Reviews (page 6 of 8)
3.5
A slice of 90s psychedelic indie, doesn't really have any standout bangers that grab you, but I'd happily put it on again while I'm working or cooking or something.
Great background music
It was alright. Inoffensive. Bit like a more dancy Belle and Sebastian. Good music for working to
There’s room for this in the rotation. Also I think Percolator influenced Radiohead’s 15 Step.
Interesting. Background music that draws you in. Turns out it's very likeable.
Fun album to listen to as background music while working. I'm not a fan of indie/eletronic/french music, but this surprised me. Favorite tracks: * Percolator * The Noise of Carpet * Metronomic Underground is also good, although too long and repetitive
This was good for background noise while I was working on some stuff today. Lots of looping/repetition but that made it good "working" music.
Really liked the first few songs, but felt like it fell off in the second half. Very weird album…. Yet surprisingly enjoyable? I added “metronomic underground”, “OLB 27”, and “Motoroller Scalatron” to my headphones playlist.
Groooovy. Better than expected, but nothing too much jumped out. *Old Lungs
Sort of like a mix between Metric and Flaming Lips, half in French. Tracks vary in how interesting they are, but worth a listen.
The best of this album IMO: - Percolator - The Noise of Carpet Unique sound. Goes on the weird side. It's entertaining and interesting. Main voice melodies are a bit basic, not very creative. French fits well with the style, alors c'est bien. Music can unfortunately be repetitive despite its uniqueness. 3.1/5
Some of these songs reminded me of Megan Draper singing Zoobie Zoobie Zoo in that one episode of Mad Men. Most of them were pretty good though. 3 stars.
Eclectic. The first song on the album, and the most played, is definitely the worst. If you can make it through that one, the album gets quite a bit better. Probably gets better again if you're tripping on some kind of substance - but I wouldn't know. It's fine. Average. 3 stars.
Stereolab shoot a course for the sun and get at least half the way there by way of trial-and-error, sustained jamming (ignoring the dodgy album art circa Windows 95). Musically, all of the songs are built upon sketches- a couple of bars looped, a drum beat, a bassline- specially selected, extended out, and dressed up with layers of experiments woven in and out. This approach works to Sterolab’s credit for much of the album. “Metronomic Underground” is a hypnotic opener in its simplicity. Two overlapping bass parts and a recurring three word lyric (“crazy- sturdy- torpedo”) take the lead as the song builds in intensity to a dramatic climax. However, the jams were also a weakness as I found myself longing for a tighter focus, less meandering. The organ and guitar combo in “Tomorrow Is Already Here” is used to limited effect in an irritating staccato refrain that never really resolves anywhere. “Monstre Sacre” is some repetitive noir-noodling that didn’t seem to sit right in the pacing of the album. For all the “futuristic” appeal this seemingly had at the time, there are a lot of retro electronics even by 1996 standards. The band celebrate future sounds from the past, making use of analogue sounds like strings, organ, assorted percussion. Even the more electronic based songs tend to call back as much as forward: in “Olv 26”, the drum machine and fuzz bass recalls Suicide’s self-titled album from 20 years earlier, while “Les Yper Sound”‘s motorik beat, stuttering rhythm and waves of synth visits the Krautrock of Neu or Can. Not all the instrumentation worked for me- “Spark Plug”’s jangly rhythm guitar stuck out of place as generic indie rock material- but on the whole it seemed to strike a good balance between futuristic and nostalgic. As far as the other highlights here, there’s some fun with time signatures in some of the grooviest tracks: “Percolator”‘s insistent bass line is a bubbling of quavers over 5:4, and “Motoroller Scalatron” is propelled forward by a seven beat organ refrain. I also want to single out “The Noise of Carpet”, a chaotic desert storm. It utilises all parts to dazzling effect- more live instrumentation, and more passion and urgency applied to the vocal than across the rest of the songs. All in all, there are lots of highlights here but the ones I haven’t mentioned were fairly forgettable on first listen, and served to just add atmospherics rather than stand out as quality compositions or highlights in their own right. I can’t decide if the album is best played driving down an open road under a looming storm, or to add ambience while cooking up a stew. So I’ll suggest both at once for the best effect.
stereoo
Some of the tracks were interesting to me and kept my attention. This album is at times hypnotic, e.g., 'Tomorrow Is Already Here,' 'Monster Sacre,' and 'Anonymous Collective.' And although I can speak only a dozen words or so, if that, I do love the sound of the French language, so as pure aural pleasure I loved it when she sang or spoke in French. If someone described this album to me, I don't think I would listen to it. Kudos again to this project.
3.2
This was a really weird one in a neither particularly good nor particularly bad way. I guess it was an interesting experience to hear this really strange genre mashup. But I feel the execution could have been a lot better.
Cool. Liked it then; like it now. Ground breaking? Nah.
Decent album. It felt a little experimental, like it couldn't decide if it was going to be trance or pop or new punk. At the end of all that, it was slightly too messy for me. Still a 3 star album.
Not bad. Not quite for me either but they have a cool sound. I liked the combination of pulsing guitar and other instruments on OLV 26 and Anonymous Collective. I guess that's kind of their thing but I thought it worked really well on those tracks. That overlay motif was okay on Metronomic Underground but what I liked more about that track was its funk sound (which they get back to in a so-so way on Spark Plug). They mix up their styles quite a bit (first 3 tracks differ widely), which shows some chops but also makes the album less seamless. Sadier has a voice that is sometimes sweet and fits their style and is sometimes grating. I found it off-putting on the Noise of Carpet and Tomorrow is Already Here. It worked well on Les Yper Sound. The title track and Motoroller Scalatron are fun. I'd say a cool, uneven album. It did get better with each listen.
