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.
Intervals
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travel in the realm
Of which there is no sign
Hold your thoughts to the present, the present
Personally realize
The infinite of being
Inner peace brings about
Harmony with the times
Become one with the dusty world
Hold your thoughts to the present
Pacify, realize the infinite
"Intervals" by Stereolab is a song about finding inner peace and becoming one with the world. The lyrics suggest that by calming the mind and quieting the ego, one can enter a realm where there are no clear signs or boundaries. It is a place where we can personally realize our infinite being and find harmony with the present moment. The song encourages listeners to focus on the present, as holding onto past or future thoughts can disrupt inner peace. Ultimately, achieving inner peace can pacify us and bring us closer to understanding the infinite.
The lyrics of "Intervals" are somewhat ambiguous, but the song is believed to be about the experiences of lead singer Laetitia Sadier while meditating. The lyrics reflect the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, meditation and egolessness. The song's structure is also unique, with a minimalist beat and a dreamy sound. The music has an ambient quality and features a mix of electronic and organic instruments. The combination creates a sound that is recognizable as Stereolab; the indie rock band was known for blending multiple genres, including krautrock, experimental pop, and lounge music.
Line by Line Meaning
Once the mind is calm, Once the ego is quailed
When the mind is at peace and the ego is subdued
Travel in the realm
Explore the world that exists beyond the physical realm
Of which there is no sign
That cannot be perceived by the senses
Hold your thoughts to the present, the present
Focus your thoughts on the current moment
Personally realize
Understand on a personal level
The infinite of being
The limitless nature of our existence
Inner peace brings about
When one is at peace with oneself
Harmony with the times
In sync with the current state of things
Become one with the dusty world
Connect with the earth and its impermanence
Pacify, realize the infinite
Be at calm, acknowledge the eternal nature of existence
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind