Instant Holograms on Metal Film

Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Studio album by Stereolab
Released	23 May 2025 (2025-05-23)
Studio	Press Play (London) [1]
Length	59:36
Label	Duophonic UHF Warp
Stereolab chronology
Pulse of the Early Brain (2022) Instant Holograms on Metal Film (2025)
Singles from Instant Holograms on Metal Film
"Aerial Troubles" Released: 8 April 2025 "Melodie Is a Wound" Released: 29 April 2025 "Transmuted Matter" Released: 20 May 2025

Instant Holograms on Metal Film is the eleventh studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 23 May 2025 through Duophonic UHF Disks and Warp Records. It marked their first studio album in nearly 15 years, following Not Music (2010).

Background and release

Stereolab started teasing the record in early April 2025, via a wordsearch image sent to subscribers of their Lab Report newsletter as well as a series of Instagram posts. ^[2] On 2 April, 16 years to the day that the group announced their indefinite hiatus, ^[3] fans received a package called "unsolicited Stereolab material" comprising the lead single "Aerial Troubles" alongside the instrumental. Additionally, posters of the band's name appeared in major cities around the world. ^[4] Stereolab announced their eleventh studio album on 8 April, which marks their return after a 15 year wait. ^[5] "Aerial Troubles", a song that features their "signature otherworldly, radiant groove", received an official release the same day alongside a "retro" music video directed by Laurent Askienazy. ^[6]

Instant Holograms on Metal Film includes 13 tracks, all of which were written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier and performed by the duo alongside Andy Ramsay, Joe Watson and Xavi Muñoz of the group's 2025 touring lineup. ^[7] It features contributions by Cooper Crain and Rob Frye of Bitchin Bajas, Ben LaMar Gay of International Anthem, Ric Elsworth, Holger Zapf of Cavern of Anti-Matter, Marie Merlet and Molly Hansen Read. ^[8] The album was released as a double vinyl LP, available in standard and coloured variants as well as on CD. ^[9] Instant Holograms on Metal Film will be supported by a tour through Europe, North America and the United Kingdom from May to December 2025. ^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10 [11]
Metacritic	84/100 [12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
The Arts Desk	[14]
Far Out	[15]
The Guardian	[16]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10 [17]
Mojo	[18]
MusicOMH	[19]
Pitchfork	7.8/10 [20]
Uncut	[21]
Under the Radar	9/10 [22]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Instant Holograms on Metal Film received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 15 critic scores. ^[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, except "Mystical Plosives" and "Electrified Teenybop!" by Gane.

Instant Holograms on Metal Film track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mystical Plosives"	0:55
2.	"Aerial Troubles"	3:20
3.	"Melodie Is a Wound"	7:37
4.	"Immortal Hands"	6:25
5.	"Vermona F Transistor"	4:37
6.	"La Coeur et La Force"	4:21
7.	"Electrified Teenybop!"	4:16
8.	"Transmuted Matter"	4:16
9.	"Esemplastic Creeping Eruption"	6:04
10.	"If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream Pt. 1"	3:41
11.	"Flashes from Everywhere"	5:35
12.	"Colour Television"	5:33
13.	"If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream Pt. 2"	2:56
Total length:		59:36

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. ^[1]

Stereolab

• Andy Ramsay – drums, EMS synthesizer, Wasp, Roland Jupiter-4, Electro-Harmonix DRM15, Ace Tone, Soundmaster Latin Percussion, Watford Electronics, Vox drum machine, Rainger Snare Trap, TR-606, Boss DR-110, mixing
• Lætitia Sadier – vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, trombone, guitar, mixing
• Joe Watson – Solina Strings, Vox Jaguar, Hohner Symphonic 30N, RMI 368X Electrapiano, Roland System-100M, Korg MS-20, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha Portatone, EMS Synthi, acoustic piano, Moog Matriarch, Prophet-5, Hohner Clavinet, modular synthesizer, Wasp, Mellotron, backing vocals, mixing
• Xavi Muñoz – Fender Bass VI, Fender Precision Bass, backing vocals, mixing
• Timothy Gane – electric guitar, 12-string guitar, Vermona organ, Roland SH5, mixing

Additional contributors

• Cooper Crain – Cwejman SM-1, Korg MS-20, TR-606, Roland Jupiter-4, Oberheim SEM, Roland JP-8000, Mellotron, Moog Micromoog, TR-707, general filtering, recording, engineering, mixing
• Rob Frye – saxophone, woodwinds, clarinets, flutes, bass clarinet, electronics
• Ben LaMar Gay – cornet (tracks 4, 5, 10)
• Ric Elsworth – percussion, hand drums, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel
• Holger Zapf – additional electronics (4); ancient dabbling, treatments (7)
• Marie Merlet – backing vocals
• Molly Read – special guest backing vocals (5)
• Bo Kondren – mastering
• Vanina Schmitt – sleeve design

Charts

Chart performance for Instant Holograms on Metal Film

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA) [23]	7
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [24]	75
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [25]	127
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [26]	41
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27]	4
UK Albums (OCC) [28]	29
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [29]	7

References

1. Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Media notes). Stereolab. Duophonic UHF, Warp. 23 May 2025.
2. Welsh, April Clare (9 April 2025). "Stereolab announce first new album in 15 years, Instant Holograms on Metal Film, share single: Listen". DJ Mag . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
3. "Stereolab return with their first studio album in fifteen years: Instant Holograms on Metal Film". V2 Records . 11 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
4. "Stereolab Announce First New Album in Fifteen Years – Instant Holograms on Metal Film". Louder Than War . 9 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
5. Murray, Robin (8 April 2025). "Stereolab Announce First Album In Fifteen Years, Instant Holograms on Metal Film". Clash . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
6. Chelosky, Danielle (8 April 2025). "Stereolab Announce First New Album In 15 Years Instant Holograms On Metal Film: Hear "Aerial Troubles"". Stereogum . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
7. Eede, Christian (8 April 2025). "Stereolab Detail First Studio LP in 15 Years, Instant Holograms on Metal Film". The Quietus . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
8. Richards, Sam (8 April 2025). "Stereolab announce new album, Instant Holograms on Metal Film". Uncut . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
9. Martin, Andrea Ortiz-Vivanco (8 April 2025). "Stereolab announce first album in 15 years, Instant Holograms on Metal Film, and share new single 'Aerial Troubles'". Hot Press . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
10. Hudson, Alex (27 February 2025). "Stereolab Book North American Fall Tour". Exclaim! . Retrieved 20 April 2025.
11. "Instant Holograms on Metal Film by Stereolab reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
12. "Instant Holograms on Metal Film by Stereolab Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
13. Phares, Heather. "Instant Holograms on Metal Film - Stereolab ... AllMusic" . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
14. Miggs, Joe (21 May 2025). "Picking up their never-ending, archly peculiar groove, after 15 years". The Arts Desk . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
15. Taylor, Tom (22 May 2025). "Stereolab – 'Instant Holograms on Metal Film' album review: sophistication, at last". Far Out. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
16. Petridis, Alexis (22 May 2025). "Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film review – after 15 years, the retro-futurists make a radiant return". The Guardian.
17. Cox, Samuel. "After a fifteen-year break, Stereolab are back". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
18. Segal, Victoria (14 May 2025). "Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film Reviewed: The Groop switch on again with first new album in 15 years". Mojo . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
19. Johnson, Steven (22 May 2025). "One of alternative music's most beloved outfits return with their first album in 15 years, sounding as elegant, refined and exploratory as ever". musicOMH. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
20. Cardew, Ben. "Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film". Pitchfork . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
21. Richards, Sam (22 May 2025). "Stereolab - Instant Holograms On Metal Film". Uncut . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
22. Dransfield, Scotty. "Instant Holograms on Metal Film". Under the Radar . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
23. "ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
24. "Ultratop.be – Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
25. "Ultratop.be – Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
27. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
28. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
29. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2025.