Morgane lhote biography examples

Stereolab (l to r): Tim Gane (guitar/keyboards), Morgane Lhote (keyboards), Lætitia Sadier (vocals/keyboards), Simon Johns (bass), Mary Hansen (vocals/guitar) Photo: David Cowlard

Stereolab playlist

Contributors: John Hartley & Rob Morgan

“What on earth are you listening to?” asks Dad, in that incredulously exaggerated way that only parents use and only when not believing their ears at the noise emanating from their offspring’s music player of choice.

It could be anything, to be fair, given Pa Nocash’s penchant for Barbara Dickson, The Houghton Weavers and Queen; however it is somewhat inevitably Tone Burst by Stereolab. Father is not impressed by the tinny snare drum opening, the persistent chug of the bass, guitars and drums, the low-octave female singing or the shrill organ trying to create some form of melody. We haven’t even got to the best bit yet, the country-and-western guitar break that comes in at 2 mins 42 seconds but Dad is long gone by now, so all there is left to do is lie back, relax, and absorb the cacophony which ensues. Tone Burst is the opening track to Stereolab’s second full-length album, the wonderfully titled Transient Random Noise Bursts With Announcements. This is the Ronseal of all album titles; it certainly does what is says on the tin. It’s not where my adventures with Stereolab begin, however, and neither is it where they end.

My ‘adventures’ begin somewhat accident

English-French avant-pop band

Stereolab are an Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound features influences from krautrock and s French pop music, often incorporating a repetitive motorik beat with the use of vintage electronic keyboards and female vocals sung in English and French. Their lyrics have political and philosophical themes influenced by the Surrealist and Situationist art movements. While performing, they play in a more feedback-driven and guitar-oriented style. From the mids, the band began to draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music.

Stereolab were formed by Gane (guitar and keyboards) and Sadier (vocals, keyboards and guitar) after the break-up of McCarthy. The two were romantically involved for fourteen years and are the group's only consistent members. Other longtime members included addition Mary Hansen (backing vocals, keyboards and guitar), who died in , and addition Andy Ramsay (drums). The High Llamas' leader Sean O'Hagan (guitar and keyboards) was a member from to and continued appearing on later records for occasional guest appearances.

Throughout their career, Stereolab have achieved moderate commercial success. The band were released from their recording contract with Elektra Records, and their self-owned label Duophonic signed a distribution deal with Too Pure and later Warp Records. After a ten-year hiatus, the band reunited for live performances in

History

– Formation

In , Tim Gane formed McCarthy, a band from Essex, England, known for their left-wing politics. Gane met Lætitia Sadier, born in France, at a McCarthy concert in Paris and the two quickly fell in love. The musically inclined Sadier was disillusioned with the rock scene in France and soon moved to London to be with Gane and pursue her career. In , after three albums, McCarthy broke up and Gane immediately for

Led by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, the group's trademark sound -- a droning, hypnotic rhythm track overlaid with melodic, mesmerizing singsong vocals, often sung in French and often promoting revolutionary, Marxist politics -- was deceptively simple, providing the basis for a wide array of stylistic experiments over the course of their prolific career. On early singles and albums such as 's Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements, Stereolab combined '60s pop melodies with an art rock aesthetic borrowed from Krautrock bands like Faust and Neu!, but by the time of 's Emperor Tomato Ketchup, their sound incorporated jazz, hip-hop, and dance. Their collaborations with John McEntire and Jim O'Rourke on albums such as 's Dots and Loops and 's Sound-Dust found Stereolab pursuing an increasingly intricate, experimental approach. Following the tragic death of member Mary Hansen, the band returned to a poppier style for later albums like 's Chemical Chords. Stereolab's unmistakable sound had a lasting impact: During the '90s, indie contemporaries such as Pavement and Blur aped their style, while hip-hop artists such as J Dilla and Tyler the Creator sampled the band's music or collaborated with its members in the s and s.

Tim Gane (born July 12, ; guitar, keyboards) was the leader of McCarthy, a London-based band from the late '80s that functioned as a prototype for Stereolab's sound. Gane met Laetitia Sadier (born May 6, ; vocals, keyboards), a French-born vocalist, at one of McCarthy's concerts. The pair began a romantic relationship that became a musical collaboration after McCarthy disbanded in ; Sadier sang on the final McCarthy album. The duo began recording as Stereolab, borrowing the name from Vanguard Records' hi-fi effects division in the '50s. Gane and Sadier also formed the label Duophonic Records with manager Martin Pike to release their singles. Stereolab's first year of existence

Stereolab is a UK-based band whose style, mixing s–s pop and lounge music with the “motorik” beat of krautrock, was one of the first to which the term “post-rock” was applied. People frequently refer to their style as being "avant-pop." They are noted for the use of vintage keyboard instruments like Moog synthesizers and Vox and Farfisa organs. Stereolab is also notable for founding their own record label, Duophonic Records, with a grant from UK charity The Prince’s Trust. The band is often referred to as “The Groop” by their fans (and in the title of their song “The Groop Play Chord X” on the album Space Age Batchelor Pad Music).

They were founded in 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 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, 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 Paj