Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Pretty cool. Tasty baselines. Groovy grooves. Krauty, psychedelic vibes.

This one took me a bit to get into but once I did I enjoyed it without being blown away by it.

Top Track - Les Yper Sound

I think of Stereolab’s output as music for stereotypically cool people. Think: micro fringe with long hair; drinks speciality loose leaf teas; used to live in New York and Paris, is now situated in East London; is in their 30s but has solely Victorian furniture; vegan; bilingual; good looking; works with an art gallery; doesn’t use cling film for environmental reasons.

This album in particular (very good, but not my favourite of their records) has a highly sophisticated, almost untouchable sound. Playful, distant, refined, beautiful, odd. It’s a real experience. I definitely feel more high status for having listened to it.

3.5

Really enjoyed the first half of the album. Second half just so-so.

nice sound - but seems very like background music 3/5
#musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

Inoffensive but uninteresting background music. If they weren’t French no one would have ever cared about them.

The Good: …
The Bad: tomato ketchup?
The Ugly: in both ears…

I don’t know if it is the app, but I all of a sudden have had 3 french based musicians in a row… what is up with that?

Did I like it?
Did I hate it?

Just not my jam, I'm afraid. I tried to get into it and give it a fair shake, but I honestly prefer other albums on this list.

The music is mind numbingly monotonous but I guess that’s the point?

Nice and enjoyable listen. Didn't really get to pay attention to it but I liked what I heard. Bonus points for being sung in French too. Probably have to listen to this one again since I liked it but don't really recall that much from it.

Happy music!

The most annoying and repetitive album I've listened to

This got right on my tits

1 ⭐️

I had a couple of Stereolab singles in the 1990s, but had never listened to a full album before. I don’t feel like I was missing out - I liked this but nothing really grabbed me like French Disko.

Stereolab rule. Never entirely connected with this one, however it sure has some belters.

One of my favourite gigs in recent memory.

Not impressed. Sterile and superficial with lyrics in French. Nothing really interesting.

Pretty solid "meh" from me. Not unpleasant, but I don't get along with the vocals. I hate that (mostly french) style of singing.

Electric music without any point or substance. It was an OK listen, but I have nothing positive or negative to say. It was just on in the background and nothing grabbed my attention. French music and language just doesn’t work for me.

Favourite song: Metronomiuc underground.
Least favourite: Nothing was terrible, but nothing stood out.
Album artwork: Very cool cover

Hieman turhan kokeellista ja hidasta omaan makuun. 3/5 kumminkin.

My doubts crept in with this album after my partner listened to it and found it just okay, but re-listening I see that this is still an art pop masterpiece, with enough repetitive yet irresistible grooves to make anyone from Can, all the way to LCD Soundsystem, blush. This is apparent with the opening track, as its hefty eight-minute runtime can see daunting, especially with little change appearing in the song, but it is those subtle grooves that will keep the listener dancing, or at the very least, vibing, until the closing moments. And just to prove the listener wrong, the next song throws most of that away and instead becomes a pop sensation, ignoring the trends of the mid-90s (save for maybe the Cardigans) and creating something just as space-like, but more airy and floaty, something to snack on before digesting the rest of the album's various pallets. Yes, it returns to its grooves, but there's also more rock-heavy moments, such as The Noise of Carpet, and even some more acoustic stuff to break from the synths and space station elevators. An album where you'll never stop moving, and each moment, no matter how predictable, will blow you away as the next French sensation toys with your senses, and you're all here for it. At least, hopefully. I do understand why one would be bored by this, and if repetitive music isn't your thing, perhaps steer clear, but anyone searching for something insatiably infectious, this is it.

Wacky. Soft. Entertaining. Beautiful vocals. This is what I was hoping to find.