Stereolab are a UK-based band whose style, mixing 1950s–1960s pop and loung… Read Full Bio ↴Stereolab are a UK-based band whose style, mixing 1950s–1960s pop and lounge music with the “motorik” beat of krautrock, was one of the first to which the term “post-rock” was applied. People frequently refer to their style as being "avant-pop." They are noted for the use of vintage keyboard instruments like Moog synthesizers and Vox and Farfisa organs. Stereolab is also notable for founding their own record label, Duophonic Records, with a grant from UK charity The Prince’s Trust. The band is often referred to as “The Groop” by their fans (and in the title of their song “The Groop Play Chord X” on the album Space Age Batchelor Pad Music).

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.

Diagonals
Stereolab Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Souviens-toi des vacances
Vacances de la petite
Qui cherche resemblance
À la grande bourgeoisie
Par quelle différence
Peuvent-elles se distinguer?
Leurs tortures sans prudence

Ou des vies passionnées
Des vies de dépendance
Ou des gens tout petits
Retournent à l'importance
De leurs vies étourdies
Un moment de vacances
Rien après interdit
Moment d'indépendance
Et ce que c'est beau la vie

Un moment de vacances
Oublier ses soucis
Embrasser l'abondance
Qu'a confié la vie
J'ai envie qu'on avance
Qu'on prenne de la distance

Les dévisions m'ennuient
Et vive les harmonies

Overall Meaning

The song "Diagonals" by Stereolab talks about vacations and the differences between the lifestyles of the upper and middle classes. The song starts by asking the audience to remember the vacations of the middle class, who try to emulate the lifestyle of the upper class. The lyrics question the distinction between the two classes, asking if their differences are even significant. The middle class seems to be torturing themselves without any thought, while the upper class lives a life of passion and dependence.

The chorus talks about the beauty of vacations and the freedom it brings to forget the worries of everyday life, embracing the abundance that life offers. The lyrics express a desire to move forward, take some distance, and embrace harmonies instead of divisions. The song seems to be encouraging people to take some time off from their busy lives, forget their problems, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Overall, "Diagonals" is a song about taking a break from the routine of everyday life, the class divide, and the beauty of harmonies. It encourages people to embrace simplicity, freedom, and beauty.

Line by Line Meaning

Souviens-toi des vacances
Remember the vacations

Vacances de la petite
Vacations of the little one

Qui cherche resemblance
Who seeks resemblance

À la grande bourgeoisie
To the high bourgeoisie

Par quelle différence
By what difference

Peuvent-elles se distinguer?
Can they distinguish themselves?

Leurs tortures sans prudence
Their careless tortures

Ou des vies passionnées
Or passionate lives

Des vies de dépendance
Lives of dependency

Ou des gens tout petits
Or very small people

Retournent à l'importance
Return to the importance