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.
Suggestion Diabolique
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always the brightest,
Oh surely will
Fall out of the nest
Conscious of the falsifications
And the harnessing
Of our reality
The angel
Would never submit
For his eyes were
Wide open and lit
We brought oil
Where there was a fire
In this way for good
Were bound to the devil
Constantly evolving, curious
Sombre, obscure, dark and luminous
Vitriolic, stringent, prophetic
He penetrated
The wheel of modern
Society that
He hated so so much
Hated with all his strength
The tumbler stayed standing up
All of his life he flinched not
Surpassing of the art
Surpassing cinema
Surpassing life itself
Dang dong dang dong
The lyrics of Stereolab's "Suggestion Diabolique" suggest a figure who represents a rebel who challenges the status quo. The angel in the song is depicted as the brightest of all, but such brightness attracts the risk of being cast out of the nest. The angel is aware of the falsehoods and manipulations at play in society and cannot submit to them. The angel is aware of their surroundings, and through their lucidity, they challenge the accepted norms of society. The angel is opposed to society, and through their curiosity, they question and challenge what they know. The song's lyrics suggest that although the angel may be an outsider in society's eyes, they surpass the norms of society itself and surpass the limits of art, cinema, and even life itself.
The song's message is timely and timeless because it speaks to the idea of challenging the status quo, seeking truth and growth while highlighting the dangers of accepting falsehoods blindly. Stereolab's "Suggestion Diabolique" is a call to action, urging people to be like the angel in the song and challenge what they know. Through the lyrics, the song encourages the audience to remain vigilant and fight against the lies and manipulations of those in positions of power.
Line by Line Meaning
An angel
A metaphor for a person with a brilliant, pure nature
Always the brightest,
This person is consistently shining and emitting positive energy
Oh surely will
Without a doubt, they will
Fall out of the nest
Experience a fall from their esteemed position, as if pushed out of a nest
Conscious of the falsifications
Aware of lies and deceit in the world
And the harnessing
The control and manipulation of our reality
Of our reality
The way we understand the world we live in
The angel
This same pure individual
Would never submit
They refuse to give in to pressures or fall in line with what is expected
For his eyes were
The angel's vision was
Wide open and lit
Keen and illuminated, perhaps even otherworldly
We brought oil
Here, 'we' represents a metaphorical entity that causes harm or disruption
Where there was a fire
In a situation where there was already intensity or conflict
In this way for good
Done in pursuit of what may be perceived as 'good', or for personal gain
Were bound to the devil
Actions that run counter to what is 'good' or righteous
Constantly evolving, curious
The angel was always growing and learning
Sombre, obscure, dark and luminous
This person had a deep and complex inner world with both light and heavy aspects
Vitriolic, stringent, prophetic
Possessing qualities of sharp criticism, rigid adherence to morals and ethics, and the ability to state the future with clarity
He penetrated
The angel delved deeply into
The wheel of modern
The mechanisms of the contemporary global society
Society that
The broader system and culture that
He hated so so much
The angel bore a deep loathing for this system
Hated with all his strength
Their disdain was very intense and all-consuming
The tumbler stayed standing up
Despite obstacles and challenges faced throughout their life,
All of his life he flinched not
the angel refused to be deterred or disheartened
Surpassing of the art
Their achievements were beyond what art could capture
Surpassing cinema
And even beyond what was possible to capture on film
Surpassing life itself
The angel went beyond the boundaries of human existence
Dang dong dang dong
End of the song
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind