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.
Contronatura
Stereolab Lyrics
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My dearest friend you can,
You can get well,
You can heat up,
You can heat up get well surely you can
My dearest friend don't go,
My dearest friend don't go,
Don't choose to go,
You will not win down the the cursed path
Of war
This is the future of an illusion
Aggressive culture of despotism
Living fantasy of the immortal
The reality of an animal
The lyrics of Stereolab's song Contronatura are a clear call to one's dearest friend not to go to war. The lyrics suggest that winning the war is not possible and that it is not worth choosing the cursed path of war. The call is to the dearest friend to get well, heat up and to avoid the path of war. In the first stanza, the lyricist calls on the dearest friend to get well and heat up. The get well could suggest overcoming a physical challenge, while heating up implies gaining strength and energy.
In the second stanza, the call is for the dearest friend not to choose to go to war. This line suggests that there is a choice for individuals to make in pursuing their paths, and the lyricist is urging their friend not to select the cursed path of war. The lyrics point to the future of an illusion, aggressive culture of despotism, living fantasy of the immortal, and the reality of an animal. These phrases imply that war is an illusion that human beings have created, and it is a path that ultimately leads to destruction.
Overall, Stereolab's song Contronatura is an anti-war song that encourages individuals to seek alternatives to violence and war. The lyrics are both poignant and powerful, urging individuals to think about the consequences of their choices and the paths they choose to follow.
Line by Line Meaning
My dearest friend you can,
I believe in you, my closest companion. You have the power within yourself to succeed.
My dearest friend you can,
I have faith in you, my dear friend. You are capable of achieving great things.
You can get well,
You have the ability to recover from illness or hardship.
You can heat up,
You can become passionate and enthusiastic about something.
You can heat up get well surely you can
If you become passionate about healing yourself, you can surely recover from any illness.
My dearest friend don't go,
I implore you, my closest companion, to stay with me.
My dearest friend don't go,
Please don't leave me, my dear friend.
Don't go to war,
Please avoid engaging in conflict or violence.
Don't choose to go,
It's not worth it to willingly choose a path of destruction and harm.
You will not win down the the cursed path of war
Going to war will only bring about devastation and suffering, and will not ultimately lead to victory.
This is the future of an illusion
The future we imagine or dream of may not necessarily reflect reality.
Aggressive culture of despotism
A society that values and promotes aggression and tyranny will not lead to a stable or just community.
Living fantasy of the immortal
Believing in immortality is a delusion, and a denial of the natural cycle of life and death.
The reality of an animal
Humans are ultimately subject to the same basic instincts and limitations as other animals, despite our complex society and technology.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind