''Margerine Eclipse'' is the eighth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by English-French

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...

. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by

Duophonic Records Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks Limited (also known as Duophonic Records or Duophonic Super 45s) is a British independent record label formed by English-French rock band Stereolab in 1991. The label has two imprints: Duophonic Ultra High ...

. The album is in large part a eulogy to former band member

Mary Hansen Mary Therese Hansen (1 November 1966 9 December 2002) was an Australian guitarist and singer. She joined the London-based avant-pop band Stereolab in 1992. As a member, Hansen recorded six studio albums from '' Transient Random-Noise Bursts w ...

, who died in 2002. By June 2004, ''Margerine Eclipse'' had sold over 40,000 copies in the USA. A

remaster A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether Mastering (audio), audiophonic, Cinematography, cinematic, or Videography, videographic. The resulting product is said to be remastered. The term ...

ed and expanded edition of the album was released by Duophonic and

Warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

on 29 November 2019.

Background

In December 2002, Stereolab member

was killed in a cycling accident. The band subsequently dedicated ''Margerine Eclipse'' to Hansen, with the lyrics of the song "Feel and Triple" making specific reference to her. Shortly before work commenced on the album, band members

Tim Gane Timothy John Gane (born 12 July 1964) is an English songwriter and guitarist who co-founded Stereolab with his then-partner Lætitia Sadier.Gregory, Andy (ed.) (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music, 2002'', Europa Publications Limite ...

and

Lætitia Sadier Lætitia Sadier (born 6 May 1968), also known as Seaya Sadier, is a French musician best known as a founding member of the London-based avant-pop band Stereolab. She was born in the east of Paris and spent time in the US as a child. In 1996, whi ...

ended their romantic relationship. Their breakup is alluded to in Sadier's lyrics for the song "Hillbilly Motobike". ''Margerine Eclipse'' was mixed with full

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

separation – or as Stereolab termed it, in "dual mono". For every song, the band made two recordings – each with a different

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

– then created a final mix by synchronising both recordings together, with one on the left

channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...

and the other on the right channel. The technique was also used on the band's 2003 EP '' Instant 0 in the Universe''.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Stereolab *

– electric guitar, electronics, organ *

– vocals, trombone on "Margerine Melodie" * Dominic Jeffery – organ, electric piano,

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

, celeste * Simon Johns – bass, drums on "Margerine Rock" * Andy Ramsay – drums,

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

Additional musicians * Fulton Dingley – drum machine, synthesizer,

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...

, percussion *

Sean O'Hagan Sean O'Hagan (born 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter who leads the avant-pop band the High Llamas, which he founded in 1992. He is also known for being one half of the songwriting duo (with Cathal Coughlan) in Microdisney and for his wor ...

– keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, other instruments * Jan St. Werner – electronics on "Vonal Declosion" and "Feel and Triple" Production * Fulton Dingley –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

, mixing * Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing

Charts

References

External links

''Margerine Eclipse''
at official Stereolab website * * {{Authority control 2004 albums Stereolab albums Elektra Records albums