Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Really fun tracks with driving rhythms and catchy melodies. The lyrics sometimes have a strange misalignment with the melodic structure that gives them a sort of mechanistic distance, adding to the futuristic feel of the songs. Really liked these overall.
Better than awesome. The definition of a pleasant surprise. I suspect I heard some of this during the late '90's and wish I would have sought it out further at the time. Better late than never!
Fun album, sometimes reminds me of Young marble Giants/Weekend, good discovery!
What a delight!
Really quality blend of genres and moods. Every track stand on its own quite well.
good shit 8/10
Striking combination of retro cadences and modern (at least for 1996) electronic sounds; like a funkier Air? Worth another listen at some point.
This album is a blast. Locks into a steady groove with the opening track and just rides that groove through every song. Just put it on and let it seep into your sub concsiousness. 4.5 stars
4.0 + Maybe more of an interesting record in theory than in execution. I remember reading a Pitchfork review a few years ago and being taken by the heady ideas cited - the references to Japanese sci-fi films, Marxist revolution, and "dialectics you could dance to." But returning to it after several years, I'm just not getting that same buzz. That wop-wop synth sound on "Percolator" grates on my nerves and "Metronomic Underground" is annoyingly repetitive. But there's still a lot I still love (e.g. the title track, "Les Yper Sound") and it generally provides a chic, hyper-mod backdrop for a party.
It gives me a feeling which is similar to but distinct from nostalgia. Like it's reminding me of something I didn't actually experience. As music, it's good. As an experience, its a lucid dream. Highlights: Spark Plug, Olv 26, Motoroller Scalatron.
I thought this album was really neat. The French influence on the music and lyrics makes it very distinctive 4/5
I had heard of this band but I had never listened to them... that was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed this album.
This would not normally be my cup of tea. Man did I like this though. This is some excellent Europop alternative. Enough real instruments here to work with the dance beats. The production is stellar and I loved the levels here.
Good background music this, perfect to listen to whilst working away.
Tasty jams, Krautrock-like progressions, and I like French when it's sung as well, so this ticks a lot of boxes. I knew the name but never what they sounded like.
A very enjoyable listening experience
Love a bit of Stereolab, knew quite a few of these but great to listen to an album in full. Fun!
I don't really know what I was expecting prior to listening to this album, but I did like it. It was a nice surprise, I guess you could say. Although I didn't enjoy all of the tracks, I think I'll be revisiting a few in the future. My favourite has to be Motoroller Scalatron.
Ah yes, Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Lead singer’s voice is way more in tune than it ever seems to be live.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Metronomic underground, Slow fast hazel
It's weird how sometimes I really like this style of music and sometimes it feels like a waste of time. I enjoyed this album but not really sure why. Cool mix of electronic music and lounge. Creative and fun. Loses a little steam in the 2nd half but still fine.
pretty guud
Very chill and calm, and also feels very warm.
Reminds me heavily of artists such as Beck, because this album is in the same genre of music. The instrumentation is odd, but nothing too overwhelming. An easy album to sit back and listen to on any given occasion.
Obviously, I can't assess the lyrical content, with it being mostly in French, but I like the groove
Love this album.
Pretty chill, interesting, kinda groovy album that reminded me of Broken Social Scene at times
Как хиппи
Ooooootro grupo que no conocía peor todo ok porque me gustó el mood, a ratos como que la voz me recordó a Dolores O’Riordan
Really enjoyed this one. Second half of the album falls off a little but still pretty solid album. Lots of vocal looping, which can be pretty tiresome but its done well here. I give it a Certified Bop™
European electronic burbling. Best tracks: Metronomic Underground, Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Motoroller Scalatron.
Ik kende dit alleen van naam, maar het was een aangename verrassing.
I enjoyed this. Great music to cook to. Found each track noticeably different. Will listen again. Starting to wish we could mark out of 10 or give half points though.
Stereolab form part of the holy trinity of my favourite bands beginning with the letter S (alongside Sonic Youth and Sebadoh for anyone who’s interested). It’s therefore quite hard to review this one objectively as I know it so well. It’s not my favourite Stereolab album though (that’s probably Dots and Loops) so I’ll give it 4 stars.
i really liked this, there are some weaker tracks that i think could've been cut though.
Great. Never got round to listening to this before
Pop-Rock alternativo bastante curioso.
Post-rock, eh? I’m here for it.
Everything I expected from stereolab, instrumental electronica, I like it, specially the few vocal segments
That was a lot of fun
Hell yeah, some good 90s electro funk. They are unique in their harmonizing/singing.
I thought this was a different band! Stereogum maybe? Pleasantly surprised - drum machines!
Heard of but never heard, but I dug it
I do love Stereolab, but this is not my favourite album (Refried Ectoplasm for those taking score). Still, Metronomic Underground is a classic!
Have loved it since it came out.
Cool vibes, liked it more than I expected. Great background music.
Really liked the layering of this project. There’s a lot going on and it all meshes really nicely, sick alb
Listened before
Nothing super special but I've listened to it twice already. 3-4 rats.
Metronomic Underground 3.6 Cybele's Reverie 3.3 Percolator 3 Les Yper-Sound 3.4 Spark Plug 3.3 OLV 26 3.1 The Noise of Carpet 3.2 Tomorrow Is Already Here 3 Emperor Tomato Ketchup 3.2 Monstre Sacre 3.2 Motoroller Scalatron 3.4 Slow Fast Hazel 3.2 Anonymous Collective 3 Score: 3.223076923
Very chill sound.
I sort of like Stereolab. The album was a 2.5 but I rounded up because the song names are cool.
Fun album, really on the edge with this one ..not sure I could listen to her high pitch voice much longer but it gets another listen .
I'm not sure why it confused me so much to see this album in today's selection, and then to realize that this is the only Stereolab album in the collection; I suspect much this was largely because I own a different album of theirs (2001's "Sound Dust"), and must have decided at some point that it was part of the "1001 Albums" project. Either way, I've enjoyed what little I've heard before from this duo, and I'm happy to get a different set of tracks to hear from them. I get the sense from the Wikipedia entry that "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" marked a transition to what I think of Stereolab's sound--sort of minimalist electronic pop descended from the progeny of Philip Glass and Kraftwerk, I guess (with a touch of Brazilian Girls, shamefully missing from the project)--and helped them get a broader audience, although it's hard to imagine that their audience was ever all that big given their niche style. Highlights for me were the opener "Metronomic underground", "Les yper-sound", and the Nico/Velvet Underground-adjacent "Tomorrow is already here", with a nod to the odd Shuji-Terayama-inspired videos for "Cybele's reverie" and "The noise of carpet" (especially because I finally got to see the person behind Lætitia Sadier's distinctive vocals). Nothing spectacular here (and a bit of a slog towards the end of the album), and I think I prefer "Sound Dust" to this album, but nice to have Streolab here. (And for some reason it calls to mind that this project is also missing out by not including the Lo-Fidelity All-Stars, who don't really sound at all like Stereolab but deserve a place at the table just as much.)
Stereolab is a band I’ve struggled with. I’ve heard many of their albums before, including this one. I’ve seen them live and didn’t enjoy it. This time I realized it’s the voice. Everything else is great but the vocal tone just doesn’t agree with me. Still giving it a positive rating because it’s an accomplished album that I’d recommend to others.
Very unique sound Fave track: Metronomic Underground
90s sound. Different languages
I like this singer and the electric 90s sound. Really pretty solid at points tho not quite a 4
Very futuristic-sounding
I like the album, but it's long and very varied, so it needs more listens before I give a final rating. But it is at least a strong 3.
Didn't do a lot for me but some of the tracks were kinda fun
I'm not sure what's wrong with me lately. Maybe it's 1,001 fatigue. Or maybe Robert's list is simply flawed and bloated. I listened to this twice, and it has all the makings of what should have been a solid album for me, but I found myself feeling, at best, indifferent towards it... with even a slight annoyance under the surface at some of the overlong repetitive parts and excessive organ holds in the background. I'll give this the benefit of the doubt and hope I can shake this funk soon. I'm tired of being "that guy" who slaps 1s on everything.
***An ok album
I thought it was pretty inoffensive when I had it on as I was doing other things. But then I started paying attention during the second half of the album and it really started annoying me. The title track and Motorola Scalatron were my least favorites because of their driving repetition.. Luckily the songs are fairly eclectic and there were others that were more atmospheric and interesting. Definitely a mixed bag, which is preferable to boring.
Found the first song so annoying I had to take a break after it was finished. But I think the rest of the album is actually pretty lovely. The French singing won me back over and I stayed won over. There were definitely some more annoying moments (the opening of the title track for one) but I didn't hate it anywhere near as much as I initially thought I would. Favourite song: Les Yper-Sound Least: Metronomic Underground
I was expecting to hate this album and yet I found myself oddly thrilled. Leticia Sadier’s voice reminds me a lot of Nico from the 1970s, but she definitely has more range than Nico ever did. The perfect example is the song Percolator in which her vocals sound like they’re being run through a Wawa pedal. Metronomic Underground was probably my favorite song on this because despite the fact it fell into a groove the song still felt like he was moving forward and building towards something. The song Noise of the Carpet was surprising because so much the album has a psychedelic alt feel, and then this comes along with a Proto-punk feel, yet it’s still worked and felt consistent with the album. Tomorrow Is Already Here reminded me of the band School for Seven Bells. I only heard of a Stereolab in passing, but I am definitely gonna come back to the lab at some point.
Random thoughts: * I thought I knew Stereolab but then I realized I actually knew Stereo MCs. Doh! * Anyway, I have never listened to Stereolab. I was surprised to learn they are French. Well, British and French. Oh la la! * It is upbeat and I'm mostly jamming to it. It is definitely more jaunty and less electronic than I expected. A little more rock and pop. * I played this a couple of times yesterday. There were no songs that really stuck with me but the overall vibes were fun and I'd like to come back to this. * Solid to have one Stereolab album on 1001.
There's certainly nothing bad about the album, but I bounced off it in 1996 and I bounce off it now. I like the 1960s chirpy French vocals and the 1990s electronica, but I can't love it. It's unexciting to me, it seems to lack character, whatever that means.
I enjoyed it more than I expected from reading the title
Quite enjoyed this album after being a little unsure on the first track. I like the genre hopping and the vocals are quite pretty and soft to listen to. It’s not something I’d rush back to, but an interesting listen to get something different in here. Monstre Sacre was a personal favourite from this one.
