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.
We're Not Adult Orientated
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je n'écris pas
Non je n'écris pas
Pour perdre mon temps
On n'écrit pas
Je perds mon temps
The lyrics of Stereolab's song "We're Not Adult Orientated" are in French and translate to "I don't write, no I don't write, to waste my time. We don't write, I waste my time." The essence of this song revolves around the idea that writing is not about wasting time, but rather it is about taking action and making a difference. Writing can be a form of activism and a means of promoting change.
The lyrics highlight the importance of using writing as a tool for constructive criticism, social commentary, and political dissent. Stereolab calls out the adult-oriented media and culture that dominates society and the music industry, promoting conformity and apathy instead of innovation and social progress. The song encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and use their voices to create positive change in their communities and the world at large.
In essence, "We're Not Adult Orientated" is an anthem for those who refuse to conform to societal norms and expectations. It is a call to action for those who are willing to fight against the status quo and promote a more equitable and just society.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne
I do not
Je n'écris pas
I do not write
Non je n'écris pas
No, I do not write
Pour perdre mon temps
To waste my time
On n'écrit pas
One does not write
Je perds mon temps
I am wasting my time
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Real McCoy
I was jamming this song on the stereo hauling ass off of a winding mountain road in a semi truck and I looked into the music video and there's me once again!!
lux luxo
Absolutely love it!!!
Paul Harris
It has no doubt been said before, but surely this is the result of the collaboration of Brian Eno and the Velvet Underground that never happened?!? Addictive trance - beautiful!
Andy Atkinson
takes me back I tell thee, 20 odd years since I last heard this.
Philip
Year ago I was addicted by this song!
Josiah Profenno
For a second there—I thought I was listening to an alternate version of 'No Love Lost'.
Alperen Iri
yeah this bassline immediately made me think of peter
meinholundermann
brilliant!
Vic
I can dig it...
Uli
Stereolab does Velvet Underground