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.
Supah Jaianto
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Retrieve the road that leads to these far-away goals
Facing the disturbing riches of life, forges an obstruction
Magic value of protection, echoes, chaotic change leading experience
Gets lost (gets lost) in it (in it)
Gets lost in it, becomes itself an obstruction
Posing (posing) itself (itself) to become an object
World firstly subjected, phenomenal
Retrieve the road that leads to these far-away goals
Facing the disturbing riches of life, forges an obstruction
Magic value of protection, echoes, chaotic change leading experience
To become an object the world has daytime coming from the soul
We can be makers of such information
The lyrics to Stereolab's song Supah Jaianto can be interpreted in a number of different ways, but one possible interpretation is that the song is about the human experience of encountering and trying to overcome obstacles in life. The opening lines describe the world as "firstly subjected" and "phenomenal," suggesting that it can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. However, the lyrics also suggest that it is possible to "retrieve the road that leads to these far-away goals," indicating that there is hope and a path forward.
As the song continues, the lyrics describe the ways in which these obstacles can be both challenging and transformative. The "disturbing riches of life" can be both valuable and chaotic, leading to experiences that are both difficult and rewarding. However, the very act of trying to overcome these obstacles can also become an "obstruction" in and of itself, suggesting that it is important to strike a balance between perseverance and self-awareness.
Ultimately, the lyrics suggest that it is possible to "become makers of such information," implying that by overcoming obstacles and learning from our experiences, we can gain valuable insights that can help us in the future. Overall, the song is a reflection on the human experience of facing and overcoming obstacles, and the ways in which these experiences can shape and transform us.
Line by Line Meaning
World firstly subjected, phenomenal
The world is an amazing phenomenon that exists independently of our perception.
Retrieve the road that leads to these far-away goals
Find a path towards achieving your distant aspirations.
Facing the disturbing riches of life, forges an obstruction
Challenging the complexities and abundance of life can create obstacles in our way.
Magic value of protection, echoes, chaotic change leading experience
Unexpected and transformative experiences can offer valuable insights and protection.
Gets lost (gets lost) in it (in it)
Becomes deeply immersed and overwhelmed by the experience.
Gets lost in it, becomes itself an obstruction
Being consumed by the experience can hinder one's ability to move forward.
Posing (posing) itself (itself) to become an object
Assuming a passive and objectified role in the experience.
To become an object the world has daytime coming from the soul
To lose agency and become an object is to live a life devoid of soul and vitality.
We can be makers of such information
As active agents, we can create our own meaning and navigate through the chaos of life.
Contributed by Colin H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.