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| The Groop - Summer 1991? |
It features the early core members of a band I would possibly rate as my favourite - certainly consistently up there in the top two at any particular point in time. The Groop - STEREOLAB. Formed in 1991 and active through the 90s and 00s, Sterolab soundtracked my life and accompanied me on many of my Ds fries in the early and mid 1990s.
'SYE 29 something'. The car doesn't have clap-hand wipers - so is possibly 1965 to 1967 vintage? Tim's got the door open - so was either being cheeky or they'd arranged to use it for a photoshoot.
The band line up dates the photo as probably summer 1991. Is that DS still out there I wonder? I've not seen it at rallies.
Anyway, more about Stereolab: the photo shows Tim - ex of McCarthy (another great band) - his French girlfriend and sometime McCarthy contributor Seaya (aka Laetitia) in the foreground - and Gina Morris (a friend and NME journalist) in the background. Together with Russell (from Moose), Martin Kean (The Chills) and Joe Dilworth (Th'Faith Healers) they formed an indie superGroop. Oh, hang on. This says it far better:
From south London, England, Stereolab wear their John Cage and John Cale influences on their sleeves, but within a short time-span have amassed an impressive body of work. The principal mover is Tim Gane (12 July 1964, Barking, Essex, England; ex-McCarthy), who was at first joined by his girlfriend Laetitia Sadier (b. Paris, France), Martin Kean (ex-Chills) and Th’ Faith Healers’ drummer Joe Dilworth, also a Melody Maker photographer.
Gane gave the band its name, after an obscure offshoot of 60s folk label Vanguard Records (it has also been stated that the title was taken from a hi-fi testing label). At their early gigs they were joined by Russell Yates (Moose) on guitar and Gina Morris (New Musical Express journalist) on vocals. Too Pure signed them, allowing them to keep their own Duophonic imprint. By the time of the release of the ‘Low-Fi’ 10-inch in September 1992, Mary Hansen (b. 1 November 1966, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, d. 9 December 2002, London, England) had arrived to lend keyboard and vocal support, and Andy Ramsay replaced Dilworth on drums. ‘John Cage Bubblegum’, which some critics have noted as an adequate description of their sound, was released in the USA only, on Slumberland, via a limited edition version containing a stick of gum. By the time The Groop Played Space Age Bachelor Pad Music was released in March 1993, further line-up changes had occurred, with Duncan Brown joining on bass and ex-Microdisney guitarist Sean O’Hagan also guesting. This set was the closest to ambient soundscapes, à la Martin Denny or Arthur Lyman, that they had yet come.
Stereolab left Too Pure for Elektra Records at the end of 1993, once again retaining the Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks imprint for their domestic releases. Duophonic would also issue material by Arcwelder and Herzfeld, the latter featuring another former McCarthy member, Malcolm Eden. The double LP Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements straddled both indie and dance music markets. This was more minimalist than ambient, and maintained their reputation not only as a competent rock outfit, but also as an important fixture of the experimental dance axis. The addictive Music For The Amorphous Body Study Centre continued to embrace subjects outside of pop music convention, on this occasion acting as a soundtrack to the work of artist Charles Long for an exhibition at New York’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. The excellent Emperor Tomato Ketchup (the title was taken from a Japanese cult movie) was another mix of melodies that crept under the skin. It is almost irrelevant that many could not understand the French lyrics, such was the strength of the songs.
Stereolab, with all their influences, from the sparse sounds of Moondog to the gentle side of Nico’s Velvet Underground, remain hauntingly original and one of the most rewarding acts to emerge from the 90s. Ever prolific, they have released several albums including the dance-orientated Dots And Loops and Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night, indicating a willingness to experiment with their established sound. Gane has also collaborated with O’Hagan as Turn On. Tragedy struck in December 2002 when Mary Hansen was knocked off her bicycle in London by a lorry and died from the injuries sustained.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze
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