by Grace Rotermund

MELISMA | SPRING 2021 | 13 Stereolab Dots and Loops

by Donovan Menard

Last year I discovered Stereolab’s 1997 album Dots and Loops and since then it’s become one of my favorite albums, and one which I never get tired of. Stereolab’s experimental music is unique and hard to classify, since the band has many influences and consists of members from France, England, Ireland and Australia. Every song on the album is a hypnotic mixture of funk, pop and jazz, inspired by bossa nova and krautrock. “Miss Modular” is one of my favorite songs because of its catchy bass line and percussive guitar which is complemented fantastically by the bright vocals and the thick, swelling brass parts. “Diagonals” is built on a very memorable marimba loop and a fluctuating and ascending drum part, which transitions into a very captivating groove driven by a combination of syncopated attacks on drums and keyboard with smooth vocals and brass. “Prisoner of Mars” has a very satisfying bass line and gentle guitar and to me it seems like the musical equivalent of pressing an ice cube to your face on a hot day. “Ticker-Tape of the Unconscious” is my favorite track on the album due to its funky percussion groove, the eerie sustained keyboard notes, the muted trumpets, and the mysterious distant background vocals. Additionally, many of the lyrics carry Marxist messages, critiquing consumerism and reflecting vocalist Lætitia Sadier’s interest in Guy Debord’s Situationist philosophy. Overall, Stereolab’s mixture of French and English vocals combined with Sean O’Hagan’s impressive horn arrangements and the use of vintage keyboards and synthesizers creates a unique sound that is entrancing and otherworldly. It’s relaxing to listen to while also being danceable and engaging due to its many quirky effects which give a spacey and liquidy quality to the music. I highly recommend this album to anyone who exists.