Instant Holograms On Metal Film is the first studio album in 15 years from Stereolab, the avant-pop pioneers who fused the pulse of motorik rock with French pop melodies, lounge warmth, and philosophical lyrics throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier's return follows extensive touring and reissue campaigns that reintroduced their influential catalogue to new audiences.
Recorded in Chicago with Cooper Crain (Bitchin Bajas) as engineer and co-producer, the album combines Stereolab's core elements of propulsive rhythms, analogue synths, and Sadier's bilingual vocals, with brass arrangements and acoustic textures that expand their range. Featured guests include Ben LaMar Gay on cornet, and Rob Frye on saxophone. In a moving tribute to the band's history, Molly Read, niece of beloved late member Mary Hansen, contributes “special guest backing vocals” to 'Vermona F Transistor'.
Tracks like 'Aerial Troubles' offer fresh forms of the band's classic grooves, with choppy rhythms and phasing synths, whilst 'Melodie Is A Wound' shifts from pop hooks to electronic breakdowns and raw sax solos. Sadier's lyrics blend social critique with spiritual themes, addressing authoritarianism and media manipulation whilst offering messages of hope and personal empowerment.
In playfully cryptic style, the album's promotion began with mysterious 7-inch singles sent to fans, complete with word search puzzles that sparked online speculation before the official announcement.
Instant Holograms On Metal Film
Stereolab
