Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Buen album pero no mucho mas que ofrecer
nice sound - but seems very like background music 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge
Didn’t totally click but pretty solid. Fuck kinda album name though…….
Hey I'm also a fan of Japanese experimental film
Interesting album. It is a step up from typical EDM, but can still be boring and repetitive at times. To be fair, it will need additional listening time, but for now I give it a 3.
Fun stuff, gets a bit ‘early Goldfrapp’ at times.
Might be good in a party setting, but not great for morning focus
Okay, good.
Pleasant enough. Dreamy vocals over motorik beats.
Nice, chilled out tunes! Enjoyed this one!
The two singles released from this album, Cybele’s Reverie and Metronomic Underground, which are also the openers are to me the least interesting tracks on the album, both archetypal mid ‘90s drone. Once you get past them, things perk up a lot. This isn’t exactly lo-fi but there is a charming and often joyful naïveté about much of this album which make it hard not to like. There is still that experimental rock feel of Stereolab, exactly what their name suggests, sonic magpies picking up whatever strikes them as interesting from the whole world of music and seeing what they can make of it.
One of the minor irritant of musical culture in UK is that it's predominantly English Language based, so I do like to force myself to try other cultures. And France rarely crops up. So, it was with enthusiasm I tried this LP. Alas, it just seemed so insipid. Rather whimsical, twee and ... lukewarm. Nowt offensive, but no reason to click on the repeat button.
Crazy Sturdy A tor Pedo
So this turned out to be exactly what I expected from the album name, aside from the French. Euro alt pop isn’t my genre of choice, but it’s not terrible for one listen through.
It's...ok? Some songs can jam, others, meh. The French intertwined is a bit pretentious, but what would you expect from a 90's indie band?
This was pleasant enough, essentially scraps and samples put together to create new tracks, electronic with a 1960s feel and French-pop female vocals which are nice. It's not earth-shattering and I have heard similar done better. Not sure why it made it to this list but it is good background music.
Coincidence will have it that I recently listened to the newly released 11th album from Stereolab. I could not help feeling that I was too dumb to “get it”. It's the same with this album. 'Metronomic Underground' is a great pulsating opener, but the rest of the record seems much less focused. Some catchy melodies all around, but that's sorta it.
I like how some beats/sounds just repeat themselves in this album it feels comforting but by the end of the album I was getting a bit burned out, but I liked the album overall.
Frenchy Dandy Warhols I feel like I would have been into this if I'd heard it back in the 90s, it was an ok listen, but probably won't get another spin from me.
I've always wanted to check these guys out, but whenever I did I was generally not too impressed. I always found their more popular stuff a bit unremarkable. Hoping to have my mind changed by this, really liking the album name at least. I'm a bit worried though as to the length of it, especially if I'm gonna be bored. Though an hour isn't actually that long, it can take a while if you're pausing a lot to take notes. Hoping to be surprised, going in with mixed expectations. Metronomic Underground Those are some strange electronics. Love the sound of that bassline. The way it builds up while taking its time is pretty cool. It's interesting if not a bit repetitive. The slight instrumental changeup comes at an opportune time. Great distortion, gibes the track some dynamism. The ending is very satisfying. Good. 4/5 Cybele's Reverie Pretty cool violin intro. Sounds pretty sweet, love the lushness of the instrumental. Has a nice vocal melody on the chorus. Very pleasant and catchy. Love the vocal layering. Great climax. Great. 4.5/5 Percolator Fantastic synth sound, really fun bassline. Strange instrumental. The horns(?) are pretty bad, don't like. It's a bit of a strange track that starts out feeling like it doesn't go anywhere. When it finally does I don't really like the direction it takes. I think the base concept of the song is good enough to warrant praise, but it repeats itself a bit too much. The ending is chaotic and messy to my ears. Average. 2.5/5 Les-Yper Sound Fun groove, feels like it moves very freely. I like the synths a lot. The vocals have a care free nature to them which works pretty well with this sound. Kinda fun, but not exactly life changing. Fine. 3/5 Spark Plug Feels a bit more straight forward than previous tracks. Really like the funkiness of the instrumental. Has a great synergy between main and backing vocals. Works for what it is, but doesn't exactly stand out. Wish there was a bit more of a kick to it. Fine. 3/5 Olv 26 I like how it's almost mechanical in its composition. There's some nice crunchiness to the instrumental that I quite enjoy. I don't really get anything out of the vocals. The instrumental bride at the end is very nice. Has a bit of psychedelic energy to it with the subtle panning and the bubbly background effects. Decent. 3.5/5 The Noise Of Carpet Wasn't expecting to hear such a garagey instrumental. I find how awkwardly the vocals fit kinda charming. Great solo. Has some cool layering. Decent. 3.5/5 Tomorrow Is Already Here Don't really like the intro that much, feels a bit jagged. I think the song greatly improves as soon as the vocals come in, drastically smoothens the track's rough edges. The vibraphone is really pleasant, adds a lot to the rhythmic elements of the track. Decent. 3.5/5 Emperor Tomato Ketchup Bouncy, sharp and fun. Kinda more of the same really. Has it's charms with a decently fun instrumental and a melodic and free sounding vocal performance. It's however nothing too remarkable. Fine. 3/5 Monstre Sacre I like the total change in atmosphere. Feels a bit darker with a hint of mystery. I don't care much for the lyrics as they feel a bit underdeveloped. The vocal melody is too repetitive, lacks any sort of dynamism or variety. A bit boring. Average. 