Every now and again an album comes along that can strike you in just such a way that it becomes apart of your own internal music library. I can still remember the first time that I heard “Dots and Loops.” It was probably about four to five years after it was released when I went to an acquaintance’s friend’s house. We were there to play some poker. Having a small boom box which played CDs as the vehicle to provide the evening’s music, my poker pal Pearce started track one of Stereolab’s fifth studio release. From the opening fuzz in Brakhage and it’s gradual build of layers of splendid noise to Laetitia Sadier’s singing these first lyrics, “We need so damn many things To keep our dazed lives going,” I was intrigued. As “Dots and Loops” kept playing I got more and more interested and eventually hooked from this very first listen. The rest is history, as they say.
Ask people what is the best Stereolab record and I think most would say “Emperor Tomato Ketchup.” This outstanding 1996 disc would have made a fine AOTD and I do love me some “ETK.” But for me, it’s the follow up to “Emperor” that is one of my staple albums by anyone. Shortly after that night of poker, I sought out “Dots and Loops” The appeal to this record for me is the absolute wonderful blend of art rock and electronica with what I would call a jazzy trip-hop base. Frenchwoman Sadier and the other female vocalist, the late Mary Hansen, provide singing in both English and French against, at times, atypical time signatures, textures of green and blue hues and an constant thread of cool. I can’t tell you exactly why this record has grabbed me like it has, I just know that I consider it in my top ten favorite albums of all time. All of the songs fit together in a perfect order and flow; I enjoy each one, but I guess I’ll mention a few that have a little extra hot sauce on them for me: Parsec, Rainblo Conversation, Miss Modular and Brakhage. My fav of the favs is the always pleasing Diagonals; If I had to only pick one from the record, then the slow 5/4 or fast 10/8, depending how you feel it, Diagonals would be the selection. Hell yes. But like I said, this album goes in my personal top ten list every time, so here are the remaining participants of “Dots and Loops:” Ticker-Tape of the Unconscious, The Flower Called Nowhere, Contronatura, Prisoner of Mars and the 17 plus minute Refractions in the Plastic Pulse. So good.
I definitely have tasted much of the other Stereolab catalogue and enjoyed the majority of it. There’s just something special about this one–I can’t stress enough the fondness I have for this record. As the year is winding down, I have saved some of the best albums for last. “Dots and Loop” undoubtedly fits that bill.
Stereolab:
Laetitia Sadier
Tim Gane
Mary Hansen
Richard Harrison
Morgane Lhote
Andrew Ramsay
Additional Personnel on “Dots and Loops:”
Rebecca McFaul, Shelley Weiss, Poppy Branders, Maureen Loughnane – strings
Paul Mertens, Dave Max Crawford, Jeb Bishop, Ross Reed – brass
Sean O’Hagan – piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Farfisa organ
Xavier “Fischfinger” Fischer – piano
John McEntire – synthesizer, percussion, vibraphone, marimba
Douglas McCombs – acoustic bass
Andi Toma – electronic percussion, sound effects
Jan St. Werner – sound effects, insect horns
All tracks by Tim Gane & Laetitia Sadier except Refractions in the Plastic Pulse by Gane, Sadier and Andrew Ramsay. ^
365, Album of the Day 2014 