This was a fun album but nothing that blew my mind. I wasn't crazy about the vocals the first time listening but they grew on me the second time around. Not really much more to say about this. Average.
Svårt. Rätt goa bitar men lite för konstigt emellanåt och lite för långt album.
Canciones suaves y tranquilas, muy con estilo indie. Se deja escuchar aunque tiene un poso de que le falta algo de energía. Mediocre, sin más.
Great name, music didn't do so much for me
Very French sounding. Ahead of it's time I guess.
Can't say I've really heard anything like this. It's a little hard to get into, but I appreciate how unique/innovative it is.
Really liked the bass lines and instrumentation. Repetitive and surprised by the French vocals
Pseee, muy espacial para mi gusto
"Cybele's Reverie is an excellent song with French lyrics. The other experimental pop is not that bad either.
French ass Broken Social Scene.
Overall solid but not captivating. I was familiar with the first track and like it. The rest was of a similar vein but more fully explored their unique sound, in both good and bad directions.
Meh, I like the electronica, but this didn't impress me.
Enjoyed. Fun vibe and like the French influence.
Nooit van gehoord, maar leuk bandje! Net geen 4 sterren waard.
Wel aardig, maar ook wel erg dromerig en daarom wat slaapverwekken.d
Thought I wasn’t gonna enjoy it. But I did. Will listen again, when trying to look a bit fancy around some muso’s.
Great fun.
Bit samey, didn't love anything in particular. Nice beats
Starts off great. Really decent poppy indie dance. Will give them the benefit of the doubt and presume they are french and not just pretentious. Tails off a little at the beginning of the second half then comes back strong with the title track, then goes a little electronic for my taste. Not an unpleasant listen but probably not something I'd seek out again. 3/5
Quite nice and pleasant. Enjoy the french language singing. A bit like Saint Etienne. Doesn't sound particularly exciting or innovative today. Enjoyable overall.
It definitely grew on me. Or maybe the first song was just trash. The songs felt very internally repetitive, but there was variety between the songs. Seriously considered giving it a 4
Creo que no digeo este disco. O sea está chido el eclecticismo pop-bossanovaish-rocky altenativo, etc. Pero sentí que escuché una hora de la misma canción. Mood: cuando das muchas vueltas de niño para marearte.
I thought I knew this outfit but I was getting them mixed up with Stereo MCs. Very Low Fi, I like the move back n' forth from English to French. Definitely grows on you. Some good tracks - a Velvet Underground influence, not too crazy about the Nico-sounding vocals on some. I'm sure I'd give it a higher score next year.
Motorik beats, squelchy sounds, a kind of Francophone cool pervades - it's studied, chic and quite fun in small doses, but after a while washes over you somewhat. Not bad, not brilliant.
If Krautrock and fringe rock had a baby it would be Stereolab. Most of the hipster indie groups today were influenced by Stereolab in some form, whether they realize it or not. Love the pulsating beat of Les Yper sound, tres chic
Algo repetitivo, aunque las voces estuvieron genialess
Avant Garde pop..I enjoyed it. Original and probably part of that early 90s movement towards the indie sounds prevalent today. A little too long of an album but I liked it!
This was a fun record. Not really sure what it was though! Interesting cross-genre vibes from the mid-90s.
Interesting. I’ve never listened to this band, but recently learned David Pajo from Slint played with them at one point, so they were on the To Do list. Really like the 2nd track and some of the other French tunes, but this thing is kind of all over the place and ends with a fizzle. I do not like their graphic design. I do not like the title. The whole presentation here is hard to pin down. But not terrible! I’d listen to more.
More fun in the beginning than the end.
It's good background music, but not something I’d sit and listen to specifically for the listening experience.
Spark Plug
Hard to rate this one. Really unsure if I like it or not. Interesting stuff nonetheless.
Nice to listen to while working
Cool tracks. Good use of electronics with instruments. Nothing bad but nothing amazing either
Like it alot
Pretty good. Pretty raw at times but that';s not a terrible thing.Will need more listens for a true rating.
Weird name but not a weird album. Surprisingly decent as some background music. The perfect example of a 3 star album
En sjov sammenblanding af genre. Lidt funket, lidt elektronisk, lidt pop og underlige tekster. Et specielt album, som har nogle fængende numre men kræver nok noget mere seriøs lytning 3.5
Post-rock
The complete opposite of my taste, not for me at all
Not my thing
Offered an album with this impenetrable title by artists I'd not heard of, I almost didn't listen. But I did, and it was just about worth the investment of time. Unlikely to revisit, though.
A little spacey, a little naive, a little oddball. Not great singing and I’m still waiting for something catchy that I can remember.
This list is killin' me. This is an interesting album, but is it a must hear Top 1001 record? Fuck no. I got into them for a minute in the late 90's and I would not call this their best album. They have cool song that are way less annoying. I liked the groove on the opener, "Metronomic Underground", but my god, that horse got beaten to death at 8 mins. About as vanilla as it gets. This was not a fun listen. The instrumentation was good at times, irritating at others. Moving from English to French got old. It felt like they were practicing and putting it on tape, unfinished thoughts and incomplete songs. It felt like a new band playing together and noodling before they know who they are. Not enjoyable. 2 stars and that's a stretch. No hits, no influence/longevity, no airplay, no nothing.