2.5/5 Motoroller Scalatron Really like how colourful this is. Feels really positive and sweet. Don't have much else to say. Kinda like it. Decent. 3.5/5 Slow Fast Hazel Don't like how loud the vocals are here. I quite enjoyed the wobbly guitar. The bassline sorta grew on me, started out finding it kinda unremarkable, but ended up really enjoying how well it works with the rest of the track. The faster part of the track is honestly quite cool. Fantastic long organ notes. The higher vocals are however a bit rough. Decent. 3.5/5 Anonymous Collective It's moody and slow, and also kinda hypnotic. Love the instrumental, has some really subtle depth to it. Perfectly acceptable closer. Decent. 3.5/5 A very consistent album, but never really mindblowing in anyway. Each song felt decently creative, was generally pleasant to listen to, never straying outside of a well established comfort zone. The instrumentals, while not awe inspiring kept bringing out some fresh ideas. These ideas paired well up with some sweet and warm sounding vocals to create moments of cute and understated musicality which was generally easy to listen to. Love the diverse array of sounds and decent instrumental variety. But that's about it, there's just not a lot to talk about here. It's generally inoffensive and kinda edgeless, feeling a bit too smooth at times. My only real critisism of the album is that it has a lot of tracks that feel a bit too repetitive, where the base idea is pretty good, but it never really goes anywhere from there. It's generally just a pretty good album, though nothing that's too outstanding in the grand scheme of things. The most 7/10 thing I've heard in a while. 3.5/5, leaning more towards a 3/5 Fave track. Cybele's Reverie Least fave track. Percolator
I think if they weren’t French I probably wouldn’t have liked this as much as I did. Was bit long.
Nothing I'd choose to play in the car, but nice soundscape for background music while I work. 3/5.
very odd album but also surprisingly enjoyable with pop sensibilities
I'd heard of this and I think that - as a diehard 90s alternative music snob - I'm supposed to like this, but I don't. I wasn't at all surprised when I checked Wikipedia and discovered one of them was French.
This was different for different’s sake. I’ll give a whole point extra for novelty.
Not too exciting
Unique sound needs a relisten or two
Some of this was too odd for me. Other parts felt like a peppier Belle and Sebastian. Did not completely dislike this.
I did not hate this but it wasn't all the way there for me.
I liked it, but droned on a bit and I felt like I was losing internest
Fuzzy and computery. Nice combination of sounds.
Didn't love, didn't dislike. Pretty okay
This record invokes anxiety, but it’s still nice to listen to.
This really reminds me of Astrud Gilberto vocally throughout the record, which was cool to hear, since I love her voice and singing style. It was a super goofy listen, they don't sound like they're taking themselves too seriously throughout it, and they have a heavy ass 90's tone. Not all of those are positives. Outside of the first couple of songs, nothing here really 'grabbed' me, and I can't in good conscience give this more than a 3 for that. There's not a lot of substance. Maybe because I kept thinking she was singing in French so I paid no attention to the lyrics. Still, a fun listen, and not Britpop for once. Which is surprising for an album from 1996.
Strong start that tapers off around the halfway to three quarter runtime. I enjoyed it but found it overstayed its welcome. The album title sounds funny and I have nothing else to say about this.
positiv overraskelse, gode vibes
Happy music!
Estuvo bien. Más largo de lo que debería o, en realidad, de lo que mantuvo mi atención.
Some good and some eh.
Thoughts before listening: This album got a lot of press in the music magazines I grew up reading, but its not something I have ever listened to. I feel like this is indie rock with techno beats...maybe something like that? I don't really know. Review: So I wasn't far off on my guess for this one, but its not really "techno". This is poppy indie rock with a lot of varying influences thrown into the mix and quite a bit of experimental krautrock-style sounds. Some songs are in French and give off a bit of a Serge Gainsbourg style vibe. I prefer the more straightforward alt/indie rock songs like "Metronomic Underground" and "The Noise of Carpet". This is a 3-star album.
After a first listen, I'm not super impressed by this, but I do see the appeal. Somehow, I'm not too interested in all those rock pop albums that use a bit of electronica to spice things up. What was nice in the 1990s didn't stand the test of time that much.
Well, I don’t know what to do with that. Consistently interesting, and all over the place.
Even though every streaming platform thinks I should love Stereolab, I find them irritating despite how accomplished and dedicated they are. Their Mid Century Modern aesthetic I find cold and their political stance feels bookish.
Pretty damn good. Definitely likely a grower. On the higher end of a 3
Not very catchy, but not very generic either, songs were far too long though.
I started off being into this album, enjoying the beat-building rides of both Metronomic Underground and Cybele's Reverie. Then I found myself getting bored with the middle songs. And in the back third there wasn't really song that grabbed my attention other than the title track. Even on a second listen, it didn't improve much in my eyes. Probably would score this one as a low 3. Just wasn't totally feeling it.
not bad but not for me
Well i guessed it was french
This album has an incredibly solid first half that sort of loses its way a bit towards the end before the final two songs really pick things back up again. Definitely enjoyed it, will likely enjoy it even more upon repeated listens.
I quite liked this. Indie vibes, quite chill, not as electronic as you might think from other reviews with strings, drums and guitars in the mix. This will not change your life, but could be some ok background lazing by the pool. I give it a three.
I wasn't really actively listening but... nothing really jumped out at me. I remember like these guys a lot. Maybe I'll give it another listen
Lite flummigt men helt ok
Better on speakers than headphones. Better when it's discordant than when it's tuneful. Singer kind of annoys me. Right album for the right time, but not sure when that would be. Absentmindedly woodworking? Maybe I'm a grinch.
Ok. Favourite track is Metronomic Underground 3/5
this was ok . didn't dazzle me in any way but i did enjoy having it on while i do some work.
3 stars
Ok but inconsistent. The band needed to settle on a sound and go with it. There's potential here but it just misses the mark. Decent. I'll give it a passing grade but nothing higher.
A bit too Bestival-core for my tastes. Nice vibe but not much that really stuck with me either.
Good
Nice, chill album. Kräver noggrannare bekantskap
A very pleasant listening experience driven by looped samples, this album provides a modern take on lounge music. Favorite track: Metronomic Underground
I'd like it if I was in a different mood
I had a couple of Stereolab singles in the 1990s, but had never listened to a full album before. I don’t feel like I was missing out - I liked this but nothing really grabbed me like French Disko.
Slow Fast Hazel // 2.5/5
This was fun but I'm not sure I will come back to it l. Not super compelling but fun.
Alright alright.
low exciting
Good listen. Great background music at work
11/01/25 This was not what I was expecting when I saw the album. Pleasantly surprised.
This is quite original and I bit odd. It sounds like they are singing in French which I don't mind. Feels like 60s mod stuff. But just a little to regimented and predictable. I'll give it 3 stars
Well produced but I find the use of looped tracks a tad bit repetitive.
A mate of mine used to play these all the time back in the day but to be honest it was just background to us getting stoned and play FIFA on the x Box! I still think it sounds more like background music than something that really grabs your attention, very pleasant all the same.
fine. enjoyed it somewhat but not too memorable
Pretty solid "meh" from me. Not unpleasant, but I don't get along with the vocals. I hate that (mostly french) style of singing.
I've never listened to anything by this band, though they come up in conversation and in articles from time to time. I expected I'd like it, but surprisingly didn't find it all that interesting. Unique for sure, in terms of the mix of elements and ratios therein... also competent musically. That said, I didn't find it especially moving.
Starts off strong and fades quickly over its 57 minute runtime. An interesting sound that is intriguing at first and just lingers. Not bad and definitely a must listen, but about 10-15 minutes too long. 3/5
Enjoyed it more as it went on, some good grooves made it decent to listen to.
The 1001 list scores again! Emperor Tomato Ketchup makes the too long album list and is also a worthy entry on the 1001 Must Hear list. Freestyle Dumpling leads this Eurofeel album to (3.4*s)
Actually better than a remember. Decent album
I’ve said this before, it’s really ballsy to have the first song on the album be a long one. I guess my mind wandered off because I didn’t clue in until the song ended. I thought Stereolab was a poor man’s poor man’s oasis. Get it? No, they are like the British version of Ween with a little Zappa. I’m also not sure they sing in English on every song. This album is serviceable but weird.
A fun album that becomes a bit too much of a good thing in the end but absolutely worth a listen.
Starts off with two really good songs. Rest of the album is good but doesn't keep up the quality of those two.
Very repetetive..droning at times. Probably not in the right head space for this but I do not see how this got 4 and 5 star reviews.
This album reminded me of Fun Lovin’ Criminals. It makes me think of a movie about criminals, but the criminals are cool while doing the crimes. On the other hand, it reminded my partner of Katamari Damashi, which is a little bit different. The opening track was really cool, but before googling the lyrics it sounded like a repeating “Crazy, daddy, I talk, paedo.” Apparently it doesn’t actually say that though, so that’s good. Anyway, I like this album, but I’m unsure if it’s one that took me in enough to warrant more listens.
An okay album, I liked Cybele's Reverie
Enjoyed it
There's nothing interesting about this album. I think it's overrated compared to other electronic albums. At least I liked it quite a bit. The synths makes it a more tolerable listen. I just like synths an awful lot. 3 stars for "Emperor Tomato Ketchup".
This is a weird one. It doesn’t strike me as the kind of album that I would sit down and put on for the sake of enjoying the music. It also doesn’t strike me as an album that I’d put on in the car. I’m not sure I would ever actually intentionally play this record again. But there is something to it. It almost feels more like a soundtrack than it does anything else. It’s poppy and definitely well produced, it certainly is capable of conveying and inspiring certain feelings, but the almost ambient soundscape of it feels better suited for scoring an indie film. Lots of fun instrumentation, excellent vocals, and they clearly had a lot of fun making it. My biggest gripe is the reliance on a loop pedal, and the seemingly endless repetition therein. I think it’s mostly just not for me. I want so badly to rate this album 5/10, but I guess I will continue to round up. 3*
Saucy 🍅
Interesting album.
Started off quite shaky but got good. Honestly these guys should've stuck to the rock side of the album and less on the experimental electronica. 5/10.
I honestly didn't think I'd like this, but I actually did. I got quite into the groove of it. Would I pull this one out to listen to again sometime, probably not, but I wouldn't object if I was in the vicinity of it being played.
This album is great in concept - bringing together a truly cosmopolitan mixture of 60s French chanson, 70s Kraut-rock and 90s British indie - but in execution it falters from time to time. I already knew the album fairly well, especially being a fan of Tim Gane's first band McCarthy (well worth a listen), but Stereolab only ever periodically tickled my fancy. Incidentally, I went to see them live in 2022 and it's still one of the worst gigs I have ever been to. But while their aloof, slightly over-indulgent, and deceptively rudimentary instrumental pieces don't really work in a live context, they're pretty good on record. "Cybele's Reverie" has a bit of McCarthy's pop melodicism, but, as the title suggests, with added whimsy. Does it all fade into the background on occasion? Yes. But that's not to say it doesn't also demand your attention on occasion. On the whole, it's an album I would support with more than a hint of contradiction.
This was a bit of an odd one. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me to an extent. The enjoyable part is the soundscapes that they created. It's great as background music but doesn't really stand up to active listening.
6.5/10
Hieman turhan kokeellista ja hidasta omaan makuun. 3/5 kumminkin.
This was all right. It could serve a purpose as background music while cleaning the house.
Best oké. Soms een beetje te zweverig ofzo. 2.7
Not at all what I expected this to be. Felt like it was from the 70s, but also felt repetitive.
interesting album, very nice start falls a bit flat passed the halfway mark but never gets dull
This is like a more accessible, friendlier Velvet Underground & Nico (in French). I like it! The album name is revolting, though.
Opener 'Metronomic Underground' stared well but dragged on without much interest, 'Cybele's Reverie' is a good song and arrangement spoiled by an awful lead vocal, 'Percolator' is snappy and upbeat pop with a cool bass line and 'Les Yper Sound' is groovy electronica. All in all, it's a decent album of electronica pop, with some good ideas, I need of bit more arrangement flair and better lead vocals.
I knew of a few Stereolab tunes before, but hadn't listened to any of their albums. I liked it, it's great for background music, but nothing that really jumped out at me with a wow.
As eclectic as the film for which it was named, Emperor Tomato Ketchup paints vivid soundscapes over an electronic background. The demos on the expanded edition are worth exploring.
meh.
Too engaging to be background music, but not catchy enough to hold my full attention. Three and one-half stars. Gaining a half-star because their track (not on this album), "Le Boob Oscillator" was used in the movie, "High Fidelity."
I like some stereolab songs, but I've never been able to get into this album. It's not bad, but nothing really sticks. Also I hate the album cover and title.
Had some moments of some toe tappin. Just not anything memorable here either but it’s very easy to listen to.
I dig lots of this--a good mix of cool songwriting and experimental sounds and rhythms. A 3.5, but hitting 3 for being unfamiliar and repetitiveness at times.
kinda fire idk i refuse to elaborate 3/5
Regular album, really enjoyed "Cybele's Reverie".
Tiene cierto interés, pero no pasa de ser un buen album sinmás.
Ok
bbc radio 6 fodder
A pleasant blend of English and French singing. Grooves and melodies are pretty hypnotic - a great first foray into this 90s alt-rock band.
Imagine indie rock, now make it French, now make their main influence be all of the James Bond Soundtracks. That's this album and I cannot explain any further.
I like this one - it made me hanker for more French chill music. I’ve since listened to more Stereolab and Françoise Hardy so it put me in a comfortable easy frame of mind. Très agréable, n’est-ce pas?
I really like Stereolab, but prefer their songs that are not trying to make a point. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a complete album of theirs before. I do have many of their songs from, I think, the sound dust album on various burned CDs.
This may deserve a higher rating in terms of the group achieving what they were hoping to, I'm just not sure I'm on for the ride. I liked that there were vocals and melodies, and there was a lot of movement in the arrangements, but the robotic vibe wasn't appealing to me.
fun indie stuff, sounds like something id've listened to
I am positive as I can be that I have never heard of Stereolab or heard anybody their music before. While I like to think I have heard at least a bit of most music genres, this album defies any kind of categorization. Catchy, almost pop riffs, but nothing pop about this. The music is based on unusual chords and progressions. The lyrics are sparce but philosophical in nature, and, repetitive. I kind of liked it and I am glad it is on the list. It is something I am glad I heard once but probably won't return to
Weird. But in a good way?
As boring as an album can get. Nothing uniquely good or bad, and I can't even remember how any of them sounded. It just... was.
Emperor Tomato Ketchup seemed like something I would not like but I did. It’s avant-garde trip-hop, pop rock indie. Catchy with beautiful vocals, but slightly too long If you asked me what year it was from, I’d bet my house it was 2003-06. It’s 10 years ahead of it’s time. 7.4/10
Pretty good. I was surprised by how many songs I recognised from this, including Metronomic Underground
I listened to about half of this last year, on the advice of someone from the subreddit for this website. On paper, this is definitely up my alley. In reality, it's just okay. I wish I liked it more.
Een boel geïnstitutionaliseerde vaagheid. Grappig dat dit op een bepaalde manier tijdloos is, dit had ook in 1976 of 2016 gemaakt kunnen worden. Het mist wel wat zeggingskracht, het fladdert voorbij en dat is het dan.
Dit heeft allerlei zaken waarom ik er een teringhekel aan zou kunnen hebben. Wazige bijna schurende zang, tingeltangelgeluidjes, snobberigheid, Frans. En toch vind ik het ook sfeervol en fijn om te luisteren, als goede postrock, als lekkere triphop, als foute italo disco, als Mart Smeets die de avondetappe afkondigt. Ik ben dus ook enorm in dubio, want ik hoor dit helemaal niet leuk te vinden. En toch vind ik het geinig. Niet 4 of 5 sterren geinig natuurlijk. Maar ik had het ook een 1 of een 2 kunnen geven. Misschien dat het de opmaat is naar een zomer vol sport in la douce France. Maar ik ga gewoon een 3 geven, maar wellicht dat dit geen vergeetbare 3 is.
Good stuff. I enjoyed gobbling up this portion of ketchup.
Boringly ok.
Cybele's Reverie
Eugh, I want to like this but it feels like it never ends, and doesn’t really get into a fifth gear or feel more than what it is. Theres a few motifs that I really love but maaaan, it never sustains that level of goodness.
not bad
Enjoyable background music. 3/5
Oh, wow, this is delightful. Stereolab was totally off my radar!
Weird. Not sure. Probably a 2.5, should listen to it more and to other material by that band.
very good very nice
New to me, and pretty listenable.
Way soft to be termed "rock." Album has a lot of real "pop" songs on it. Not a bad, light listen. Mostly 'meh. Some is downright annoying.
I know one song by this band, and I love it. It turns out there is a reason I only know that one song. That said, there is something very comforting about the repetitive beats, whisper-soft voices, and the interplay between the French and English lyrics. It’s very nice background music, but not something to sit up and take notice.
A very interesting new discovery for me. Really liked the overall happy mood of the album. An eclectic mix of sounds and loops. Didn’t reach for the skip button at any point. A high 3 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
I love the mix of French and English, and there are very unique, unusual, and eclectic sounds that worked. It's just not something that I would actively seek to listen to again.
Interesting listen, not overly exciting to me though
Nice chilled vibe.
Kept my interest throughout
Started rocky but I really liked the French tracks (trying to get more francophone). We made pizza while listening
An interesting listen but gets a bit repetitive after a while. My favourite of theirs though.
Wasn't super into this at first, but over the course of the album I actually started to dig it. I would probably rate this higher after more listens, but for now it's a solid 3.
Initially didn't think much of this but it grew on me by the end. Dunno why, but it kept reminding me of Deerhoof. 3.25/5
Kind of cool.
Really dug the bass-driven melodies. The first and last tracks were the best - both gave me some Chili Peppers vibes. However, the middle just kinda drug along for me.
Interesting
Ryan said that this was awesome and I thought it was fine
3.4
Not bad, but not exactly for me.
Not bad
Some decent songs, some bad ones. Didn't have a great flow to it, I won't be going back to this album.
I dunno about this
Interesting, quirky little songs. 3/5
✌️
hmm… - sounds interesting, but at the end it‘s not my favorite. Good try - 3 stars
5.5/10
3 - I was really hoping to like this. I was even expecting for it to get something close to a 5 because I like other music that is considered similar to Stereolab. But alas, it was not meant to be. It was much more repetitive than I expected. Every song sounded pretty similar to me. It wasn't bad, but there was only one song that I cared about. Oh well...
While it didn't absolutely blow me away, it did pique my interest. The style felt very indie, and very groovy. Favorites were Noice of Carpet and Tomorrow is Already Here
I found this one to be very interesting. Some good melodies and loops. Favorite songs were Cybele’s Reverie, Percolator, The Noise of Carpet, and the title track.
3.5/5
The music is fine, albeit very, very repetitive at times. There are several tracks that are mostly one chord, which is always a risky move. I don't reckon that choice ever paid off (e.g. The Noise of Carpet, an otherwise fantastic rock track, is seriously marred by how harmonically monotone it is. Tomorrow Is Already Here suffers from the same issue). It's also bold to start off the album with the heavily looped electronic track Metronomic Underground - an 8-minute track that uses almost exclusively one repeated lyric - and expect the product to be likeable by wider audiences. That being said, some of the instrumental and (especially) vocal layering in tracks like Cybele's Reverie and Les Yper-Sound is super cool. The combination of synths and more old-school rock elements in songs like The Noise of Carpet is enjoyable. Additionally, I can respect the lack of electronic percussion in an album from the mid-90s.
This was a great mix of feeling like background music that is still engaging to listen to.
Happy chill upbeat music. Great backdrop for a chill workday, but not something I'm going to write home about.
Good to get a chance to listen to this
3-4 Precolator, Les Yper-Sound
Ah, Stereolab - I *know* them. Having checked Wikipedia, it appears I don't know them at all. Can see why the indie hipsters would absolutely cream themselves over this - Anglo/French? check. Bloopy bleepy? check Passed by in the background nicely enough. Am I going to rush out to purchase it on vinyl and learn to be a barista? No.
It was an interesting album. Gave it two listens. Not sure it’s for me, but I found myself enjoying the laid back electronic loops. 3/5.
Really enjoyed this. It was quite an experimental sound in places but it was good enough to listen back to back ! High 3*, probably not quite a 4
Way better than I anticipated. Still not my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Metronomic Underground
I enjoyed this, although it's not something I'd listen to regularly. Very varied sound on this
Actually a unique sounding record. Some tracks didn't exactly do it for me but nevertheless it was a good listen.
Blind album and artist. Definitely one of the more intriguing albums I have listened to, but in a sort of weird feeling way I say to myself "I feel like this could potentially sound cool...?"
really dug this, but the looping lyrics and repetitive beats sometimes irritated my brain - would be a regular listen for me if the songs were each about 1/4 shorter
Didn’t really connect with any of the songs, but I appreciate having my palette challenged.
Good background music for working.
It was an interesting album. It was not terrible Not an album that I would listen to again.
I didn't hate it but wouldn't put it on again. Bit low quality/vague and repetitive within songs. Song's weren't bad overall, but not great either.
