Low Fi

Last updated
Low Fi
Stereolab - Low Fi.jpg
EP by
ReleasedSeptember 1992
Genre Noise pop
Length24:41
Label Too Pure
Producer
  • Robbs
  • Stereolab
Stereolab chronology
Peng!
(1992)
Low Fi
(1992)
Switched On
(1992)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg link
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [1]

Low Fi is the third EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released in September 1992 by Too Pure. The title of the final track "Elektro (He Held the World in His Iron Grip)" is taken from the cover of the thirteenth issue of the comic book Tales of Suspense, released in 1961. It is the first Stereolab release to feature longtime drummer Andy Ramsay and backing vocalist Mary Hansen, who stayed with the band until her death in 2002. The EP was compiled on physical releases of Pulse of the Early Brain.

Track listing

  1. "Low Fi" – 5:23
  2. "(Varoom!)" – 9:02
  3. "Laisser-Faire" – 4:32
  4. "Elektro (He Held the World in His Iron Grip)" – 5:46

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereolab</span> English-French avant-pop band

Stereolab are an Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repetitive motorik beat with heavy 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 movements. On stage, they play in a more feedback-driven and guitar-oriented style. The band also draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music, and were one of the first artists to be dubbed "post-rock". They are regarded among the most innovative and influential groups of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron & Wine</span> American musician

Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album. He occasionally tours with a full band.

<i>My Iron Lung</i> 1994 EP by Radiohead

My Iron Lung is the third EP by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 26 September 1994 by Parlophone Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US. It was produced by Radiohead, John Leckie and Nigel Godrich. The EP compiles songs not included on Radiohead's second album, The Bends (1995), plus the Bends song "My Iron Lung", which was also released as a single.

<i>Dots and Loops</i> 1997 studio album by Stereolab

Dots and Loops is the fifth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 22 September 1997 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records. The band co-produced the album with John McEntire and Andi Toma, and recording took place at their respective studios in Chicago and Düsseldorf. It was their first album to be recorded straight to Digital Audio Tape and produced with Pro Tools. The album explores jazz and electronic sounds, and is influenced by bossa nova and 1960s pop music. Its lyrics address matters such as consumerism, the "spectacle", materialism, and human interaction.

<i>Switched On</i> 1992 compilation album by Stereolab

Switched On is a compilation of Stereolab's first three releases, and was originally released in 1992. The album's name is in tribute to Switched-On Bach and other similar titles from the late 1960s to 1970s that feature Moog synthesizers as the primary instrument. Switched On was later licensed to Slumberland Records for a US release, and Rough Trade Germany, for that country, both in 1992.

<i>Aluminum Tunes</i> 1998 compilation album by Stereolab

Aluminum Tunes is a double album collection of EPs and rarities from Stereolab, released in 1998. It is the third compilation in a series of rarities collections following Switched On and Refried Ectoplasm, and was stickered with the subtitle "Switched On, Volume 3".

Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks Limited is a British independent record label formed by English-French rock band Stereolab in 1991. The label has two imprints: Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks for UK Stereolab releases licensed to various labels worldwide, and Duophonic Super 45s for releases of other artists and certain Stereolab UK-only releases. Duophonic's first release was Stereolab's debut EP Super 45 (1991), limited to 880 copies; of these, forty copies had handmade covers that were produced by Martin Pike in his father's garage.

<i>Mars Audiac Quintet</i> 1994 studio album by Stereolab

Mars Audiac Quintet is the third studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 2 August 1994 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records.

<i>Emperor Tomato Ketchup</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Stereolab

Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the fourth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 18 March 1996 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records.

<i>The First of the Microbe Hunters</i> 2000 EP by Stereolab

The First of the Microbe Hunters is the fifth EP by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 16 May 2000 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records and in the United States by Elektra Records. Its title makes reference to the book Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif, in which the first chapter is dedicated to Dutch scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek, named "the first of the microbe hunters". Its tracks were re-released in the band's 2021 compilation Electrically Possessed.

<i>Captain Easychord</i> 2001 EP by Stereolab

Captain Easychord is a July 2001 EP by Stereolab. It was released on CD and 12" vinyl one month prior to the album Sound-Dust. "Moodles" is included on the Japanese version of the Sound-Dust album as a bonus track. The album version of the title track has two musically distinct sections and lasts 5:33; the EP version comprises only the first section, fading out shortly before the transition to the second.

<i>Super-Electric</i> 1991 EP by Stereolab

Super-Electric is the second EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released in September 1991 by Too Pure. All four tracks were later included on Switched On.

<i>Miss Modular</i> 1997 EP by Stereolab

Miss Modular is a 1997 EP by the post-rock band Stereolab. The title track served as the lead single from their album Dots and Loops. It was produced in collaboration with the group Mouse on Mars. Dan the Automator remixed the title track.

<i>Cybeles Reverie</i> 1996 EP by Stereolab

Cybele's Reverie is an EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 19 February 1996 by Duophonic Records. Its title track serves as the lead single from their fourth studio album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. The four-track EP is the only one by Stereolab on which none of the songs are in English: the title track, "Brigitte", and "Young Lungs" are in French, and "Les Yper-Yper Sound" is an instrumental.

<i>Wow and Flutter</i> 1994 EP by Stereolab

Wow and Flutter is an EP by the post-rock band Stereolab, which served as the second single from their 1994 album Mars Audiac Quintet. A limited edition of 3,000 7" copies was released with hand-painted covers. The EP was also released on CD and 10" vinyl.

<i>Ping Pong</i> (EP) 1994 EP by Stereolab

Ping Pong is a 1994 EP by the English-French avant-pop band Stereolab. It served as the lead single from their third full-length album Mars Audiac Quintet. Three limited 7" runs were released in green, black, and pink colors. It was also released on CD and 10" vinyl.

<i>Jenny Ondioline</i> 1993 EP by Stereolab

Jenny Ondioline is a 1993 EP by the Anglo-French band Stereolab, which served as the lead single from the album Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements. It was released on CD and 10" vinyl. Its tracks were later re-released on the Oscillons from the Anti-Sun compilation.

<i>Space Age Bachelor Pad Music</i> 1993 EP by Stereolab

Space Age Batchelor Pad Music is an EP by the alternative music band Stereolab, originally released in March 1993. The release became an underground hit, and led to the band securing its first major-label record deal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Grips</span> American experimental hip-hop group

Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin. Though he is not the group's frontman, Hill has been credited with being the driving creative force behind the project. Drawing from punk rock, electronic, noise, and industrial styles, the band's innovative and often difficult-to-categorize sound has earned critical acclaim and a cult following, while their aggressive performance style and cryptic interactions with their fans and the media have gained widespread notoriety.

<i>Pulse of the Early Brain</i> 2022 compilation album by Stereolab

Pulse of the Early Brain is a compilation album by the English-French avant-pop band Stereolab, released on 2 September 2022 under Duophonic Records and Warp Records. It is the fifth installment of the band's "Switched-On" series which collects the band's rarities, such as the EPs Simple Headphone Mind (1997) and Low Fi (1992), bonus and exclusive tracks from Chemical Chords (2008), and individual tracks from other albums, split singles and flexi discs. Unlike previous "Switched-On" releases, which compiled each of the band's eras in chronological order, Pulse of the Early Brain covers rarities from all over their career.

References

  1. Richardson, Mark (18 July 2019). "Stereolab: Low Fi". Pitchfork . Retrieved 18 July 2019.