Great beats. Great riffs. Can't stand the voice. Felt this way 30 years ago, and still feel this way now.
I have tried this band before. I appreciate them, but don’t ever think to listen to them. Forgettable?
Never heard of this band. Interesting. I respect the music, just not my type.
Okay.
In a nutshell: pick 'n' mix music Electronica-VU avant garde- krautrock leaning-abstract goodness. It's the kind of artist you need to be in the right mood to appreciate. Personally I'd start with Dots and Loops then go back to Emperor if you're new to Stereolab Overall: 6/10
Like most electronic music, this quickly became background music. It was not bad, but there was nothing exceptional here. 2.5/5
Nice eclectic sounds.
After that godawful first track the rest of the album is alright.
I confused them with Supergrass so this wasn't what I expected.
Very hypnotic
Parts were kind of cool, I guess.
6/10 Too repetitive. I love my guitar pedal looper, but I kind of realise not many people want to hear it and nauseum.
Quite like the French tones injected into the altrock sound. My wife reminds me however that "were too old for this" 🤣
Familiar with Stereolab. Enjoy their mix of indie rock and electronic music. It's a fun album. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
Voice like Nico, atmosphere and sensibility like Air. Also reminiscent of Cortex. Uncoincidental that all are French except Nico (German). This is a difficult rating because I dig the psychedelic dream pop vibes but the musical motifs in the songs are a little too flat and repetitive for my tastes, so it’s a 3.5 rounded down.
Always assumed I didn't like Stereolab but this is very good. 3 for now but it's a grower I think
Fun! And interesting. But is it profound? 3.5?
i like a few tracks a lot but it does drag on a bit. not my fav stereolab album either
I liked it a lot when they weren't singing.
Not a bad album as such but really didn’t leave much of an impression
While I'm not a mad stereo lab fan, I have a couple of their albums, and this sounds similar. I like their vibe, but the other albums I own skins very similar.
Weird but ok
interesting
75
3 out of 5. There's fun to be had listening to this album.
Interesting, kind of Jazzy. Sounds like it would be part of an Indie movie soundtrack
This is a really good album. While listening I felt like I was floating through something both futuristic and warm at the same time. The music is the star here — it’s interesting, layered, and constantly shifting between groovy, hypnotic, almost industrial rhythms and beautiful melodic pop moments. The production is excellent, mixing motorik beats, funky basslines, spacey synths, loungey vibes, and noisy textures in a way that feels fresh and inventive. It has this cool, retro-futuristic charm that keeps things engaging. My only real issue is the lyrics. Laetitia Sadier sings a lot in French, and even though I read the translations, I just don’t connect with them the same way. They feel distant and I don’t fully get into the words. If I understood French better I’d probably rate this album even higher. Still, as a musical experience, Emperor Tomato Ketchup is strong and rewarding. It’s one of those records where the sound and atmosphere carry it.
Fun, but pretty forgettable
Emperor Tomato Ketchup gets high marks for WHEN it deftly blends its Krautrock-French pop into an enticing update of those two styles. However, several songs could not quite get the Motorik groove down to my liking or the breathy vocals of Lætitia Sadier took up to much space. The title track fell prey to these issues as did “Les Yper-Sound.” Ballads such as “Monster Sacre” and “Slow Fast Hazel” definitely depend on mood. Sometimes, I can feel the rain dripping down the window as a forlorn Jean Seberg stares out contemplating her existence. Other times I find them dreary with effects like wah-wah sounds that grate. The opener “Metronomic Underground” ranks with Neu’s “Hallogallo” as my top tunes with the Motorik sound. “Percolator” fully evoke the title and is the most fun song on the abum. I did not remember how “Motoroller Scalatron” and “The Noise of Carpet” feature great guitars that get fully supported with terrific drums. To hit great status, an album should not have this many tracks that draw a thumbs up or down depending on the day I listen.
I feel my first listen of it is what fits this album best, seems like a great one to have on in the background, but I don't feel much depth when it comes to an album I would intently listen to, except maybe the French stuff because I already don't understand it, which makes it feel sophisticated to listen in another language. "Slow Fast Hazel" was my favorite. I would jam along if it came on, especially the last minute or so. Sometimes repeating the same line over and over again can grit me, but here it is done in a way I want to chant along to, maybe it's Lætitia Sadier's voice, or just her name, which is a great name, unlike this album title.
Like listening to Air without the breathy vocals.
Cybele's Reverie, The Sound of Carpet, and Percolator (definitely heard it before, perhaps an advert) were the strongest. Slightly too repetitive for me, some droney vocals could have been livened up. Better than I expected going in, but no exquisite bloops.
Liked this, it was pleasant. Not one I would be rushing back to but I like a lot of stuff likely inspired by and adjacent to it.
All I can say about this album is that, like many Radiohead Lps, I find them more interesting than enjoyable. There is a lot of cool stuff going here I like the actual mix EDM and 90s modern rock, as well, as throwback 70's synth exploration. But I really found myself admiring the complexities and really getting into the actual Groove itself. I don't know if I would put this album on as a casual listen. (7.1) ★★★½
Some cool parts, but mostly boring. 3 stars
strange ass album makes for interesting vibes
"Cybele's Reverie" is just a nice, breezy jam, as many of these songs are, bordering on a neo-psychedelia sound, with pleasant vocal delivery and bouncy, rhythmic looping/tape editing. This is yet another album, however, that does not earn the extended length. Cut 20 minutes from this and it's a really, really great record. At 57:15, I tire out about halfway through.
Got old fast.
I tend to start a lot of these 1001 albums reviews with "this isn't my thing" and truly, this isn't. That being said, there are a few parts on here that I truly did enjoy quite a bit. "The Noise of Carpet" and "Tomorrow Is Already Here" are close enough to my wheelhouse that I really enjoyed them. Problem is, I could pass on pretty much the entirety of the rest of the record. I respect what they've done here and it's not a BAD album, it's just not one I want to hear again.
Hat vielversprechend begonnen (ersten zwei Lieder), aber dann abgeflacht.
I was pretty much primed to give this a 4 but truth be told I didn't take all that much joy from it after the first half. It seems I have a limited threshold for this brand of squelchy analogue downtempo chicanery. I mean, it is still very good, just not my exact cup of tea over a full lp. One to check out again I think.
another album I have no words other than "background music"
Def got some Tacocat vibes from some of these songs like The Noise of Carpet, which I liked. Unfortunately a lot of the album was quite different vibes. The few gems bump up the rating though.
Chill, creative electronic music, yet I can’t think of one reason why I’d listen to it again.
Pretty interesting stuff, hard to categorize
Meh
Overall it’s not bad. Not a whole lot is grabbing me - it’s kind of like riot grrrl music mixed with punk and indie pop. The songs can be fairly monotonous, but they jam pretty good. With some highlights I could see myself adding a couple tracks to specific playlists but overall it’s fairly forgettable.
3.5 stars. Pretty cool electronic experimental rock/pop. Catchy beats. French lyrics. Cool bassline in "Percolator" but gets repetitive.
I mean, for some reason I didn’t hate it
Surprisingly fun and good sounds. Probably won't repeat a listen but I enjoyed the simple, fun spirit of the album.
This has an enjoyable and unusual retro-futurist sound, but most of the tracks start well before settling into an overly repetitive groove with a lack of variation or melody
No to be confuessed with Stereo Mc whoch sucks. Although not my type of music, I can feel the vibe like a modernday hippie indie electronica. Something not common so pretty original and unpredictable. Really good album
Favorite Track: Cybele’s Reverie
Caveat: I am listening to this on narcotics following an oral surgery. So I may enjoy this more or less than expected. I never got into Stereolab or their ilk. The closest I came was probably my enjoyment of Beck. I did like the one Stereolab song on the High Fidelity soundtrack ("Lo Boob Oscillator") but I think part of that was just the context and how it fit in with the other songs. I never thought I needed to check out more of their stuff. But here I am... I liked some of this. The music is fine but the language was a barrier for me in the French songs. I really liked "The Noise of Carpet." As the album went along, I liked it more. It may be the drugs, but I'm feeling generous.
66/100. The instrumentation on this record is great especially with the way it blends traditional rock elements with interesting electronics and analog synths. The French singing adds a really stylish and unique layer. However as a whole project I just think it is okay.
kind of fun! wasnt expecting french so thought my auditory processing was going craaazy but enjoyed it nonetheless. it’s hard to put albums like these up against seriously meaningful ones though, like it was fun but did it really say anything? apparently it’s based on a movie/experimental short film but the movie sounds awful
Maybe a bit too indie for me
I think I like the band a lot just not all the songs are special 3
I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with French lyrics so this, with its Foux du fafa vibe, was all right with me.
Pretty good background music
This is a really cool sound. I feel like I've heard this band before but not too deeply so I'm happy to get to listen to them with some focus now. That intro song "Metronomic Underground" is really tight and a great groove to sit and lean into for a nice eight minutes. I also love how the second track starts with that nice orchestral string sequence. It shows off the band's production chops a bit. Sometimes this feels like a pop rock version of Steve Reich music; with textural layers that blend and drone and repeat in a round, and it's all very cool and distinct from most modern popular song structures. I also like how they have such a cohesive sound when it comes to instrumentation but they aren't afraid to reach for something weird, like synths that sound like toy sounds. It's a 3.4/5 for me, but with more listens could definitely be a 4.
Kinda cool, French
Probably not something I will revisit but it was a fun listen.
I don't hate French music or electronica, and this was a pleasant listen. There's just no variance between songs. The album sounds like one very mediocre, long song. Influence 4. Hits 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. Meh 3.
Just noise
This didn't necessarily grab me, but it was nice to drift in and out to. Some songs sounded familiar, like they were from a movie soundtrack. I don't think they were, but I like that effect!
Certainly French and certainly 90’s
Interesting album. Sounds great in headphones. I enjoyed it
Good zone out music but I couldn’t tell you if it were good or not
Feels like a spiritual precursor to STRFKR. Very spacey, ephemeral, and vibe-y.
Enjoyed this. Another example of radio failing me; should have heard these songs on the alternative station when it came out!
Me gustaron los sonidos que tiene, es música que pondría de fondo ☺️
Kinda fun and funky. Just okay.
got a little bit same-y but this was cool
Not bad, it got ponderous
On the surface I should love this album, it's weird, whimsical and experimental. I just found that it went nowhere and nothing really stood out as something I'd want to listen to again. 3 stars due to it being experimental, and reasonably enjoyable.
Not for me
I don't know, I want to like this more than I do. The music is honestly mostly pretty cool. Sometimes it gets a little bit too repetitive. The vocals are not really working for me. Can't really put my finger on why, but I just don't really enjoy them. If it was instrumental I'd probably like it a lot more. Olv 26 is probably the best song on the album.
Mixed feelings. Addictive background, and horrible vocals. Unfortunately I can't split those two apart and listen just to the background.
First time with Stereolab. The music was interesting as an indie sound with maybe some prog influence. Singing was sometimes great and sometimes a bit distracting, but interesting overall.
Kinda vibey as background music lowkey
Weird... I like weird.
This was fun, I especially liked "Slow Fast Hazel"
I detest ketchup
This was fine, no strong feelings. Mostly indistinguishable background music
Actually, quite phenomenal production. Some tracks sound really really good all around. There’s not a lot to hate here other than the fact that it’s just not for me and the vocals are a little meh
Liked the vibe on most tracks, but each was far too long and repetitive.
Some groovy tracks but nothing blew me away.
# Album Name: Emperor Tomato Ketchup # Artist: Stereolab # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad. Easy listen. # Top Tunes: Cybele / # Would I listen to it again? Probably not
Some interesting songs. Especially one in 5/4 time and one in 7/8 time.
I got this album years ago after a recommendation but it didn’t hit me right at all. I’m glad I revisited it because there’s something here. I’m not a huge fan of the vocals but a few of the songs really worked for me. I particularly enjoyed The Noise of Carpet and Metronomic Underground. I think this one could grow on me more, but I found it didn’t fully draw me in so it felt repetitive rather than immersive.
Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996) On Day 80, I landed on a 3/5 for Emperor Tomato Ketchup. While the project feels a bit repetitive at times, it definitely has a lot to offer in terms of the overall production and the way the instruments are layered. The vocal performance provides a cool, "noir" vibe that sits well within the dense, experimental arrangements. It’s a technically impressive body of work that shows a lot of range, moving between lounge-jazz and mechanical pop. However, that "metronomic" nature meant it didn't quite hit that "triumphant" soul level for me. It’s a solid, well-crafted record that I can appreciate for its technicality, even if it didn't completely blow me away.
Great sound profile
Поважаю гурт, непоганий альбом. Але є у них які подобаються суттєво більше. Цей десь на 3.5
I should like this more than I do. The instrumentals are great but the vocals don’t work for me.
I enjoyed the sounds of this but it goes on for a bit too long and fades into the background. Mid 3
An album that I’m not totally sure of my thoughts about. The combination of French pop vocals (that seemed to take some inspiration from 60s music from that country) and electronic sound was one I enjoyed more than I expected. But it did drag after a while, becoming a bit samey after the first handful of songs, not helped by the length and repetitive nature of many songs.
Imagine the most annoying music guy you know spending all of 1996 telling you that this is actually the best music ever. It’s fine.
The name is the album really bugs me for some reason, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.
Decent enough. Some felt vaguely familiar but weren't quite certain of that.
An interesting album, to say the least. I understand not enjoying this type of music, but I'm here for the mixing of pop sensibilities with ambient/droning electronica. 3.5 / 5
I can appreciate a lot of the intricacies of the musicality and I really enjoyed parts of it. Other times, they felt SO up their own ass that it wasn’t enjoyable. Pretty mixed bag for me. Doesn’t help that some of the most annoying people in college loved this band.
Noise of carpet
I don't know if I was in the right mood for this and it didn't match my vibe. But. I know there would be times that it would match my vibe. Pretty fun.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. It's a kind of indie rock with female vocals. There's some interesting use of noise which keeps things interesting. I did not find it particularly memorable, however. I wouldn't mind listening again but would not seek it out either.
This was a nice listen very relaxing. Reminds me of late night driving home music or what they call elevstor music. Lead singer has a nice voice.
I like a good drone.
The electronic music didn’t do much for me. As a whole was not a bad listen but ko track was all too memorable.
Loops, post rock Metronomic underground Les yper sound Tomorrow is already here
6/10
Favorite songs: Cybele’s Reverie, Spark Plug, The Noise of Carpet Very repetitive. Sometimes building and layering. Sometimes become endlessly redundant. Metronomic Underground and Olv 26 for example.
This was very very nice. In some parts it kinda reminded me of a more upbeat Mitski, just me?
Pure vibes
I found a lot of elements here very interesting and different, but not enough to really want to engage with this much more.
Listenable. Wish I had the book so I could read on this one.
very interesting sound, sounds a bit futuristic
This is the Walmart version of M83. It's fine, and gets the job done, but I wanted it to be so much more. I will say it was ahead of its time, and it gave me more 2006 vibes instead of 1996. The title track was simultaneously catchy, and annoying, not to mention the title track is named after a completely forgettable documentary. Favorite Track: "Metronomic Underground".
Never heard of this band but enjoyed
This was a lot different than I thought. Definitely can tell it’s from the same fold and time as beck and some of those contemporaries. I liked it as sort of something going on in the background. Not an active listen.
I don't usually go for this style of music, but this album works for me.
An indie rock experience I knew nothing about. Peculiar, alive, electric.
2.5
Not terrible but super repetitive.
Firstly, great album name. I chuckled. Secondly, this record sounded as interesting as the name, in the same weird way. Good weird though. I enjoyed listening to this, even though I don't really like french language in music, and I didn't really like it in the french songs on here either. But the songs were pretty fun and quite distinct from other things on this list.
Un peu chéper mais sympa
J’ai pas compris ce que j’écoutais, c’était toujours différent Il y a des sons sympa : yper sound C’est typiquement des sons qui peuvent passer sur fip À la fin, ça ressemble vraiment à The Beths
Fun and bouncy. Not what I expected, in the vein of flaming lips.
Really new wave/experimental with the layering of sounds, melodies, and vocals. I felt like this really reminded me of the HBO series Painting with John. In the later seasons he makes some interesting music with multi layer vocals and instruments that almost feel overwhelming at times. This really reminds me of that.
tbh I dnfed it but it was funky just not something I’d really go back to
CRAZY STURDY A TOR PEDO ok scho kinda cool za chli angst gha dases chönt nervig gaggi werde. scho uf de repetitive siite bis jetz hahaha seeehr schwierig z fasse bis etz es loopt afoch alles und s isch no cool aber au nöd meeega spannend.
It's ok
It was fine to have on in the background
Krautrock but twee was quite interesting conceptually, and I was giving with it for most of this, but it did start to drag a little at the end
A three star album from the first to the last note. No points awarded for the album title.
Solid
Good! I like a bit of stereolab
in mono
Yeah fun! Can't see myself listening to it regularly but I'm glad I spent this time with it.
That was decent
Think of Sterolab as the slowed down version of the Stone Roses. The bleeps bloops and genre jumping are interesting but it does get a little old by the end of the LP. At length it is a. It tiresome. In chunks it is interesting at times.
I wish I liked it more.
The first 5 or 6 tracks here are some pretty interesting layered electronica, but the second half of the album just sort of fades into forgettable downbeat tracks. For me, the less prominent the vocals, the more interesting the song.
it's as much rock as it's not... it's def good in terms of being an interesting thing to listen to, but not fully enjoyable at the same time? i love the ideas tho
I like the more fast-packed and upbeat songs on this album. It's cool.
French made a great album, which doesn't have much beneath surface and ultimately I won't care if I'll ever listen to it again
Lustig
War echt nice sehr eigener Sound aber würde ich’s nochmal hören , eher nein
Både bra, experimentellt men också väldigt repetitivt. Bra album, inget för mig bara :p
Drivel. Boring. Updated 70s music from the 90s
Zanimljiv i prijatan album u nekom svom fazonu, dosta odskače od praktično svih prethodnih.
Strange and quirky, but it all sounds great. I definitely didn’t take it all in on one listen, but I liked it!
Super fun and unique, haven't heard anything like it. Reminded me if Tomorrowland in Disney had a band.
This was diverse, unique. Sounded fresh and unlike other alt rock of the era. 3*, not every song was great.
Decent enough. Didn't really blow me away, and was just kinda the same sound throughout. Some of it was in French, too, which immediately docks the album a few points due to the concept of French people.
Feels more like background music than anything I would actively listen to
Fascinating and weird. The Apple Music blurb describes it as “music about listening to music,” much like the Avalanches or sample-heavy hip-hop, and I think that’s not a bad description. A sometimes excessive but consistently interesting collage of pop music.
Good vibes for a certain mood.
I liked some of the chiller tracks like "Anonymous Underground," but the vocals on many tracks are jarringly discordant and not very enjoyable. Would have liked this a lot if it was just the music only.
this is the kind of thing I wouldn't reach for on my own, but I'd enjoy it if I'm out and I hear it.
But why did I think they were from Denmark or something?
Pretty chill and good background music to vibe to at work or reading.
This had some great songs near the end, but unfortunately the beginning was a bit weak.
Har nu lyssnat svinmycket på denna skiva utan att bli klokare. Älskar första låten, och kände första gången, najs! Men sen höll inte riktigt resten samma nivå. Gillar soundet, men det saknas något extra, vet inte vad. Nu är det småputtrande najs.
Interesting musically and conceptually, I did end up finding the vocal grating after a while. 3/5
I’d listen again
It's ok. Nothing incredible, but an ok listen. They blend a few genres, but every song is based on a repetitive beat. 3/5
I’m familiar with Dots and Loops, so this about matches my expectations. Fantastic arrangements and mixing, each instrument sounding superb. Songwriting is a good mix of slow build, Krautrock vibe that draws you in gradually, and straightforward hooks. But the way each song progresses is still compelling and engaging. Some songs, like Cybele’s Reverie, hit hard emotionally. Others fall a bit flat. This is the kind of music where I hope to eventually have a more profound emotional impact—it’s just not something I listen to often, but I do want to return to it. 3.5/5
I've listened through this before - very French, which makes sense, I guess, what else would it be. There's electronic music I enjoy more than this.
Not bad. A good mix of indie rock with eletronic music.
This was really quite good. Reminded me a lot of the Trainspotting soundtrack.
It’s good but it’s too like Continental or something for me. I see why people like em so much, and I bet a lot of bands I do like, liked them.
listened to this whole album and don’t remember a thing… but I don’t mind the vibe and there are other artists w a similar sound that I have been known to enjoy. 2.5
Completely unaware of this one. It's alright, but just kinda meh.