🫤 ok, the bass got me, but other than that…Fuck right off!
tiene momentos raritos que se destacan pero se repite como un cd rayado 5/10
The first three songs sounded like one long one. After that, it was just hit or miss ambient background fodder that did little for me one way or the other.
I found this a bit odd and interesting. But I still didn’t like it.
Loses a star for Fr🤮nch
Just an hour of straight nothing
I don’t even remember one track from this album which speaks for itself.
This ain't it.
Liked it more towards the end but still not really for me
It’s just too repetitive for me. There are parts of songs that I like but then they go on too long. By the end I just really wanted it to be over. I do think they do a good job of building an atmosphere and I thought the vocals were good but really it’s just not my thing. Fav song: Monstre Sacre Least fav: Metronomic Underground
Meh, pretty boring 90s electronica.
honesty very iffy at first but pretty into it the further i got, saved 0/13
Maso
2⭐️
Okay, but ultimately a bit bland and boring.
Sehr elektrisch, etwas stampfend. Nicht mein Geschmack. 2/5
Not my cup of tea
2.5 if it was an option. Not my thing, but there’s enough meat on the bones for me to try another Stereolab album or two
Experimental, right? Normally, this category would bring to mind something that’s somehow surprising, jarring, or unsettling… Instead, on “Emperor Tomato Ketchup,” Stereolab delivers a series of semi-electronic tracks that are so monotonous that literally any 3-second sequence from them could be used as a ringtone. The slightly livelier “The Noise Of Carpet” stands out just a bit, but at best reaches the status of a solid track. If Stereolab hadn’t happened to be founded in London, Robert Dimery certainly would never have heard of them. That wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.
I firmly believe that all of stereolab's good output after the 3rd album would barely fill an EP. this goes on forever.
Huge disconnect between reputation and what I heard here. I think I just don't care for this sort of low key soundscape stuff. Didn't dislike it! Just not for me.
it was interesting not a huge fan of it
Nej, detta var tråkigt. Inget som direkt stod ut. Lite kul att det sjöngs på franska då och då men det var väl det. Inget jag kommer att lyssna på igen.
Музыка такая же странная, как и название альбома. Иногда даже раздражает своими постоянными зацикленными повторениями одного и того же. Хотя местами напоминает Dakh Daughters, но только местами.
Very Avant Garde - A few songs are good, many are experimental for the purpose of being experimental
Funky electronica - wasn't bad
I dig looped soundscapes, and I was all in on the first track, but the rest of this album couldn't seem to keep that soundscape propulsion going and by track 5 and 6 the album had really begun to drag. I was hopeful that this was just a reprieve, but it never made it back. While the production and engineer skill levels are clearly high enough to produce magic, there does not, in fact, appear to be much magic on this album. In this genre, and in this decade, Yello's ZEBRA (1994) was far more interesting to me. Most bearable: "Metronomic Underground" To me this wasn't one of the interesting albums from 1996. More interesting albums in 1996 that are not on this list include: Tori Amos's BOYS FOR PELE TOOL's AENIMA Primitive Radio Gods ROCKET Rush's TEST FOR ECHO THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS Soundtrack album Prong RUDE AWAKENING Gravity Kills GRAVITY KILLS.
A fun listen. But likely to never come up on my rotation again. And without this most, never would have.
644/1001 2026.06.25
Bad background music
Nothing special.
80s quirk chungus ass music
Tomorrow Is Already Here
nao é ruim mas não é minha vibe
Bit chaotic opening. Songs are way too repetitive (same lyrics over and over again), but some are catchy.
No no no
Why do people make stuff like this
2.5
it was okay
Unique but irritating. Vocals feel flat. Mostly. Some of it is kinda hypnotic.
hm, ne nicht so mein Fall
Nicht meine Tasse Tee
(3/7) some of it sounded like French
Would I listen again: no The French are on thin fucking ice. superrr repetitive and boring
Kicking off with a 7min song that is incredibly repetitive is a bold choice. Not for me. That light airy voice is not something I can listen to for a long time.
I didn't really like this. It's weird and unusual, which is fine. But too often the same phrase or riff was just repeated for far too long and it got annoying. The vocals were not my cup of tea either
Electro buena onda
meh
Didn't care for it
sort of clownish
Not for me. I just didn’t get it, I guess.
kinda boring. i feel like it doesnt really go anywhere. fine music to study to though.
quite interesting, i c the concept n the vision n i like the sounds n melodies BUT they were way 2 repetititititititive. sum of them (like monstre sacre n emperor tomato ketchup) were less repetitive than others, but enuf were repetitive enuf 4 me 2 not rly enjoy it that much. maybe if the songs were alot shorter, or maybe 2 songs mixed in2 1 so it wouldnt b as repetitititive.
Too many noises. They hurt my ears
(2.75)
As an electronica fan, this album disappointed me. It wasn't bad, but I didn't enjoy it well enough to cement any desire to play it again.