Took a minute to get used to, more of a vibe album than something I would actively listen to, still pretty good though. Low 3.
Maybe even 4, need to listen more
Emperor tomato ketchup.. what a goofy name. Did not enjoy the first song so I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album. The electric techno vibe is not really my thing and I have too unrefined of an attention span for the amount of instrumentals/non singing bits present so don’t think I’d listen again… but I actually liked most of it, the French was fun I think I liked it better than the English parts 7/10 rounded down bc I don’t think I’d listen to any of the songs just cause
It was fine, got pretty boring 6/10
English-French vibey goodness. Merry Christmas.
Interesting. Francoanglaies. Cool songs harmonies keyboards builds kinda electronic, but still rock/indie. Bears further investigation
I appreciate how it takes the Kraftwerk idea of semi-robotic music, and throws a little more pop into it. I think the vocals can be a little same-y throughout, but overall it's a pleasant-enough record to throw on in the background. Favorite tracks: "Motoroller Scalatron", "Cybele's Reverie"
I like it. This album will probably go into my rotation but I don't think it's groundbreaking or particularly influential. It reminds me of those Instagram guitar players that are clearly talented but lacking any real depth or interest once you can puzzle together the different techniques they've mashed together into a song. Going with a strong 3 but it could be a weak 4 instead.
insufficiently saucy
I listened to the first 2 songs. I am going to send the rest of the songs to my husband cos he liked regurgitator and might get something more out of this. Some stars.
Too gimmicky, but this list had me listen to much worse
More familiar with other stereo lab tracks. This was ok though.
Decent
Aside from the name of the album, there wasn't much here that I could take away. Seems like perfectly serviceable rock music, albeit I'm sure some messaging went over my head being in a different language and all. Highlight: The Noise of Carpet Lowlight: Olv 26 Surprise Hit: Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Not what I thought. UK/EU neo-krautrock. 3.5
Það er eitthvað ljúft og heillandi við þetta.
3.5 Good French, almost as good a French Kissing.
Decent from a musical point of view but vocal and lyrical content didn’t really do much for me.
fun lush tunes gotta listen more sadly I enjoy dots and loops way more
Rock alternativo.
This was goofy.
Unusual album, I quite liked it
Would be ok to listen to high. Otherwise not great, not bad, just chill.
Very meh, pas trop de substance mais de petites idées quand même. +1 à la note grâce aux petits bouts en français
3,5
Fun album
I really like stereolab, but honestly, they’re kinda samey after a few songs.
Enjoyed at the start but couldn't wait for it to finish by the end...
An interesting record from a band that hasn't crossed my path before. I enjoyed the Anglo-French vibe. The songs are metronomic looped sounds and have a light and summery feel. Great pop.
Pretty awesome French music.
Good to have on in the background but didn't blow me away
Really enjoyable but just lacked any killer tracks to make it a 4
enjoyed the bloops and beats
I don’t like the album cover or name, and Stereolab isn’t a gripping name either so I have ignored them until now, which is my bad. They are a clear influence on bands from the 00s that I love and I should be more respectful. Album has some chill tunes but it loses me at points. 5/10
God, I liked it, but why is it so long?
Вот вроде смотришь на список альбомов и ждёшь чего-то французского на Rythmes Digitales. А в итоге - кетчуп тут как тут. Какой же музыкальный язык конечно всё-таки... смыслов там правда немного. Вот только не знаю, как не везде мне вокал понравился. Особенно когда Летиция пытается петь низко - странно выходит. По вайбу напомнило Spiritualized на минималках: здесь как будто не хватило глубины.
мозг перегрузился от жужжания знатно конечно
It was interesting and had some well crafted music but not sure how much I will listen to this going forward.
A mix of French and English, more French sounding but with a English 90s Alternative twist
Better than I expected. The first and last tracks were annoying and repetitive, but some of the stuff in between was pretty good and varied.
not bad
Fun alternative album that I think deserves a spot on this list for it's uniqueness alone. Great unpacking music!
Quite enjoyed it, some songs more than others but overall quite enjoyable 3.5/5
Some nice dreamy sounds
Som bizarre plein de truc que j'ai aimé 3.75.
I listened to this album like four or five times today and while I cannot remember a single track distinctly each time was a good listen. I got Komeda meets St. Etienne vibes all day long. Success?
Unique sound. I really liked certain parts, but others were a bit much for me
Good name album. Good album art. Just find music. It's very French and even if I hadn't read the blurb I think it's Frenchness would have been apparent. Not bad!
Another album I had wanted to hear but never got to. It gets a lot of praise but I wasn't totally on board. It's fairly interesting and not a bad listen but it never really had any standout moments to me. Pleasant enough to listen to, but not good enough to make me really want to return.
It's quite nice. Easy going but with some interesting things going on.
Can‘s legit offspring !
3.75
interesting and fun
Too long, but inoffensive
I'm pretty sure this would fall into my sleep music category, mostly really chill, interesting album. Definitely will listen again.
Splatty bloopy Frenchy poppy weirdness.
Background work music. Kind of pleasant.
The musical definition of competence.
Never heard of stereolab before, this is as an interesting album, enjoyed this but the French vocals were a bit annoying stops this getting anything more than a 3.
Some really longs songs that are somewhat repetitive. Could have cut some songs in thirds and still be OK.
Best Song: Cybele's Reverie. The overlapping vocals were really pleasant. Worst Song: Emperor Tomato Ketchup. This track has one of those rhythm sections that is so repetitive that it oscillates between catchy/bouncy and grating/mind-numbing. By the end of the song, it landed fully on the latter. Overall: I always like to see pop that feels unique and experimental. Not everything works here (sometimes the rhythms are downright annoying), but damnit I respect them for being weird. Has a nice jazzy feel. Well suited for background music.
A pretty chill album, I kind of liked the half French, half English
You know how sometimes people are irritating just for the sake of being irritating? What if one of these people was an entire album? Okay, so I wrote those lines after the first 2 songs. Clearly, this album didn’t start off well for me. Thankfully it got better and better as it went. Slow Fast Hazel is the second to last track and I love it. Need to give this album, and band, more time. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
Groovy, charming, really lovely. A little goes a long way though. Fave Songs: Cybele's Reverie, Motoroller Scalatron, Metronomic Underground, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Spark Plug
Kinda mid. I kinda enjoyed it.
Lyrics half in English and half en français - une très bonne idée! Keeps it intéressant, même si la musique is sometimes un peu dull. Je l'aime, but didn't love it, mais je crois que I might have been very into them si j'avais les connais quand j'etais plus jeunes. Trois étoiles / three stars
Very interesting sounds. I liked the production, and the vocals in french sounded great. Overall it good background jams.
I actually mostly like this. The soft french vocals, the beats, and other layered musicals work well together and was nice to have on in the background while working.
Enn í Amsterdam. Seinna
Keep wanting to like it but song after song came up short for me. Didn't hate it just ended up being a one and done.
музыка интересная, надо ещё послушать
I like it
Better than I was expecting. Got a little repetitive towards the end, but all around a decent listen
Stereolab are fine in spits and spurts but a whole album never quite gets off the ground.
Fine
Interesting in some parts, long-winded in others. Worth a re-listen.
krautrock-obsessed are these cool frenchy londoners more to come from them
Pleasant enough. They passed me by at the time. It's a little bit dinner party music for immersion but I didn't not like it.
Quite a gentle and listenable spot of 90s rock
Weird album yet easy to listen to
Busy day, cried in therapy more than a bit, ask that question, busy rest of day but unproductive, Queen’s English, annoyed at social vibes (even though good), food good, walk home, good chill, just be a yes man
This is the fourth album by English-French rock band Stereolab and it is an experimental pop album. It is one of their most successful albums. The band toyed around with looping sounds together to create their songs instead of using their common drone sounds. This change was well received by critics and I liked the album as well.
Better than I expected, still a bit weird
Not bad. Would not add to my playlist, but overall I like the sound of it.
Nice ambient background music with soothing vocals. Very calming and nice to listen to. Not overly interesting though. The songs "The Noise of Carpet" and "Slow Fast Hazel" really stand out
Really interesting indie sound that makes for good background music, but does stretch out too long in many songs. Hard to analyze lyrics in a different language but vocals were well made and well mixed. Nothing too earth shattering but an enjoyable listen overall.
Catchy, simple songs with a bit of quirkiness. Enjoyable experience.
An 80s feel from the 90s
Top 3 Songs: 1 - The Noise of Carpet (7) 2 - Cybele's Reverie (2) 3 - Anonymous Collective (13)
Quite like it - will listen again and to other albums by them
Not that good, not that bad.
Enjoyed a previous album - the one with the magnificent Ping Pong - so was pleased to hear a similar sound, but more attention to more succinct conventional indie songs. An interesting mid 90s sound against the prevalent Brit pop, trip hop, grunge and angsty rock of the era. Not quite a 4, but good.
A pleasant listen. Nothing bad on it. One of my favorite songs, The Noise of Carpet, is here.
Stereolab has always just felt like bland, watered down krautrock to me. It's not bad per se, it just lacks the adventurous spirit of krautrock - rather than going on a journey, you're going on a theme park replica of that journey.
A mix of indie, pop, techno sounds. Some of the songs are in French. A very interesting & different listening experience, enjoyed most of the ride.
Another band heard of but never knew what they were about. Turns out partly French.
The music is quite good, singing style reminds me a bit of the Coraline soundtrack. But....it's not really memorable
It was something. Not too bad, actually quite relaxing as I dozed off in my chair while listening. Definitely not something I would go out of my way to listen too.
Its pretty much similar to all Stereolab but it trundles along quite nicely
je suis un fromage frais. le petit pois sont dans la banque. ooh ah cantonaaaaa! Je donne des coups de pied aux oiseaux i enjoyed singing along to these.
I once bumped into into a pregnant prostitute who accused me of trying to touch her unborn baby. I remember Stereolab was blaring out in the background. I was questioned by the police, who eventually realised there was no case to answer, but fuck me, it was a stressful afternoon. The funny thing is though, I did actually have a grope.
Stereolab is a new band for me, and all of the music on Emperor Tomato Ketchup was new too. There is also something familiar about this album. I'm not sure what music I was being reminded of. I thought that the album was good enough for a single listen. There were a couple of tracks that were 80% good, but the other 20% of the track was noisy end chaotic enough that I was ready for the track to be over. "Metronomic Underground", "Les Yper-Sound", and "Anonymous Collective" were thetracks that got my highest rating individually.
On first listen, I thought it was pretty boring and insignificant. But, as the day went on and I heard it more, I started really enjoying it. It isn't anything fantastic or amazing, but it is like the music version of comfort food. 3/5
What an entirely unique confluence of musical and production elements. I can't say I'll be coming back to this album over and over again, but it was fun to be introduced to.