Just not much there to catch my interest. No bad but nothing to want me to really listen to it again.
It's fun, kind of quirky, and experimental as hell. While I don't think many tracks really stick with you here, if you're willing to go along for the ride, Stereolab has some new sounds to show you.
This was an interesting album; prof rock electronic trance music?
Quite nice
I didn’t like the first song at all and I thought ‘oh no I’m in for a bad time here’ but then as the album continued I found I was having a really good time, especially with the French tracks! Favourites were Cybele’s Reverie, Les Yper Sound and The Noise of Carpet. Not something I’ll revisit ultimately and I also didn’t like the titular track and and a few other really repetitive moments but yeah, a pleasant surprise. (3.5 stars)
Estranho e gostoso. Ouvi na primeira vez e odiei, acho que na segunda entendi, talvez na terceira vez escutando odeie novamente. Talvez o bom seja isso, mostra que opiniões são mutáveis.
A pretty lackluster and plain album. Pleasant enough while it's on but few tracks to keep me engaged nor coming back. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
That's not my taste in music - But some pleasant songs
Totally fine album. Sounded good. Grooved good. Nothing jumped out, but it wasn't even close to unbearable. Wouldn't mind giving it another listen.
More enjoyable than expected. More than just background music. It has some life to it.
I don't really know enough about Stereolab to say if world domination was ever their goal, or whether they were alway quite happy chugging away in the quirky little European electronic indie niche they carved for themselves. The fact is, they occupy that niche so well. I'm not sure if this is their best work - there are some repetitive moments, and I feel it's only fair to mention this having only just taken a swipe at Les Rythmes Digitales for that very crime. The second track sounds like the melody was lifted straight from The Jam's No One In The World too. In general though, Emperor Tomato Ketchup presses all the right buttons - it's experimental, unique, and full of personality and charm, if a little over-long.
Музыка: 7/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 6/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 7/10 Итог: 6.8
Motivating.
It's alright 3/5
did this feel like i was listening to the same thing after a while yes but did i enjoy it? also yes. imagine how i felt saying "this is so french" while listening to this and then googling and finding out i was 100% correct, my parisian version of gaydar NEVER fails me
at first i was like what the actual fuck is this and then it got good and now i'm like twirls~ i love this~ it's so french and chic~ but then some songs are dumb LMFAO
Cool sounds!
A few highlights but it didn't really capture me. The music was decent but didn't really stand out. The vocals were excellent, though.
Once again we plunge headfirst into the icy depths of avant-garde electronic music. I’m never so unhappy as when I undergo an assault of the senses at the hands of robot music, especially when it’s basically the Beatles’ ¨Revolution 9¨ made into eight minutes of pure hell. That was my impression upon hearing the opening track ¨Metronomic Underground.¨ Of course, first impressions are often wrong or unfounded, and ¨Cybele’s Reverie¨ is much more enjoyable. There is still electronic elements but it sounds more like a real song, and a big plus that it’s in French. Everything sounds better in French, especially when one is hungover. The third track, ¨Percolater,¨ is even better than the track before, with a killer bassline, keys and more French chanson vocals. ¨The Noise of Carpet¨ sounds like the Buzzcocks being assaulted by Devo fronted by the woman from Elastica. This album did what I guess most great art is supposed to do: it challenged me, then took me on a journey. I can’t say I enjoyed all of it, and I probably wouldn’t go again, but I’m glad I went. Best songs: ¨Cybele’s Reverie,¨ ¨Percolater,¨ ¨The Noise of Carpet¨
Nice mix of french and English lyrics with a lovely clean voice - pretty abstract structures, quite doors-like with a hypnotic touch to it. Overall easy indie listening with a touch of psychadelica
3,2
I listened the opening track many times when I was younger. I like the cool 90s vibe, the exotic French singing, the quite experimental post-rock/electronica sound, but after listening to this for almost an hour, it does feel a but too repetitive and overall, it's just without much substance.
A cool album. Experimental I'd say, not a clearly defined sound, tho very reminiscing of 70/80's pop-rock. I'm biased because I like French.
“Soundscapes” 😒. They’re like songs but they go on forever and don’t really go anywhere and aren’t as good. But if you’re doing something that looks cool and not really paying attention to them then they are kind of okay to have in the background, to the extent you are paying attention to them, which is not really that much. https://tenor.com/3oON.gif
Better than MasterFoods; not as good as Rosella
3/5 pitää kuunnella uusiks paremmalla akustiikalla. Ihan mielenkiintoinen
Liian jumi, tekijöillä on liian kivaa, voisi tiivistää kolmiminuuttisiksi. Sinänsä äänimaailma on miellyttävä. Siksi en oikein kehtaisi kakkoseksi panna, mutta kun oli sen verran tylsää…!
quite good, would have probably liked it more if i'd heard it at time. 3.5
Surely something else, but really enjoyed some of it
Aight
It’s good! It has the “everybody must be good at something, for me it’s cooking crumble” vibe. The intro of cybele’s Reverie is very nice. Almost tricked by it. I thought it’d be a serious song but no. Very lighthearted. Singing is a bit meh. But it suits the album. The only problem is too long. The album is somehow diverse, but it doesn’t need an hour.. make it 30 minutes it’d be a good four star for me!
listened to it on Friday, don't really remember anything about it. i threw on a few songs this morning to review, and it was fine. probably the most indifferent ive been about an album.
