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.
Anonymous Collective
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well beyond our acknowledgment
You and me are shaped by some things
Well beyond our acknowledgment
In the song "Anonymous" by Stereolab, the lyrics suggest that human beings are deeply influenced and molded by external factors that go beyond our recognition or acknowledgment. The first line of the song, "You and me are molded by things," refers to the idea that our personalities, behaviors, and beliefs are shaped by experiences and events that are often beyond our control or conscious awareness. These may include societal norms, culture, family background, historical events, etc.
The second line, "Well beyond our acknowledgment," emphasizes the fact that many of these factors operate invisibly, below the surface of our consciousness. In other words, we may not even be aware of how much these external influences have shaped us or continue to shape us.
Overall, the song suggests a deep appreciation for the complexity of human identity and the many factors that contribute to it. Instead of seeing ourselves as self-made individuals, the song highlights the fact that our identity is always in dialogue with the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
You and me are molded by things
The way we are formed and developed is influenced by factors beyond our recognition
Well beyond our acknowledgment
These factors go far beyond what we consciously realize or admit to ourselves
History and culture, geography
Our background and cultural heritage, as well as the physical environment we live in, contribute heavily to shaping who we are
Environment, personality
Both our external surroundings and our individual temperament have an effect on our development and character
All compose the mold that shapes us
The combination of all these influences creates a formative model that determines who we become
Anonymous, anonymous, anonymous
Despite the many inputs that shape us, there is an underlying anonymity to our own identity
Molded by things anonymous
The factors that shape us are often unidentified and not easily detected
Anonymous, anonymous, anonymous
Our true identity is not always immediately discernible or recognizable
Molded by things anonymous
Our development and makeup can take shape based on influences that are not readily apparent to ourselves or others
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind