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.
Two Finger Symphony
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You put me on the square mile, I'm fascinated fed by delusion
Above me, below me and around attracted
Irredeemably by the void to falling
Falling like a puppet who's heart would awaken
During the fall would wake up, oh shit
You put me on the square mile, I'm fascinated fed by delusion
Irredeemably by the void to falling
During the fall would wake up, oh shit
The lyrics in Stereolab's "Two Finger Symphony" explore themes of objectification and the human desire for validation and satisfaction. The singer questions whether they are just an object in someone else's life that can bring them fleeting pleasure, rather than something more meaningful. They feel placed on display in the public eye, on the "square mile," and find themselves entranced by the empty promises of this superficial fascination.
The repetition of the line "Irredeemably by the void to falling" reinforces the sense of falling into a trap of emptiness and dissatisfaction. The singer reflects on their own position in this cycle, comparing themselves to a puppet that is unable to escape its own predicament. It is only during the moment of the fall, the point of ultimate vulnerability, that they briefly awaken to the reality of the situation. The exclamation of "oh shit" suggests a sense of shocked realization that they have been playing into this game all along.
Overall, the lyrics of "Two Finger Symphony" provide a commentary on the pitfalls of valuing material possessions and superficial attraction rather than seeking true fulfillment and connection with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I an object in your life that would bring you things, some satisfaction
Do you only see me as a means to fulfill your desires and provide you with pleasure?
You put me on the square mile, I'm fascinated fed by delusion
You have placed me in a false reality where I am captivated by my own misconceptions.
Above me, below me and around attracted
I am drawn in every direction with no sense of control or stability.
Irredeemably by the void to falling
I am hopelessly falling into an endless abyss of nothingness.
Falling like a puppet who's heart would awaken
As I fall, I realize that I have been controlled like a puppet and my heart is finally opening up to the truth.
During the fall would wake up, oh shit
In the midst of my plummeting realization, I suddenly and jarringly come to full understanding of my situation.
Contributed by Ava L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
marquismarc76
merci beaucoup! tu sais où se trouve ce morceau? c'est publié?
Vincent Thibert
@marquismarc76 Il se trouve sur l'album "Not Music" sorti fin 2010.