my eyes as I listen, I start to float on the lyrics as if they were a physical, solid thing, moving through my body. They resonate, multiply, and fracture off into horns and almost classical repertoires of individual tunes which make up a sound that is ever expanding, like a universe of breath-taking music, always hungry, never quite satisfied.

What also impresses is their variety and patience to try anything; most bands stick to a formula, following it rigidly, only altering the lyrics—Stereolab made an entire career out of being musical nomads. The vocals are playful, the lyrics are fun and poignant. And that is why it is such a shame that the band will likely not produce any more work. Thankfully, while they were around they blessed us with enough good tracks to last well into the future.

Also before I go, I just checked out the enigin scam report and I have to say I am not really convinced by it. Check it out and see for yourselves!