back to the lab
One of the many benefi ts a band with a large and international following like Stereolab have enjoys is the ability to churn out a back catalogue to please the fans. This album is already in stores in the form of a series of six 7” singles so is really more of a compilation than an album. It does not start off promisingly. Kyberneticka Babicka Pt 1 drones on for over four minutes, repeated ambient vocals over an incessant drummer boy beat and occasional synth twiddling.
Tedious and repetitive without any kind of subtlety, it’s a relief when it ends and you only have Pt 2 to worry about. Next up is the more promising Interlock, a coolly kitsch track with repeated keyboard phrases and skippy drumming.
The layered vocals are vaguely reminiscent of French chanteuse Francoise Hardy in sweetness, but the overall feeling is far more upbeat Plastic Mile brings Hammond-esque chords into the equation and although the slightly contrived opening vocals mercifully break down into something a little more melodic, it’s still a track that goes nowhere, as we probably should have guessed from the title. More impressive is Get Shot of the Refrigerator, chilled out 60s lounge pop on a mild acid trip.
This is electronica as it should be; an interesting and ever so slightly unpredictable tempo referencing a varied instrumental range, a sense of melody maintained throughout. Folksy harmonising is well judged and kept respectable. Other standout tracks include Vodiack • a wonderfully retro argument between organ and synth.
“In the forest at night, I’m not scared of bandits,” singer Laetitia Sadier assures us and one can only presume it’s because a blast of this sunny electro-pop would send them fl ying. Excursions into “Oh, A-Oh”’ sound like a pre-school Bond theme and I was a Sunny Rainphase extracts the best Gameboy-bleep potential out of the Moogs. Overall this isn’t a bad listen, but occasionally the stench of fi ller is overpowering. You can’t help but be frustrated.
23rd Feb 2006