Interesting without being great
I don't have any strong feelings about this album one way or another. It was easy to listen to and enjoy. I would listen to it again.
Un disc inspirador. Es poden escoltar els ressons que vindrien anys després amb bandes com Au Revoir Simone. També hi ha guitarres, i una producció de mèrit interposant capes i capes per acabar donant vida a un treball interessant i en moments com els de 'Olv 26' o 'Cybelles Reverie', captivador
Great techno feel.
In the first song, I thought that it will be another annoying electronic music album with the same song for 1 hour. However, after this annoying introduction, all the other songs are pretty good. Some indie pop mixed with rock and hip-hop which is very nice to listen to. Not quintessential for me, but nice to listen during the morning!
On the paper, I can get that many people find this Stereolab album charming. On the paper, that is. Because as adventurous as this record can be in its best moments, I however can't help feeling that the overall listening experience it has to offer is just a little too disjointed and pointless to this particular set of ears. Bleeps and bloops are always fun. But you need more than those sorts of playful sonic asides to build an album that goes beyond the usual "exercice de style". "Metronomic Underground" is a nice opener, for instance. But essentially, it is only Can's "You Doo Right" with scratches and a few tweaks here and there, instead of a true build-up to ecstasy. When does a piece of music end up being a smart hommage to the past and when does it start becoming a quite stale reproduction of it instead? It's a tricky question. Besides, many tracks in this collection seem a little too *nice* and innocuous to me anyway. I sometimes wonder if being French plays a part in this partial reluctance of mine here. It's not that Laetitia Sadier's lyrics in that language are bad (they're at least not worse than the ones in English). But it's as if understanding those words right away somehow kills a bit of the mystery some non-native French speakers see in them. Or at least that's the way I'm trying to explain the rave reviews for *Emperor Ketchup Tomato* in the English press at the time. Make no mistake, the subtly grinding motorik rythms of "Les Yper Sound" are somehow addictive, the lush layers of "OLV 26" are weaving a quite evocative soundscape, and the way "Tomorrow Is Already Here"'s guitars are bouncing and complementing each other from one headphone to the next is just fascinating and hypnotic (not to mention those marimbas !). Same with the voices in "Cybele's Reverie". Or the mesmerizing (and darker) qualities of closer "Anonymous Collective" (ending all too soon, unfortunately). But as successful as those oneiric forays are, other cuts clearly overstay their initial welcome, like the *Time Out* 5-beats trope--overplayed to death--in "Percolator". Or the mock-garage-indie-whateverness of "The Noise Of Carpet". Or the endless circles of the electro loops in the title track, leading to nowhere in particular. Not to mention quite a few others here and there... The thing is, when it comes to tongue-in-cheek pop experimentation fronted by a female yéyé mock-ingénue singing over a soundtrack filled with retro-future winks to the sixties, I think I'll always have a soft spot for Broadcast instead of Stereolab. Maybe in comparison the latter are just missing out on the necessary tension and/or melancholy to make the whole thing emotionally rewarding. But maybe that's just me and how I like my ketchup: with more acidic pickles, bittersweet ginger, and a far more *obvious* and substantial slice of spleen, right in the middle of my dish. Sugar ain't enough sometimes, even when sprinkled over a big juicy sonic tomato. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 917 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 43 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 23 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 19
Funky songs. Again nothing stood out but I’d listen again while reading or relaxing.
I wanted to like it more but found it a bit bland after the first few tracks.
I can’t say that I think I will ever revisit this thing after the review but there are some really interesting bits: Just before I start the track by track I have to say this artwork is dreadful! The album starts off with metronomic underground is alright but at 7 mins it takes quite a while to get going and by the end I never wanna hear anyone say “crazy sturdy a torpedo” again. Like literally! There’s only 4 lines in that aren’t “crazy sturdy a torpedo” or some kinda variation in the first song. Cybele’s reverie is definitely the best song just a fun sounding french pop song with pretty cool strings, and while repetitive a good bridge! Percolator sounds like some weird spy theme in my head It’s alright. Les yper-Sound I don’t like the singing on this one ( but luckily there’s not much) this bands french song’s are just better. I know i’am contradicting myself here but spark plug is actually quite good for an English sung track it’s probably more annoying instrumentally. Olv 26 takes a bit long to start but the song itself is alright even though the razor like sounds at the end are a bit odd. The noise of the carpet is more my kinda song very rock but I must say the English singing is still a bit annoying. Tomorrow is already here is repetitive and the singing is a annoying but musically it’s a favourite. Emperor tomato ketchup is alright not really a stand out for me the intro drags a little bit longer then i hoped as well. Monstre sacre is haunting sounds like some weird chant to me it’s hard to hear the lyrics which I don’t mind. Motoroller Scalatron would be good without the singing or the laser-y sounds still it’s alright ( it’s also very repetitive). So many of these songs have good lyrics but the way her voice sounds i’am just not a fan especially on slow fast hazel but it’s still one of the better songs I really like the chorus and the instrumental bit. Anonymous collective is so repetitive but it makes a good ending to the album. Overall it’s a very entertaining listen that I would recommend for someone to try at least once, but it feels way too long, the singing is a bit annoying and lyrics are repetitive.
Fun to listen to!
Mélange de son intéressant mais je suis pas sûr de vraiment avoir trippé.
Eclectic. Interesting. I don't know if I liked it. There were some tracks I would come back to, but as a whole? Maybe I'll try that again sometime in the distant future. Maybe.