Bleep

Getting into Stereolab can be a daunting prospect. While Laetitia Sadier, Tim Gane et al have a discography that would be the envy of any group, its sprawling size and fractured nature can make it difficult to know where to start. Indeed, even seasoned fans of Stereolab find it difficult to keep track of their myriad LPs, EPs, compilations and rarities sets.

Fortunately the partnership of Duophonic and Warp have come through with souped-up versions of some of Stereolab’s early masterpieces to provide fans both new and old with an easy route of access. The band’s 1993 LP Transient Random​-​Noise Bursts With Announcements is one of the albums that has been given a new lease of life. This is no surprise - beloved by both die-hards and passing fans of the band, Stereolab’s second record was the one that really cemented their status as well as spawning some of their best-known tracks.

With Transient Random​-​Noise Bursts With Announcements, Stereolab showed themselves to be adept at conjuring rose-tinted and somewhat left-of-centre reproductions of older musical styles. Krautrock, lounge pop, library jazz and 60’s garage rock are all refracted through the band’s unique electronics-heavy rock style. Indeed, reframing the musical past is such an integral part of this record that there’s a case to be made for Transient Random​-​Noise Bursts With Announcements being one of the first hypnagogic pop LPs. Those curious about the processes behind Stereolab’s work will be thrilled by the plethora of demos and alternative takes that are included here.

Transient Random​-​Noise Bursts With Announcements is an important record in the history of an important band. This new expanded edition is the version it deserved all along.