If you know (and love) them, it might surprise you that I had not heard any Stereolab before this year. At least not knowingly. I don’t think I had been deliberately avoiding them but for whatever reason I just hadn’t thought to give them a try. A line, in a review of some other band’s album, about how wide their influence was, made me stop and think perhaps it was time to dip a toe in. And by ‘dip a toe in’, I mean ‘dive headlong into the deep end.’ What else was there to do in February?

Encountering a legendary band’s fully formed discography can be a little daunting but, on the other hand, it’s like unearthing a treasure trove of delights. What turned out to be particularly gratifying is how Stereolab evolved so much, especially during their ‘golden’ mid-90s period. I didn’t start all the way back at the beginning but, after a bit of due diligence, picked up the four albums shown above (all beautifully reissued over the last couple of years) – which I explored in chronological order; Mars Audiac Quintet, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Dots And Loops, and Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night. Beginning with Mars Audiac Quintet (1994) it became clear (from the excellent liner notes) that this marked the end of their ‘motorik’ period, with thick, chugging guitars and keyboards, and an almost punk-y energy. Critics’ favourite Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996) saw them start to branch out and, crucially, begin working with John McEntire (soon to be of post rockers Tortoise) in Chicago. Although it has one foot very firmly in their past, the emerging willingness to experiment sonically is exciting to hear, such as on the aptly-named highlight Tomorrow Is Already Here. This still didn’t prepare me for the leap forward they took on the stunning Dots And Loops (1997). This was one of those rare joys of hearing an album for the first time and just thinking “wow” all the way through. Jazz and post rock take an even stronger influence via producers John McEntire and Jim O’Rourke, then a more electronica tinge on the back end of the album as the band shifted to Germany to work with Mouse On Mars. But for the ever-distinctive twin vocal lines of Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen, this would be unrecognisable from the band of just two albums prior. The labyrinthine (both in scope and in title) Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night (1999) followed – intricate, jazzy, epic and fascinating. Intriguingly, elements of the alternative music press seemed to turn on Stereolab at this point – a review by the NME’s notorious ‘Johnny Cigarettes’ which gave it 0/10 (under the headline “Gane Over” – a miserable pun on the name of frontman Tim Gane), and this comically dreadful Pitchfork review, both of which speak more to the cult of ‘reviewer as celebrity’ (which has thankfully been consigned to the rubbish bin of history) than anything to do with the music itself. I think Stereolab have had the last laugh here.

Into the ’00s and the quality doesn’t let up on Sound Dust (2001) or Margerine Eclipse (2004 – after the sad death of band member Mary Hansen), even if the experimental edge is scaled back somewhat. Margerine Eclipse‘s unique selling point is its ‘dual mono’ recording, with different instruments panned hard left or right in the mix, so that the left and right channels are entirely different, making for a engrossing effect, particularly on headphones. Their final pair of albums – Chemical Chords (2008) and Not Music (2010) – make some of their ‘poppiest’ work, with generally shorter, upbeat tracks. They’re good but slightly lacking in contrast and probably could have made one stronger album overall.

What I have come to appreciate about Stereolab throughout their work is that you can hear in pretty much every track that they (along with all their guest producers) have poured time and effort into making everything sound interesting. They manage to balance being sonically adventurous with consistently engaging musicality. Indeed, something I keep coming back to is how these albums are just stuffed with music and the joy it can bring.