Points for the album name, obviously. Unfortunately I also need to subtract points for the vocals that are actively annoying. The music is...well, it was fine for a while, but then it wore on me after a while. What I'm saying is that the album name might be the only good thing about this album. In the band's defense: I'm not in a great mood today, so that's probably affecting how I feel about the album...but this is just striking me as more annoying the longer it goes on. 2.0 (I'd be tempted to give it a 1 if it were named "Noises" or "Stereolab" or something, but "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" is simply fantastic)
This was irritating. It started ok, fair, but not too interesting. Then it became tedious.
went for a bit long but it had its moments
I just listened to this and already I’ve forgotten what it sounds like
It felt like an entire album when different beats, rhythms and synth were being played behind the same lyrics.
I think this genre is just not for me. It was fine, I guess? I got pretty sick of the mumbled lyrics and repetitive music.
Colorful but not for me. Recommend listening to it outdoors in the sun. I listened indoors after sundown.
When the first song was already repetitive 3 minutes in, I checked, and there were 5 minutes left, I knew this would be a rough one. This was...weird. I don't think I enjoyed the style, and I was ready for it to be done.
The singer's voice really grated on me. The music wasn't any better.
Just not a fan of electronics.
#900. Weird repetitive French nonsense. 2/5: meh
As background music it's quite alright, but for normal listening I found it very annoying.
I’ve heard of Stereolab, I think. I believe they are an indie rock band from the 90s? Maybe started in the late 80s? I need a little rock and roll to fire me up going into today’s NCAA tournament because I got up too early. Uh-oh….Lots of keyboards and weird sounds start track 1, Metronomic Underground. My good buddy Wikipedia tells me they’re French, ugh, and avant-garde. Oh, Lord. This was a single off the album, too. This is their fourth album, so maybe this is either the experimental stage or the “Let’s see if we can write a commercial record” stage. I will say, the song is nonsense, but it’s got a groove. I’m slowly buying in. The song is very repetitive, but, again, it has a groove. I didn’t mind it, but there has to be more than this, or we’re in trouble. Track 2, Cybel’s Reverie, is a nice little pop song. It’s got strings in it that sound like they’re sampled, but there is probably just an effect used on it. Otherwise is a nice little indie pop song. Oh, here’s the breakdown with some organs and strings making things sound a bit ominous, though still poppy. This is a really nice song. I can see why it was the first of the two singles off the album. It has a bit of that freewheeling French pop sound to it from the 60s. Track 3 is another French 60s sounding pop song called Percolator and I love this song. Again, it sounds like this would be in a movie from the French New Wave in the 60s. But still a very fun pop song. The lyrics are sung in French, but that doesn’t bother me. It goes well with what the music is putting out there. I’m adding this to my single songs playlist. This song sounds to me like what the Doors would sound like if they weren’t a rock band, but were French and wanted to write pop songs. Track 5 is a really funky song called Spark Plug. It has funky guitar riffs with a great bass line under it. It’s a really fun song. After consulting my friend Wiki, it seems Steroelab used looped sounds to compose songs, which was different from their previous albums. So this was an experimental album. Track 7, The Noise of Carpet is the first true rock song on the album thus far. The lead singer, a woman, is singing in English, and the guitars sound like real guitars, nice and crunchy. I really like this song. It’s a bit refreshing after the old 60s Euro pop that led up to it. However, the song still has a pop sheen. The vocals are very poppy, as well. Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop/ Track 8, Tomorrow Is Already Here, starts out with a guitar riff and then an organ. This sounds almost bluesy. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t expand much past the opening riff and beats. It’s a slower song, and it sounds like the whole band is singing vocals. Now here comes a xylophone? This certainly brightens the song a bit, but not enough for me. Track 9, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, sounds like the song the Blue Brothers band would play over and over while Jake and Elwood Blues were being introduced, or maybe James Brown. It’s the same upbeat riff over and over. You keep waiting for it to go somewhere, and it doesn’t. There are a bunch of sounds flying around in the background, but it’s not registering. Finally, the vocals come in, in French, but the music stays the same. Very basic, uninteresting song for me. Track 10, Monstre Sacre, is a very interesting song. It’s very simple, but the chord changes add intrigue to it. It sounds like a song that could be in a movie as our hero is close to figuring out all the clues, and it is playing over a certain scene in his, or her, or their mind. The strings add a bit of creepiness to the song. I really enjoyed it. Track 11, Motoroller Scalatron, is a nice little pop song with sounds buzzing around it throughout. It’s nothing incredible, it has guitar, organ, drums, bass, and these random noises. All the songs have kind of the same elements to them. Track 12 is Slow Fast Hazel, and it’s really nice. It starts slow with beautiful strings and then builds up into this very dreamy guitar solo accented by an organ. Stereolab can do 60s pop very well. If it weren’t so easy to hear the loops or sounds, you might not know this was an album from 1996. Speaking of 1996, the album finished at #67 on the US Billboard sales chart. That’s pretty good, I’d think. Especially since it seems the singles didn’t chart at all here. They must have done something right, as I know I’ve heard about them for years and years. The album started off a little shaky, but once I kind of got the idea of what they were trying to do, I ended up enjoying it for the most part. Is this going in my rotation any time soon? No. I think one and done is it for now. If you like a bit of electronic sounds mixed with your pop music, or you like 60s European pop music, then I think you’d enjoy this. It’s old school done in a new style.
Just noise but some is bice
Haven’t listened much yet, but I wasn’t vibing with it from what I did. Il have to swing back at some point.
The horrible album title sounds like a bad Chinese to English translation of something you'd order from a Chinese condiment menu. I didn't find anything interesting here and the vocalist was kind of bland and pitchy.
while i'm a big fan of weird noises i found myself skipping tracks out of boredom. My mean review is this is a 90's take on 60's pop while one member of the band is desperately trying to make through all the presets on their casio keyboard
Very twee, but I kind of liked it? It was an easy album to put on and kind of ignore while I was working. Not a ringing endorsement, but that's how it goes sometimes.
Yeah, this album couldn't keep my attention. Very bland, once I had to stop it to take a call -- I just didn't restart it.
I didn’t even realize this was playing for most of the album.
A middling sort of electronic-influenced rock album. The opening track is too long and doesn’t do much for me, and while it does improve after that (if for no other reason than the rest of the songs are shorter), even then it’s all just okay rather than notably good. Another one for the ‘decent background music but not one I’d ever think to put on’ category. Actively listening to it, I found it pretty unengaging. A real standout track or two might just have tipped it into 3-star territory, but without that I can’t give it any more than 2.
Bored
Would give 2.5
Not terrible but not something I would listen to
Pas mon style du tout, dommage que ça fasse parti du peu d'album Avec du français dans la sélection...
up peu chelou les petit.e.s potes
Ein überambitioniertes, aber oft sperriges Album. Der Mix aus Experimental‑Pop, Post‑Rock und Krautrock‑Einflüssen erzeugt zwar eine eigenwillige, hypnotische Atmosphäre, wirkt jedoch stellenweise überladen und wenig zugänglich.
Just not a fan of techno. Didn't hate as much as the Kraftwerk earlier but it's also gettin a 2
I don’t know? This was really mixed listen for me. There were some parts I liked, but they popped up sporadically throughout. The rest all kind of melted in together to me. A 2.5 would feel good to me, but 3 feels too high.
Reminds me of my early 2000’s trips to St Bart’s. French techno / electronic music is good for one or two and then grows very old very quickly for me.
i'm not a stereolab guy and that's alright by me 2/5
pretty cool album but not necessarily my cup of tea. talented musicians but it didn't speak to me lead singer does have a Imogen heap kind of voice which I do enjoy
Had a weird Japanese 70's MMW feel to it. The repetition and length made it a hard listen tho. I couldn't get thru it.
Tired while listening and the album felt out of place. Could be higher on a better day
Quite a few rather annoying repetitive songs mixed with some that are rather enjoyable and chilled. The Noise of Carpet is definitely the standout song here, overall a bit meh though. 2.5/5
Pretty repetitive and boring.
I just couldn’t stand it
Didn’t connect with this too much. Interesting sound for the time. Feels like an early (or late) version of other music I’ve heard. Would give 2.5 if I could.
Surprisingly pleasant singing to tunes that I can only describe as alternative synth-pop with guitars. Often too repetitive and boring or simply too French for my taste, but not bad. Still, this is an album for the background and not something you actively listen to. 2.5/5
It all sounded the same after a while. Album was too long, especially for krautrock.
A bit too long/bland
This was boring, totally mid, too long, and British.
why, why, why, why, why was this on list???? too long, too repetitive, too boring
It's great and very wonderful music but just not to my taste. At all. I'm not their market.
Another one I gave away.
Ugh! I could listen to most of it, but it was not enjoyable.
I'm not sure what I was supposed to get from this. I'll wager they are some producers favorite band though. In fact I'll bet they are huge in electronica circles. It's a no for me though.
Background music that wants to be in the foreground
It seems like they intentionally have metronomic sound, and I did like that to some degree at first. However, listening to the same 10-second loop for 2-4 minutes at a time over a 2 disc album was tough. I think maybe a song of theirs is worth listening to, but for sure, not the album.
Just alright, nothing every strikes you as remarkable 2.5*
It's funny how you can know you like a lot of the things a particular group likes but not really like their take on it. I wanted to like Stereolab in the 90s for the shared reference points and the peer pressure from people cooler than me, who were never done telling you how amazing they were. But they've just always sounded a bit joyless and dull to me.
Another band I was never cool enough to get. Never saw what the allure was. Had a hard time getting through this one.
I guess es ist vibey aber gerade echt nicht so der vibe i'm sorry
First song was pretty interesting, enjoyed the long jam. Then, meh... Then, annoying...
Didn't really vibe with this one, although some songs were better than others. 2.5/5
Writing this review two weeks after listening to this album on the list, I'm baffled how I even got through this album in the first place. I appreciate the existence of the album on the list; however, even though it has so many experimental parts to it, the album suffers from a repetitive sound. Her voice does not do much to add to this, even if I can applaud her for singing in both French and English. Interesting genre, but not for me.
The title of the album is pretty cool and the music is pretty alright, but definitely not absolutely great, so it was fine having it in the background. I do understand that they were experimenting things in the late 90s, but it's a bit meh nowadays.
This probably would have been a really great 45 minute album. But at 99 minutes, it's just too much. Too much of the same. I got really tired of listening to the drum tracks.
not bad, but not really good
not my personal favorite
Original but not my taste to be honest.
French? Check. Electronic? Check. Repetitive? Check. I hate it…but it is weirder than most albums like it, so it probably ought to get a bonus point for being more interesting than most looped electronic music. 2/5
Sorry but
Nah
Very long, very French, and kinda boring. Nothing crazy and songs kinda get repetitive. Not the worst by any means, just whatever and middle of the road. Standout songs: The Noise of Carpet and the title track.
Not my style... But I get it... I suppose
Hey, Stereolab. I meant to listen to an EP from these guys a year or so ago, but never got around to it because I was too occupied with this list. I've always admired the band's name, though I know virtually nothing about Stereolab beyond them supposedly being an electronic act. I'm keen to crack this album open. They only have one shot on this list to win me over, so hopefully this is the one to seal the deal. Huh. There are some good points to this album and a respectable level of variety, though I'm alienated by the general sound. The overpolished sheen and droning electronic sounds really do not do this album any favours, and the gimmicky French vocals make this album come across as much tackier than what I had hoped for. Still, it's a serviceable listen with some decent cuts. It also did an admirable job of holding my attention for it's near hour-long runtime. "Cybele's Reverie" is pretty cool. The singing and general style of the song reminds me a little bit of shibuya-kei, which is one of my very favourite music genres. The instrumental is pretty good. I always love me some strings. The French vocals aren't entirely to my liking, but they're good for what they are. I like the acoustic guitar and intricate electric sounds on "Spark Plug". The seamless transition into the bridges is pretty neat, too. "Tomorrow Is Already Here" has a nice, warm sound. The acousitic guitars go a long way in carrying the song, though the vocals are among the best on the album. Book time. A lot of influences. Well-produced. That's it, really. Wikipedia reveals that this album has a solid critic backing and charted modestly. It is pretty distinctive, so I can stick my neck out for this album on those grounds. I cosign this inclusion.
Meh. 2
This is just weird music, not bad, but weird. Not really for me, plus most songs are in French. Favorite Song(s): Les Yper-Sound
Tyckte det här var ganska tråkigt och ointressant. Med ett par undantag är det också rätt icke-melodiöst och med en sång som är frustrerande tillbakahållen och oförlöst. Inte min kopp te.
I did not love this. It was underwhelming and forgettable. Nothing much stood out to me. Occasionally something in a song would pique my interest, but it would fade pretty quickly after that. This wasn't terrible or unlistenable, just boring and probably something that doesn't need to be on this list.
It's okay, but not memorable in any way
Um disco que tem duas parcelas de contribuição nitidamente divididas: o Krautrock influenciado pelo Neu, que é a parte mais instigante, com órgãos, sintetizadores e guitarras bacanas; e o lado de inspiração pop kitsch com suas melodias e vocais infantilizados, que são sua metade mais fraca. No fim das contas um disco razoável.
If ambivalence had a sound
Not bad, but quite repetitive. Ends up becoming background music
This did not grab me, and I don't think I like Stereolab much.
It sounds nice I just couldn't get into it
Refusing to believe anyone thinks this album earned a 5. It’s obnoxious.
This was weird. And not fun weird, just not up my alley at all. I don’t like 90s electronic music with the repetitive beats, and I couldn’t understand the French lyrics. As far as French electronic goes, I think I’ll stick to just daft punk.
At least is was something new and unique
nah
Got quite excited about this. I’d heard of Stereolab back in the day but never listened to their music. So another opportunity created by this list to listen to something I’d forgotten about. Huge disappointment though. Boring and repetitive. 2/5 14/10/25
This didn’t do it for me. I wanted to appreciate the kind-of-freaky take on French pop and marrying it with krautrock, and all the various synth sounds, but I ended up finding it tedious instead of interesting. I understand this came out about 30 years ago, but I don’t enjoy it when an album tries to surprise me and bores me instead. A matter of taste, I suppose.
Not bad, just not for me.
Another album with seemingly one long, forgettable song.
Pretty uninspiring, and got progressively less interesting as it wore on.
Mukavaa hybridiä perinteisen ja elektronisen musiikin kanssa. Onko tuo ranskaa jota välillä lauletaan. Lo-fi tunnelmia ja kivoja saundeja.
not really my type of style, but appreciated the instruments
Not my favorite.
French electro-pop
I didn't enjoy this very much. It was super repetitive and a lot of noise. I am sure someone, somewhere thought it was creative, but not me.
It's listed as experimental pop and post-rock. A French/English band. I find the beats cool, but it's a little too repetitive for my taste.
Most of the songs revolve around a single-measure loop, repeated for 5 minutes straight. I absolutely hate that kind of repetition. A couple of the songs escape that mold and manage to be kinda fun.
While Emperor Tomato Ketchup has every ingredient to be the coolest piece of music ever (an English-French collaboration band, a title directly stolen from a very obscure and NSFW Japanese film, a Kraftwerk inspired looping composition of the songs) it bores so very quickly.
This is my 100th album reviewed and I was so excited that I got the Emperor Tomato Ketchup album! If you believed this, you obviously haven’t heard this record. In truth, this isn’t as awful as some of the Britpop albums that have been included. But like those albums, this is another record of no consequence from a group I’ve never heard of. There’s a couple of songs on here that aren’t bad. The Noise of Carpet I kind of liked. And there were a few others which weren’t half bad. Some of the sonic elements are interesting. But most of this is repetitive and the singer’s voice is very weak to me. In short, it shouldn’t be included.
This record is clearly a product of the 90s. It's bit indy, a bit electronic-y, a bit wishy, a bit washy, but nothing to capture my interest. Plus the singing is especially weak. 2/5
Not for me. The vocals really annoyed me and took away any possible satisfaction
*1996. Per Wiki - Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. *Chill and mellow, with some weird instruments/sounds going on. *Liked this is small doses, but got a little annoying pretty quickly. RATING - 6/10
The only thing that saved this album from a one-star rating was “The Noise of the Carpet,” which was actually a solid track. It had structure, energy, and gave me something to latch onto. Unfortunately, that was the exception, not the rule. Everything else sounded like a wall of noise with little payoff. The songs meander without purpose, and the occasional lyrics are either in French or delivered in such garbled English that they might as well be meaningless. Instead of feeling experimental or forward-thinking, most of it just felt irritating and empty. I can see how some listeners might label this “artsy” or “avant-garde,” but for me it came across as indulgent and messy. One good track does not carry an entire album, and the rest was a chore to sit through.
overly repititive AND french lyrics? Thats a double whammy. Some of it is fun, but man, some of these songs could be half the length.
I mean id rather listen to this than join the us army
It's kinda like when someone posts a series of three selfies on instagram that look almost identical. On the first one, nice! On the second two... I know they looked different to the poster, but I couldn't care less. Pick one and commit. Like this album... pick a few songs, we don't need this many of the same thing. Keep a few in the vault.
Eh. Good for background music but that’s about all I got from this one. Struggling to see the significance.
Starts like a bad Air album and ended like a bad Mogwai album. Didn't seem much substance to it...
Fine background music.
★★½
Not really for me
This was a bit of a strange one. It's a bit like French house music in terms of the song structures. What I mean by that is that it's quite repetitive at times. But it's actually a bit indie rock but also a bit electronic? It's different, I'll give it that! I'm sorry that there's not much else I can really say. This is one you'd have to listen to yourself to decide if it's your thing or not. If I had to pick some standouts, the title track is a pretty catchy indie foot tapper and the opener 'Metronomic Underground' is the biggest example of the house music I mentioned. It really is like a metronome and it will be stuck in my head for a long time I should think. I can imagine this is one I'm probably missing the genius of. I didn't hate it, but I'm not sure if I really enjoyed it either. By the end of it though I'd pretty much had my fill of Stereolab and was glad it was finished. I actually found reading about the origin of the album title more fascinating than the album itself. (Okay that's a slight exaggeration but it's somewhat interesting). It honestly wouldn't surprise me if I came back to this in five years time and loved it, but then again it wouldn't surprise me if I didn't. What an utterly useless review.
The songs that has less synth in them are good. While I don't understand French I still enjoyed the singing and music. Most of the songs have synth sounds that I don't enjoy though so the album as a whole isn't for me.
This album has an oddly 60's sound for being recorded in 1995. Kinda cool but not really something I would come back to.
2/5.
I have liked a few Stereolab singles over the years but have never listened to a whole album before. Generally underwhelmed and found it quite faux in its retro posings and that its slipped far too easily into background music.
Thought I was going to love this but ended up being pretty disappointed. Just didn’t work for me. Mostly just goofy stuff without memorable melodies. 2.5/5
songs were formed from multiple loops of a variety of instruments… an album full of this and after the first song, it became tedious. this one was not for me.
Offensibly inoffensive
Meh. Very confusing this is on the list.
Some nice moments but overall I didn't really care for this. For every part that I enjoyed there was something that I didn't like in equal measure. This band have a unique sound combining elements of music that I generally like, lo-fi, C86 and electronica but it never really comes together. I wouldn't judge everything they've done on this album and I would be inclined to see if I enjoy any of their other albums more than this one. I'm glad this music exists though and I can imagine it's given a lot of people hours of pleasure over the years but it's not one I'll be reaching for again.
When this album was at its best was when I barely noticed it was there. At its worst I was starting to consider skipping because I was bored. Standouts The Noise Of Carpet 2/5
Was excited when I saw the poster and when it was made. Must say I was a bit disappointed. The record could either have gone in two directions: heavy and cool 90s electro, or nerdy synth - a bit like Air. Unfortunately it went the latter. First song felt promising, but the songs turned out to be mostly boring and monotonous. It also felt quite badly produced. Didn’t like the singer very much either, quite boring performance. Overall it fell flat sadly, no good song to count home here for me.
I didn’t have enough time with this one but also didn’t feel need to give it more time. There were a few bright spots but largely forgettable. 2/5
Goofy
Tres bof
I would never turn this on but I left in on while mowing the lawn. Interesting sound.
Live the album Title, but this record was not for me. While pop music is not my favorite genre, I do enjoy it, but the poppy elements didn't work for me here. Several of the songs had some catchy hooks, but then they were repeated long enough that I got tired of them. The lyrics were similarly uninspiring. There was also a dissonant element to the tunes, which seemed to conflict with rest of the music in a way that didn't work for me and I live dissonant music. Maybe I'm just not into post-rock?
Some interesting production every once in a while but a lot of talk of 'society' without much detail, just repeating shit over and over. 4/10
Me gustan la musica de fondo pero no es un disco que escucharia seguido e incluso diría que en mi vida lo escucharía como máximo 2 o 3 veces más, pero no llega a ser mi estilo en estos momentos. Me parece muy repertitivo aunque la primera canción me encantó el beat y de algunas canciones también, no es para mi.
Elektronische Musik, ziemlich langweilig
Taas erikoisempaa musiikkia, nyt vaan tylsempää. Kokeellista rokkia, joka ei sit kummiskaan ole niin erikoista tai hyvää. Vähän mitään sanomatonta. Parhaat: Monstre Sacre, Slow Fast Hazel
2/5. A pretty chill collection of well-produced upbeat tracks, with some repeated vocals here and there, or a full song. The instrumentals imply a more electronic pop or even hip hop base. It leans more towards pop and although the beats do get your attention, it's not always enjoyable. Some songs can be a little much they are not unique enough to not blend into the other tracks. Overall, I don't think it's a repeated listen for me. More than a 1 for the instrumentals alone. Best Song: Cybele's Reverie, The Noise of Carpet, Metronomic Underground
Rock, I guess? Some electronic/jazz/groove leanings
Not my bag, but I guess it’s fine…
Sounds like ChatGPT‘s retarded French great great grandfather made this
2,4/5
I kind of like it? Maybe? But I really don’t get it.
Inoffensive but uninteresting background music. If they weren’t French no one would have ever cared about them.
ThI first couple of tracks were ok, but it’s a bit bland/samey later. Could have done with some pruning.
Listened to this on a long drive- not once did I start tapping my foot or feel it. Guess I’m just not cool enough.
I definitely listen to Stereolab and to this album in the past, but today it struck me all wrong. The lack of melodies and the combo French and English was agitating.
Pretty bad.
If I woke up tomorrow and this album didn't exist, I don't think much would change. It's not that it isn't good music, but it's entirely forgettable. Doesn't add much to the music scene for me
Fine, I guess.
The Good: … The Bad: tomato ketchup? The Ugly: in both ears… I don’t know if it is the app, but I all of a sudden have had 3 french based musicians in a row… what is up with that? Did I like it? Did I hate it?
Just not my jam, I'm afraid. I tried to get into it and give it a fair shake, but I honestly prefer other albums on this list.
Drones a bit too much without actually creating a good soundscape. The synth sounds don't fill up the empty space left by the disinterested vocals. There's just too little going on here while at the same time being hard to swallow by being dense with drunk sounding weirdness. Lyrics are about urbanism but the writer was more concerned with using complicated words than actually capturing any feelings or making profound remarks or making it sound good.
Not for me
Not really for me.
Not really into it but funny title
The music is mind numbingly monotonous but I guess that’s the point?
Not bad in the background. Where it’s pleasant enough. Bit too repetitive for my tastes to be front and centre, to point maybe a little boring. But overall yeah I can go with it, not much more really 2 Star
Not really for me but interesting
Background music.
Finalmente un po' di elettronica, purtroppo un album un po' sciapo.
Two albums in a row that my first thought was about video game soundtracks. Honestly most of these songs sound like the Sims 2 soundtrack. I have no strong feelings on this album except that I think this would have been better as an instrumental and maybe the second half of the album is better than the first. But if you asked me to hum a single track from this or you'd kill me if I can't, please just give me a shovel. I gave it multiple listens and it didn't stick with me and I found myself reaching for the skip button as a lot of songs here seem to really unwind and spin out rather than just end. Not offensively bad, just boring. Highlights: Monster Sacre
The way that they incorporate various contemporary elements was interesting for the first half of the first song, but got really old really quickly.
Album 737 of 1001 Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996) Rating : 2 / 5 Blend experimental pop, post-rock, and electronica. They can finish experimenting and get back to me when they figure it out.
Love you mom! You’re favorite album is here
I have now listened to this before I die. And I’ll never listen to it again.
A bit crappy.
Groupe inconnu. Les morceaux sont longs, et très répétitifs. Je les trouve peu intéressants. L'écoute n'est pas désagréable, mais aucun morceau ne m'a accroché. Je ne l'écouterais pas une seconde fois. =>2/5
Schwache zwei Sterne, sehr langweilig und für mich klingt es so, als würde die Sängerin absichtlich schief singen
# 439 : I can listen to it, but it's not real good. It was a chore to listen to and so repetitive, but maybe that's the genre? Maybe I'm just old but I have never really been able to get into electronic music. Honourable Mention : The Noise of Carpet
4 more songs after this one, and then I can move on. I didn't really need to hear this album before I die. But at least it's not Eminem?
What an interesting album lol This was a word band but it was kinda interesting, but it just felt like someone found a MOOG machine and like made an album lol not terrible not great mid.
It is tedious
excellent album, just not my taste
May have been put off on the first track, will give it more time and review again.
Not annoying, but I just couldn’t get into it and it seemed kind of repetitive.
Electronica overlayed with French-fairy lyrics. Most of it is happening at the same pace — and it relies too much on the notion of melody as rhythm. It’s danceable, but it’s hard to take it seriously musically. A lot of noodling around for effect. 2
No recuerdo qué disco había escuchado de Stereolab pero sí que me había gustado. Pero curiosamente este no me encantó. Eso de estar repitiendo ruiditos y sonidos extraños me exaspera. No creo que sea un mal album pero no fui fan y no lo volveré a escuchar.
This was an extremely odd listen, and I'm not entirely sure I "got" the album. There were moments where I couldn't wait for songs to end because they droned on endlessly without going anywhere or doing anything, then there were moments in others that really stood out as almost excellent. More bad than good in my opinion, but I wonder what a second listen is needed to more appreciate the musical direction. Top tracks: Olv 26, Monstre Sacre, Motoroller Scalatron
Below average
Not a fan. I know Sterolab is a popular band, just doesn't appeal to me.
Meh
2.5
Don't get it.
Weird, Animal Collective-like repetitive style. Not feeling it today
Well, I didn’t hate it, but didn’t really care for it either, not even considering the language barrier. Won’t be giving it another listen…just not my thing. Two stars.