They were founded in 1990 by songwriters Tim Gane (guitar, keyboards), formerly of the band McCarthy, and Laetitia Sadier (sometimes credited as Seaya Sadier; vocals, keyboards, trombone, guitar), who is from France and sings in both English and French.
Over the years, Gane and Sadier have enlisted a large number of other musicians to accompany them on stage and on record. The initial line-up featured Martin Kean, formerly of The Chills, on bass, and Joe Dilworth (from their Too Pure label-mates Th’ Faith Healers) on drums, with Russell Yates (of Moose) and Mick Conroy (ex-Modern English) also appearing at early live shows. In 1993 they recruited Andy Ramsay (drums), who has remained in the group line-up ever since, and Mary Hansen (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion). Hansen’s distinctive backing vocals became an important aspect of the Stereolab sound, and she remained a regular feature of the line-up until her death in a cycling accident on December 9, 2002. Multi-instrumentalist Sean O’Hagan of The High Llamas has also been a frequent contributor, particularly with string, brass and keyboard arrangements to the band’s studio albums. John McEntire (Tortoise) has also contributed keyboard, electronic effects and studio help over the years. Other members have come and (in some cases) gone over the years, including Duncan Brown, Dave Pajo (from Tortoise), Richard Harrison and Simon Johns (all bass); Gina Morris (vocals); and Katharine Gifford and Morgane Lhote (both on keyboards).
Early Stereolab material displayed a heavy influence of krautrock sounds, particularly Neu! and Faust, characteristically relying on droning, repetitive guitar or keyboard riffs, with or without vocals. Early heavy use of distorted Farfisa combo-organ sounds were also reminiscent of early recordings by The Modern Lovers. As the band developed, they incorporated new instrumentation, and an increasingly complex sense of rhythm and structure, frequently making use of irregular time signatures as well as unorthodox chord progressions and melodic intervals. The band has often made copious use of female backing vocal lines.
Lyrically, Stereolab’s music is quirky (song titles evoke memories of 1950s science fiction stories, and are often borrowed directly from old films and records of the period, but have nothing to do with the song’s content), but highly politically and philosophically charged, sometimes with a decidedly Surrealist or Situationist bent. (Sadier notes the libertarian Marxist theoretician Cornelius Castoriadis as a particular inspiration.) Sadier’s lyrics, in both French and English, often read like highly condensed sociological texts, standing in deliberate and distinct counterpoint to the lush hedonic pop sound of the band. A prime example would be “Ping Pong” from Mars Audiac Quintet, which is an explicit restating of Marxist theory concerning the relationship between economic cycles and war cycles.
Stereolab earned a minor place in the Britpop movement, with their sound proving influential to bands like Blur: occasional keyboard-driven b-sides and singer Damon Albarn’s love of retro keyboards showed the influence, and in recognition Laetitia Sadier was invited to provide vocals on “To The End” from Parklife.
Despite the band’s fan base and critical acclaim, Stereolab has not achieved high levels of financial or popular success. On June 7, 2004, suits at the Warner Music label (to whom the band was signed in the U.S.) announced they were dropping Stereolab in response to the poor sales (40,000 to that date) of Margerine Eclipse. This was part of an ongoing effort by Warner to cut costs; The Breeders and Third Eye Blind were also dropped from the label for this reason. Laetitia Sadier is now also a member of Monade, which is essentially expressive of her own singular musical goals.
Aelita
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Riveted by the weightlessness
They will follow, my way, the way of love
That wants to come to affection
When the shadow becomes giant
Looking for the beater to hold the rhythm
Standing in my way, the way of love
That wants to come to affection
The heart is the ruler, it is the trumpeter
Decider, celebrate, the drummer ultimate
Decider, celebrate, the drummer ultimate
When the shadow becomes giant
Looking for the beater to hold the rhythm
Standing in my way, the way of love
That wants to come to affection
The lyrics of Stereolab’s “Aelita” are both abstract and poetic, with imagery that can be interpreted in various ways. The song reflects on the idea of love and its power to overcome all obstacles. The first verse describes the singer kneeling at the feet of someone they admire or respect, feeling captivated by their greatness. The second line, “Riveted by the weightlessness,” is a bit more ambiguous, but could suggest the singer feeling both drawn to and overwhelmed by their object of admiration. The following lines reveal that the singer is a messenger of sorts, trying to persuade others to follow the “way of love” towards affection. The third line repeats “way,” emphasizing the importance of this path. The last two lines in this verse suggest that obstacles may arise and that the singer will persevere in their mission to spread love.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “when the shadow becomes giant,” which is again ambiguous but could suggest that difficult times will arise when negativity seems to have a larger presence than love. The singer still remains resolute in their belief in the power of love. They continue to search for the “beater to hold the rhythm,” perhaps referring to finding someone to keep the beat of their message going. The last line of the chorus again emphasizes their commitment to love.
The final verse is perhaps the most straightforward, highlighting the importance of the heart and its ability to lead with trumpets and drums (metaphors for passion and rhythm). Again, the emphasis is on celebrating love rather than succumbing to any obstacle in its way.
Overall, Stereolab’s “Aelita” is a song that encourages listeners to hold on to love in the midst of any struggle or negativity that may arise. It celebrates the power of the heart to lead us towards joy and affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Kneeling at the feet of the highness
I am humbly submitting myself to a higher power or authority figure.
Riveted by the weightlessness
I am captivated by the feeling of being weightless or free from burdens.
They will follow, my way, the way of love
I expect others will adhere to my ideology, which revolves around love and affection.
That wants to come to affection
My desire is for love and connection with others.
When the shadow becomes giant
During times of darkness or uncertainty, things may appear larger or more overwhelming than they truly are.
Looking for the beater to hold the rhythm
I am searching for something to guide or direct me, like a drumbeat in a song.
Standing in my way, the way of love
Something is obstructing my path towards love and connection.
The heart is the ruler, it is the trumpeter
Love and the emotions associated with it are the driving force in my life, taking on a powerful leadership role.
Decider, celebrate, the drummer ultimate
The drummer represents the pinnacle of decision-making and celebration, holding great importance.
Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
spharktasm
If I ever travel to Mars, I want this played in the spaceship!
Niccolo Bufalino
the coolest
Francis Kay
<3