I liked the style. It wasn’t what I expected at all, but was a chill vibe while still maintaining a good amount of energy. I would listen again, but not with much urgency.
This is a fun listen, not my usual genre but really enjoyed most of it, great catchy pop mixed with electronica and rock and more. Some of the tracks on the back half of the album get a bit tedious and repetitive for me, but overall really good and will definitely return to hear this again.
Propulsive electronic updating on Kraftwerk. Worth more listens.
This one took me a bit to get into but once I did I enjoyed it without being blown away by it. Top Track - Les Yper Sound
This was really well executed but the style is not really for me. In the background it’s good and I can see why someone would like this a lot. Tomorrow is Already Here was my fave. High 3.
Mostly background music but I did like some of the vocals.
I wouldn't say this album is underwhelming, but it is unimpressive. I liked most songs here, but none of them I felt were special or memorable. This album kind of fell into the background for me pretty quickly, but it's not like it's bad background. This is only the second Stereolab album I've heard, and the other one (Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements) was wildly different (and I liked it a fair bit more), so I can't really draw conclusions about them as a band yet. Their music seems to be pretty unique, but in this album in particular, I don't think it resulted in anything particularly great. I really like her voice and delivery, through. I don't usually pay a lot of attention to it that much, but her voice is so pleasant and soothing. Unfortunately, it's Fr*nch... 7/10
Really different, i enjoyed it and ill come back to check it out again but for now i would say its a 3
8/1/25. Interesting listen, first time diving into Stereolab. Might require a few more listens, but always enjoy a unique take on pop music. Didn't expect what sound I would hear in each upcoming track.
I had no idea what to expect from this album. I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s so unique and creative. This is the kind of album I wished to discover via this project. I’m looking forward to hearing more of their work.
Kind of funky and fun reminds me of the late 90's early 2000's
I was a bit worried about this album in the beginning. But it turned out not bad. Lots of fun noises and looping to make a creative sound and album. Pretty decent!
A case of my personal rating being lower than the rating I’ll give it. I recognize the appeal and I really want to like it more than I do, but it doesn’t hit AS hard as I know Stereolab hits for some. I do love their messaging and hear how well everything’s performed. Just a little bit in a middle ground sonically, not quite total lounge music, not quite pop, a little bit electronica. I’m SOOOO happy there’s some non-English on here though, we need more of that. I liked the horns in “Percolator” towards the end of its runtime. I really liked the message of “The Noise Of Carpet”, it’s a rallying cry to not be so cynical going through life. The best bit of lyricism though is in “Motoroller Scalatron”, for that call and response of ‘what’s society built on?’ lyric. Soft soft soft 3 for me
So grabbed by the first track and surprised myself. Just felt very engaged and lost in it and the length became insignificant. Heard the band name before, but not really purposely listened to anything, although recognise the sound and vocals. Really enjoyable listen. Feels a playful sound, with the electronic elements, vocals and tone. Art rock. Ready for a second listen and then decide rating. (3.5)
This was interesting, but probably wouldn’t listen to again
A really chill album with no major standouts for me other than maybe the first track, but still a great vibe that I will likely revisit.
Yawn. Still.
3.5 Really enjoyed the first half of the album. Second half just so-so.
Interesting album. A specific sound for sure, but not enough verity.
01) Metronomic Underground - 7,0 02) Cybele's Reverie - 7,5 03) Percolator - 7,0 04) Les Yper-Sound - 7,5 05) Spark Plug - 7,0 06) OLV 26 - 7,0 07) The Noise of Carpet - 7,0 08) Tomorrow Is Already Here - 6,5 09) Emperor Tomato Ketchup - 7,0 10) Monstre Sacre - 6,5 11) Motoroller Scalatron - 7,0 12) Slow Fast Hazel - 7,0 13) Anonymous Collective - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,96 (70/100)
Lite tidigt alternativt, vissa grejer som låter helt okej, men inget jag älskar
This is pretty decent, crosses some genres at times. I had a French album yesterday too which was an ear opener. Besides my lack of understanding of the French tracks I liked it. Musically it's good, vocals are very well done. Enjoyable, different and pleasant but not something I would go back to again I doubt. There are some mediocre tracks and some great tracks. "The Noise of Carpet" is good. 3.5, but not a 4.
Un grupo muy reputado, con cierto éxito de público y la crítica rendida a sus pies. No es fácil de escuchar aunque en apariencia los temas entran fácilmente. es una extraña y funcional mezcla de indie-pop, sesentas, funk y krautrock. Cybele´s reverie fue su mayor éxito, una odisea donde todas las piezas encajan y deseas que no termine. Slow fast Hazel con ese regusto a Pet Sounds... Este disco condensa su esencia aunque yo prefiero Doots and Loops.
Started slow, got into the groove but by song 8/13 I felt like I heard enough to get it; every song started sounding the same. I could totally enjoy 1-2 songs at a time in a chill playlist but not the whole album at once.
Very interasting and weird, but also empathetic and emotional. It feels like a bipolar and quirky friend telling me about their life