STEREOLAB Announces Extensive World Tour & Vinyl Reissue Campaign

Stereolab formed in 1990 by then-couple, Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier. A year later, they’d already started their record label Duophonic 45s through which they’d release their debut EP, Super 45. These days, the London-based project is often referred to as “avant-pop,” but they were also one of the first acts to be stamped with the label of “post-rock.” Ushering in a resurgence of vintage synths, they would include elements of krautrock, electronic music, shoegaze, noise, synth, indie, and space rock; Brazilian bossa nova and 60s French Pop music. Parisian-born Sadier is known for alternating between English and French vocals. The group has collaborated with such figures as New York conceptual artist, Charles Long; John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea And Cake, Gastr Del Sol); industrial/dark ambient project, Nurse With Wound; and legendary jazz flutist, Herbie Mann. At times they venture heavily toward lounge. There have been endless attempts to pin down or categorize exactly what they do, but ultimately Stereolab just sounds like Stereolab. Always moving forward and always interesting, yet always identifiable. While many influences may be heard within their trademark sound, there are even more instances where you can hear their influences embedded deeply in the work of artists they have impacted over the last 35 years since their inception.

The last official studio album released by the band was Chemical Chords in 2008, after which they put things into stasis to allow members to pursue individual endeavors. This was followed in 2010 by a collection of outtakes from those album sessions titled Not Music. In 2019, Stereolab launched an extensive series of reissues featuring expanded editions from their catalog and embarked on their first live shows in a decade. Now the band is announcing more affordable stripped-down variations of 7 different albums for those who still want to collect them on vinyl, but don’t need or want all of the bonus material. Best of all, this reissue campaign will be supported with another tour! This time around, they have a hefty schedule ahead of them, spending 2025 bringing joy to the downtrodden masses by playing over 5-dozen shows across this dying planet. Beginning in May, the band will embark on a full European tour followed by North American dates from September through November, before closing things out with a UK tour in December.

In a letter to fans, the band states the following:

“Dear friends,

We have a full agenda today. The information is dense, so please read carefully and ask if anything is unclear.

I’ll be brief with the words and get straight to the point/s of discussion:

We [Stereolab and myself] are heading back out onto the road. New keyboards and guitars have been purchased and will be put to use on the following dates. 

Unless stated, all tickets will be on sale tomorrow [28th February 2025] at 10am local time.

All support acts are TBC. You can expect a full announcement in the future.“

The message on the official Stereolab Instagram account (@stereolabgroop) was even more succinct.

“Announcing now – 61 shows /7 reissued albums / 7 official shirts.
All are on sale tomorrow.
Link in bio or head to the Stereolab.co.uk via your favourite search engine for more details“

As showcased in the video above, the 7 albums included in the reissue campaign are as follows:

• Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements (1993)
• Mars Audiac Quintet (1994)
• Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
• Dots And Loops (1997)
• Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night (1999)
• Sound Dust (2001)
• Margerine Eclipse (2004)

The press release explains that “with immediate effect, all triple disk editions containing demos will be phased out and deleted. Starting tomorrow, the band will begin reissuing some of their most cherished bodies of work including a double-disk edition with reconfigured artwork as well as double-disk editions using the 2019 Calyx remasters. To mitigate any financial barriers that could limit fans from enjoying this special double disk reissuing, the band is maintaining a low price point to help fans and shops currently experiencing economic hardships.“

For those disheartened by the loss of the sleevenotes that accompanied the triple-LP releases, those can still be viewed on the band’s website HERE. Additionally, all of the compact disc versions that contain the demos will remain available, and the demos will continue to be accessible through streaming services. A special Spotify playlist has also been created containing the band’s entire discography “in chronological release order, amassing 365 songs with a run time of just over 26 hours.“

The seven T-shirts referenced by the band have been created to correspond with each of the 7 albums being reissued. The garments are created by Stanley & Stella “in the Creator 2.0 style” and use a bespoke label. Vinyl and shirts are available separately and in bundle options. All merchandise can be purchased HERE. 

Flyers for each leg of the tour containing a complete list of dates can be viewed below.