Stereolab

An avant garde, futurist pop act from the 1990s who pitched driving Krautrock sprawl alongside airy sixties pop harmonies and boss nova rhythms, Stereolab were critics' darlings and underground favourites who later became an inspiration to acts such as Daft Punk, MF Doom, J Dilla and Pharrell Williams.

Singer Laetitia Sadier was a fan of British indie act McCarthy, and when they performed in Paris, she befriended guitarist Tim Gane and ended up performing with the band on their final tour. Together Gane and Sadier went on to form Stereolab in 1990 and, against the backdrop of London's gloomy, depressed mood, they started the label Duophonic and self-released debut EP 'Super 45' through independent record shops. Their vibrant mix of surrealist ideas, DIY spirit and political edge came together on debut album 'Peng!', and with Gane creating the music and Sadier providing lyrics and suave, hushed vocals, their albums 'Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements', 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' and 'Dots and Loops' helped build a loyal cult audience. Their track 'French Disko' proved particularly popular and was later covered by both the Raveonettes and Editors, but the end of Gane and Sadier's romantic relationship and the death of guitarist Mary Hansen put the future of the band into doubt. They continued on with albums 'Margarine Eclipse' in 2004 and 'Chemical Chords' in 2008, but went on an indefinite hiatus a year later, with Gane forming trio Cavern of Anti-Matter and Sadier releasing solo albums and playing with art rockers Monade.