Not Music

Recorded in 2008 alongside Chemical Chords, 2010’s Not Music is a distinct release of its own. It is still very much a Stereolab album, filled with French pop (“Supah Jaianto,” “So Is Cardboard Clouds”) and weird dance-club rhythms (“Equivalences”). “Everybody’s Weird Except Me” traipses along like a piece of world music put through the Stereolab effects rack. “Laserblast” adds a few mechanical ticks to its robotic, synthetic groove. “Silver Sands (Emperor Machine Mix)” works out for ten minutes through Krautrock’s motorik through downtempo with Laetitia Sadler seducing her way across the dancefloor. Sadler is Stereolab’s not-so-secret weapon. Her soothing vocals add a touch of Parisian nightlife to everything the band produces. The manic blast of the group’s rhythmic attack surges through “Sun Demon” and “Two Finger Symphony,” and turns into a dark fuzz gait on ”Pop Molecules (Molecular Pop).” “Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Mix)” flows deep into the heart of ambience, with the sound of the electronic music world skittering over the edge.