On Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Stereolab moved in two directions simultaneously -- it explored funkier dance rhythms while increasing the complexity of its arrangements and compositions.
For its follow-up, Dots and Loops, the group scaled back its rhythmic experiments and concentrated on layered compositions.
Heavily influenced by bossa nova and swinging '60s pop, Dots and Loops is a deceptively light, breezy album that floats by with effortless grace.
Even the segmented, 20-minute "Refractions in the Plastic Pulse" has a sunny, appealing surface -- it's only upon later listens that the interlocking melodies and rhythms reveal their intricate interplay.
In many ways, Dots and Loops is Stereolab's greatest musical accomplishment to date, demonstrating remarkable skill -- their interaction is closer to jazz than rock, exploring all of the possibilities of any melodic phrase.
Their affection for '60s pop keeps Dots and Loops accessible, even though that doesn't mean it is as immediate as Emperor Tomato Ketchup.
In fact, the laid-back stylings of Dots and Loops makes it a little difficult to assimilate upon first listen, but after a few repeated plays, its charms unfold as gracefully as any other Stereolab record.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BrakhageTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 05:30 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Miss ModularTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 04:29 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | The Flower Called NowhereTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 04:55 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | DiagonalsTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 05:15 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | Prisoner of MarsTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Rainbo ConversationTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Refractions in the Plastic PulseTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 17:32 | 40 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | ParsecTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 05:34 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Ticker-Tape of the Unconscious | Stereolab | Play | 04:45 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | ContronaturaTim Gane, Laetitia Sadier | Stereolab | Play | 09:03 | 20 MB | 0 MB |
| 65 mins | 151 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeb Bishop | Brass |
| 2 | Poppy Branders | Strings |
| 3 | Dave Crawford | Brass |
| 4 | Xaver Fischer | Piano |
| 5 | Tim Gane | Composer |
| 6 | Mary Hansen | Vocals |
| 7 | Marcus Holdaway | String Arrangements |
| 8 | Maureen Loughnane | String Arrangements |
| 9 | Douglas McCombs | Bass (Acoustic), Guest Artist |
| 10 | John McEntire | Electronic Sounds, Engineer, Guest Artist, Marimba, Mixing, Percussion, Producer, Synthesizer, Vibraphone |
| 11 | Rebecca McFaul | Strings |
| 12 | Paul Mertens | Brass |
| 13 | Sean O'Hagan | Brass Arrangement, Farfisa Organ, Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Piano, String Arrangements |
| 14 | Ross Reed | Brass |
| 15 | Andy Robinson | Brass Arrangement |
| 16 | Laetitia Sadier | Composer |
| 17 | M. Stamm | Engineer |
| 18 | Stereolab | Mixing, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 19 | Andi Toma | Electronic Sounds, Engineer, Mixing, Percussion, Producer |
| 20 | Shelly Weiss | Strings |
| 21 | Jan St. Werner | Electronic Sounds, Horn |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |