Stereolab
Artist
Stereolab are an English-French avant-pop band formed in 1990 in London. The band was based on songwriting team Tim Gane (guitar/keyboards) and Lætitia Sadier (vocals/keyboards/guitar), both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes.
Their primary musical influence was 1970s krautrock, which they combined with lounge, 1960s pop, and experimental pop music. They were noted for their heavy use of vintage electronic keyboards, and their sound often overlays a repetitive “motorik” beat with female vocals sung in English or French.
Much of lyricist Laetitia Sadier’s lyrics are philosophical in tone and draw heavily from Marxist political thought. Laetitia cites Cornelius Castoriadis as an influence. Songs such as “Crest” and “Autonomous Collective” are soothing lullabies for hopeful revolutionaries while “Ping Pong” and “French Disko” are pointed criticisms of the world.
In 2009, Stereolab announced that they were going on indefinite hiatus.
In 2019 the band re-united for a series of shows across Europe and North America.
