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| Not Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 November 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2009 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Post-rock [1] | |||
| Length | 56:17 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Stereolab chronology | ||||
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Not Music is the tenth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 16 November 2010 by Drag City and Duophonic Records. The album is a collection of unreleased material recorded at the same time as their previous album, Chemical Chords (2008).
Most of the songs on Not Music were recorded during the same sessions as Stereolab's previous album Chemical Chords . [2] The album also contains remixed versions of "Silver Sands" and "Neon Beanbag", two songs that previously appeared on Chemical Chords. [3]
Not Music was released by Drag City and Stereolab's self-operated label Duophonic Records on 16 November 2010, during the band's indefinite hiatus following the 2008 release of Chemical Chords. [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10 [5] |
| Metacritic | 70/100 [6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [7] |
| The A.V. Club | B [8] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| The Irish Times | [10] |
| NME | 7/10 [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10 [12] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Record Collector | [15] |
| Uncut | [16] |
Not Music received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregate website Metacritic, the album has a score of 70 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". [6]
Arnold Pan of PopMatters found that "the catchiest tracks on Not Music make a good soundtrack for strolling down memory lane, with Stereolab offering fresh takes on old triumphs, rather than just reliving them." [13] Rebecca Raber of Pitchfork was also positive, writing, "I suspect it won't be long before we realize that the leftovers of a band like Stereolab are still better than main dishes offered up by many of their peers." [12] AllMusic critic Heather Phares described Not Music as being "all over the place in the best possible way", noting that it would especially appeal to listeners interested in "Stereolab's gracefully intellectual side". [7] The A.V. Club 's Christian Williams said that while the record felt padded near the end, "[f]or reheated leftovers... Not Music is delicious." [8]
In a mixed review, Jon Falcone of Drowned in Sound wrote, "Stereolab will always provide excitement, but in the past, part of that excitement came from a band having no idea of how they should sound, so that the result threw polemics and tangents together with an unmatched grace. Now it feels as though they're comfortable in their skin. This is great for them, but for the listener it's a bitter sweet comfort and feels akin to insincerely wishing well to an ex who has happily moved on." [17] Under the Radar writer Hays Davis was more critical, describing Not Music as "one of those albums of extras that disappointingly lays bare why these tracks were excluded from those that initially found a release." [18]
All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everybody's Weird Except Me" | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Supah Jaianto" | 5:07 | |
| 3. | "So Is Cardboard Clouds" | 3:49 | |
| 4. | "Equivalences" | Gane | 2:23 |
| 5. | "Leleklato Sugar" | 3:04 | |
| 6. | "Silver Sands" (Emperor Machine mix) | 10:20 | |
| 7. | "Two Finger Symphony" | 3:47 | |
| 8. | "Delugeoisie" | 3:41 | |
| 9. | "Laserblast" | 3:25 | |
| 10. | "Sun Demon" | 3:18 | |
| 11. | "Aelita" | 3:49 | |
| 12. | "Pop Molecules (Molecular Pop 2)" | 2:03 | |
| 13. | "Neon Beanbag" (Atlas Sound mix) | 7:57 | |
| Total length: | 56:17 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Neon Beanbag" (Atlas Sound Southern Baptist remix) | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 60:50 | |
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [19]
Stereolab
Additional musicians
Production
Design
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [20] | 36 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [21] | 20 |
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 sound features influences from krautrock and 1960s 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 mid-1990s, the band began to draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music.
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.
Peng! is the debut studio album by English-French band Stereolab. It was released on 26 May 1992 by Too Pure in the United Kingdom. The album was issued in the United States on 13 June 1995 by Too Pure and American Recordings. A remastered edition of the album was released on 9 November 2018 by Too Pure and Beggars Arkive.
Timothy John Gane is an English songwriter and guitarist who co-founded Stereolab with his then-partner Lætitia Sadier.
Lætitia Sadier, sometimes known as Seaya Sadier, is a French musician best known as a founding member of the London-based avant-pop band Stereolab. She was born in the east of Paris and spent time in the US as a child. In 1996, while Stereolab was still active, she formed the side project Monade. In 2009 – the same year Stereolab became inactive – she ended the Monade project and began to perform solo work under her own name; her current band is known as the Lætitia Sadier Source Ensemble. She has frequently performed guest vocals and collaborations with other artists.
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.
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.
Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night is the sixth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 21 September 1999 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records. The album was largely co-produced by Stereolab, John McEntire, and Jim O'Rourke.
Sound-Dust is the seventh studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 28 August 2001 in North America by Elektra Records and on 3 September 2001 internationally by Duophonic Records. The album was produced by John McEntire and Jim O'Rourke and recorded at McEntire's Chicago studio Soma. It was Stereolab's last album to feature singer and guitarist Mary Hansen, who died in a biking accident the following year.
Margerine Eclipse is the eighth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by Elektra Records and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records. The album is in large part a eulogy to former band member Mary Hansen, who died in 2002.
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Monade were a French post-rock band which was initially a side project of Lætitia Sadier, a founding member of Stereolab. In 2009, Sadier retired the project name and began performing under her own name.
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Chemical Chords is the ninth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 18 August 2008 by 4AD and Duophonic Records.
Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements is the second studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 10 August 1993 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records. It was recorded with an expanded line-up, and is generally considered to be the band's noisiest release due to its emphasis on distorted guitars and keyboard sounds.
Electrically Possessed is a compilation album by the English-French band Stereolab, released on 26 February 2021 under Duophonic Records and Warp Records. It collects the band's rarities, and is the fourth of their "Switched-On" compilation series. The track "Dimension M2" was released following the compilation's announcement, followed by "Household Names", taken from the mini album The First of the Microbe Hunters.
Silencio is the second studio album from the French singer Lætitia Sadier, was released on 24 July 2012 under Drag City records.
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