Stereolab Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab Emperor Tomato Ketchup 

Get It At Discogs

Stereolab were poised for a breakthrough release with Emperor Tomato Ketchup, their fourth full-length album. Not only was their influence becoming apparent throughout alternative rock, but Mars Audiac Quintet and Music for the Amorphous Body Center indicated they were moving closer to distinct pop melodies. The group certainly hasn't backed away from pop melodies on Emperor Tomato Ketchup, but just as their hooks are becoming catchier, they bring in more avant-garde and experimental influences, as well. Consequently, the album is Stereolab's most complex, multi-layered record. It lacks the raw, amateurish textures of their early singles, but the music is far more ambitious, melding electronic drones and singsong melodies with string sections, slight hip-hop and dub influences, and scores of interweaving countermelodies. Even when Stereolab appear to be creating a one-chord trance, there is a lot going on beneath the surface. Furthermore, the group's love for easy listening and pop melodies means that the music never feels cold or inaccessible. In fact, pop singles like "Cybele's Reverie" and "The Noise of Carpet" help ease listeners into the group's more experimental tendencies. Because of all its textures, Emperor Tomato Ketchup isn't as immediately accessible as Mars Audiac Quintet, but it is a rich, rewarding listen. [Like all of the 2019 Stereolab reissues, Emperor Tomato Ketchup's bonus material is lovingly curated and provides an illuminating look into the band's creative process. Fans will be especially excited about the two rarities included here: "Freestyle Dumpling," which was previously only available as a bonus 7" included with the Japanese version of Aluminum Tunes, is a shining example of the band's bouncy, philosophical pop from this era -- and a reminder of how strong the rest of Stereolab's material was at the time that they didn't include it on the album. Likewise, the breezy, brassy "Old Lungs," which was formerly included on a 2002 All Tomorrow's Parties collection curated by Sonic Youth, is another delight. The Emperor Tomato Ketchup demos are also a treat, offering stripped-down but still intricately lovely sketches of songs such as "Cybele's Reverie," where Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen's glorious vocal interplay takes center stage. A slower, almost sultry version of "Percolator" and a surprisingly subtle take on "Metronomic Underground" are among the other fascinating moments. Combined with Tim Gane's insightful liner notes, this edition of Emperor Tomato Ketchup is a must for fans of the band and this landmark album in particular.]

Stereolab ‎Oscillons From The Anti-Sun

Stereolab Oscillions Fron The Anti Sun

The three-disc, one-DVD mini box set Oscillons From the Anti-Sun is not part of Stereolab's ongoing Switched On series, which rounds up the stray singles, EPs, and B-sides, but it's easy to see how the casual observer might think it's the fourth installment in the series. Instead, this 35-track box set contains material previously released on British and European CD singles and EPs between 1993 and 2000. Oscillons is not limited to featuring only the B-sides: such familiar A-sides as "Jenny Ondioline," "The Noise of Carpet," "Ping Pong," and "Cybele's Reverie" are here next to such non-LP cuts as "Fluorescences," as well as a host of B-sides, some of which were featured on the 1998 Switched On comp,The three discs jump around from EP to single, from year to year, without regard to the band's ever-shifting lineups. Despite this, the sequencing of the music flows well, and it's an entertaining listen since this indeed covers the group's peak years. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine that any fan who followed Stereolab with any regularity not having the great majority of this material, which surely is why the DVD was included with this set. It's a nice DVD, containing all of the promo videos from the mid- to late '90s -- "Jenny Ondioline" through "The Free Design" -- along with U.K. TV performances from the group's appearances on The Word and Later With Jools Holland. This DVD may be enough for serious fans to consider purchasing this set and getting rid of the original singles (even if the original artwork is nowhere to be found in this set, outside of a set of stickers included with the first pressing of the set; of course, there are no liner notes to speak of in the set at all). Of course, replacing singles with box sets runs contrary to the nature of Stereolab and their fans, who are positively enamored with rare pieces of vinyl and limited-edition CDs, but this is still a good way to get all of the music on those singles and EPs