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.
Flower Called Nowhere
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going anywhere,
Surely they must be loaded with
More than simple matter,
Floating on top and gracefully tending
To the same pole,
All the small boats on the water
Is it true that none of them, will ever
Break free and sail?
Feel the night is made of rocks,
The stagnant mass
Is it true that none of them, will ever
Break free and sail?
Break free from the stagnant boats,
Left in obscurity
All the faces with their eyes closed,
Giving a smile,
Weightless
Like a body that would vacate to its
Own light
Is it true that none of these
Contented happy faces will not ever hear a cry,
Won't hear a cry?
Is it true that none of these contented
Happy faces will not ever hear a cry,
Filled with love not with desire,
Love not desire?
The Flower Called Nowhere by Stereolab is a contemplative song that appears to question the meaning of life and our own existence. The lyrics describe small boats on the water, appearing to be stuck in place and going nowhere. These boats are carrying more than mere matter, perhaps symbolizing our own lives, which are filled with emotions, experiences, and memories. The scene is stagnant and repetitious, tied to a pole, without any apparent movement or freedom.
The imagery of floating on top gracefully while being stuck leads to a sense of frustration and a feeling of being trapped. The lyrics suggest that there may be a way out of this situation, perhaps by breaking free and sailing away from the stagnant mass. The idea of the night being made of rocks conjures up a sense of heaviness and a feeling of being weighed down. The faces with their eyes closed, giving a smile, appear to be contentedly happy, but also seem oblivious to their surroundings and ignorant of a cry filled with love that they will never hear.
The song seems to be exploring the idea of whether one can truly break free from the constraints of routine, contentment, and comfort, and discover something more profound and meaningful. It questions whether there is a way to transcend our everyday lives, to hear and respond to a call filled with love rather than desire, and to discover a deeper purpose in existence. The Flower Called Nowhere is a song that encourages contemplation and introspection, and invites the listener to ponder the mysteries of life.
Line by Line Meaning
All the small boats on the water aren't
There are many boats on the water, but none of them are moving or going anywhere.
Going anywhere,
They are stationary and not in motion.
Surely they must be loaded with
The boats are likely to be carrying more than just physical objects.
More than simple matter,
They may have emotional or psychological weight as well.
Floating on top and gracefully tending
The boats are moving gently and elegantly on the water's surface.
To the same pole,
They are all following a common path or goal.
All the small boats on the water
Again, emphasizing the large number of boats that are not moving.
Going nowhere
Reaffirming that none of the boats are in motion or traveling anywhere.
Is it true that none of them, will ever
The question is raised whether any of the boats will eventually leave their current state.
Break free and sail?
If they will ever escape their current stagnant state and start moving forward.
Feel the night is made of rocks,
The night is heavy and oppressive, like a weight on one's shoulders.
The stagnant mass
Referring to the stationary boats as a large and heavy object.
Is it true that none of them, will ever
Repeating the same question from earlier about whether any of the boats will move forward.
Break free and sail?
Asking if any of the boats will break free and move forward in their journey.
Break free from the stagnant boats,
The boats are again described as being in a stagnant state, with the hope that they will break free of it.
Left in obscurity
The boats are not well known or recognized, and are being left behind by the world.
All the faces with their eyes closed,
Describing people with closed eyes and a peaceful expression on their faces.
Giving a smile,
Despite their peaceful expression, the people are still giving a happy smile.
Weightless
The people are free of physical weight and burden.
Like a body that would vacate to its
The people are like a body that is leaving its current physical state behind.
Own light
They will travel towards their own internal light, or true selves.
Is it true that none of these
Another question is being asked about the people who are content in their current state of mind.
Contented happy faces will not ever hear a cry,
The people in their contentment may never have to hear or acknowledge someone else's cries of pain or sorrow.
Won't hear a cry?
The question is raised whether they will ever have to hear another's unhappiness.
Is it true that none of these contented
Repeating the question from earlier about the contented people.
Happy faces will not ever hear a cry,
Again expressing the possibility that the contented people will never hear another's sorrow.
Filled with love not with desire,
If they ever do hear another's cry, the emotion that will guide their response is love, not desire.
Love not desire?
The statement is reiterated, emphasizing the importance of a compassionate response in the face of another's pain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind