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.
Galaxidion
Stereolab Lyrics
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Let us be sweet and obedient
Let us be fit and guided
Let us be wise and let us submit
How sweet it is to obey and to carry out happiness
Whilst being appropriately unburdened by wise and worthy guides
Relieved from the heavy burden of responsibility
Which won't be necessary before the social laws of nature
The lyrics of Stereolab's song Galaxidion are a powerful commentary on human social behavior and its intersection with authority. The persona of the song speaks of a desire to be "wise and resigned" - a statement that suggests an impetus to conform to societal expectations and a willingness to submit to authority. The theme of obedience and guidance is emphasized throughout the song, as the persona speaks of the sweet relief of being "unburdened by wise and worthy guides" and free of the responsibility to direct one's own behavior.
The use of language in the song is particularly poignant, as it touches on complex ideas surrounding power and control. The call to "be fit and guided" implies a state of physical and mental readiness to submit to authority, while the repetition of the phrase "let us be wise" is a recurring reminder of the importance of conformity to social norms. However, the ultimate message of the song is one of caution - that too much submission to authority can lead one towards a loss of self and personal agency.
In conclusion, the lyrics of Galaxidion are a powerful commentary on the nature of authority and its relationship to human behavior. The song suggests that while submission and obedience may be desirable in certain circumstances, they should not be pursued at the cost of personal agency or freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Let us be wise and resigned
How sweet it is to obey and to carry out happiness
Let us be sweet and obedient
Whilst being appropriately unburdened by wise and worthy guides
Let us be fit and guided
Relieved from the heavy burden of responsibility
Let us be wise and let us submit
Responsibility for our direction of our behaviour which won't be necessary before the social laws of nature
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind