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.

French Disco
Stereolab Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Though this world's essentially
An absurd place to be living in
It doesn't call for total withdrawal

I've been told it's a fact of life
Men have to kill one another
Well, I say there are still things worth fighting for

La Resistance

Though this world's essentially
An absurd place to be living in
It doesn't call for bubble withdrawal

It said human existence is pointless
As acts of rebellious solidarity
Can bring sense in this world

La Resistance

La Resistance

Though this world's essentially
An absurd place to be living in
It doesn't call for bubble withdrawal

It said human existence is pointless
As acts of rebellious solidarity
Can bring sense in this world

La Resistance

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Stereolab's song French Disco touch on the absurdity of the world we live in and the fact that humans often resort to violence and killing each other. However, the singer declares that there are still things worth fighting for despite this grim reality. The reference to "La Resistance" suggests that this fight may be political or related to a larger struggle. The repetition of the line "Though this world's essentially/ An absurd place to be living in/ It doesn't call for total withdrawal" reinforces the idea that even though the world may seem hopeless, we can still find a purpose and meaning by fighting for what we believe in.

The lyrics also touch on the idea that human existence may be pointless, but rebellious solidarity can bring meaning to our lives. This could possibly be a reference to the French existentialist philosophy of the 20th century, which emphasized the absurdity of human existence but also the importance of finding meaning and purpose in our lives. Stylistically, the song incorporates elements of disco music, a genre that is associated with hedonism and escapism. The juxtaposition of the danceable beat with the lyrics' serious subject matter creates a sense of irony that is characteristic of Stereolab's music.

Line by Line Meaning

Though this world's essentially
Acknowledging that this world is basically

An absurd place to be living in
A place that is fundamentally ridiculous

It doesn't call for total withdrawal
Which, despite all its flaws, does not require complete isolation

I've been told it's a fact of life
It has been said to me that faith in aggression is a universal truth

Men have to kill one another
That people have to be violent towards one another

Well, I say there are still things worth fighting for
But, I believe that there are still notable causes worth battling for

La Resistance
A nod to the French resistance movement and its legacy

Though this world's essentially
Acknowledging that this world is basically

An absurd place to be living in
A place that is fundamentally ridiculous

It doesn't call for bubble withdrawal
Which, in spite of everything, does not need a complete retreat from society

It said human existence is pointless
The philosophy that human lives are without purpose

As acts of rebellious solidarity
Yet, through expressions of defiant camaraderie

Can bring sense in this world
Meaning can still be discovered in the world