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.
mountain
Stereolab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
elevated vertical
grandiose proportions
inspire greatness generosity
Mountain of health mountain salvation
inaccessible, difficult to be found
Tending by the peak towards oneness
where contradictions don't exist
In the song "Mountain" by Stereolab, the lyrics depict a mountain that serves as a symbol of greatness and generosity. The mountain is described as "supreme and celestial" and "elevated vertical," emphasizing its majestic qualities. The mountain's grandiose proportions inspire feelings of greatness and evoke a sense of awe from those who view it. Interestingly, the song describes the mountain as being inaccessible and difficult to find, adding to its mystical and elusive qualities.
Additionally, the mountain is portrayed as a source of health and salvation. The lyrics suggest that the mountain has the power to promote physical and spiritual well-being. The mountain also serves as a symbol of oneness and wholeness, where contradictions and differences do not exist. The image of totality seen in the mountain is all-embracing, providing a sense of comfort and belonging.
Overall, the lyrics to "Mountain" by Stereolab use a mountain as a symbol to evoke feelings of greatness, inspiration, and unity. The mountain represents a symbol of hope and salvation, while also showcasing the grandeur of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Supreme and celestial
The mountain is the highest and most divine thing
elevated vertical
The mountain towers over everything else
grandiose proportions
The mountain is incredibly large and impressive
inspire greatness generosity
Seeing the mountain can inspire people to be generous and great
Mountain of health mountain salvation
The mountain is associated with health and spiritual salvation
inaccessible, difficult to be found
The mountain is hard to access and locate
Tending by the peak towards oneness
The peak of the mountain represents unity and harmony
where contradictions don't exist
At the top of the mountain, there is no conflict or opposition
the all embracing image of totality
The mountain represents the unity and entirety of all things
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAETITIA SADIER, TIMOTHY JOHN GANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind