Emperor Tomato Ketchup

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Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Studio album from Stereolab

Publication
(s)

April 1996

Label (s) Elektra Records (USA)
Duophonic (Europe)

Format (s)

CD , LP

Genre (s)

Post-rock
noise pop

Title (number)

13

running time

57:15

occupation
  • Singing , various instruments: Lætitia Sadier
  • Guitar, vocals: Mary Hansen
  • Keyboard: Morgane Lhote
  • Vibraphone, guitar, synthesizer, maracas, tambourine: John McEntire
  • Strings: Marcus Holdaway, Sally Herbert, Mandy Drummond, Meg Gates
  • Organ, electric piano, string arrangements, vibraphone: Sean O'Hagan

production

Stereolab , Fulton Dingley

chronology
Mars Audiac Quintet
1994 		Emperor Tomato Ketchup Dots and Loops
1997
Single releases
1996 Cybele's Reverie
1996 Metronomic Underground
1996 The noise of carpet

Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the fourth studio album by the British independent band Stereolab . It was released on Elektra Records in April 1996. It was her biggest commercial hit at the time and was also well received by critics. Three singles were released from the album: "Cybele's Reverie", "Metronomic Underground" and "The Noise of Carpet".

The name of the album comes from a Japanese film from 1971, Tomato Kecchappu Kôtei (director: Shuji Terayama ). The film is about children who overthrow the social system and disempower adults.

John McEntire of Tortoise was active on the album as a multi-instrumentalist and also helped produce the album.

The song "Cybele's Reverie" was later re-released in 1996 on an EP of the same name.

reception

The professional music critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A- and praised the individual pop approach of the band.

The allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded five out of five stars on the album and wrote:

"Consequently, the album is Stereolab's most complex, multi-layered record. It lacks the raw, amateurish textures of their early singles, but the music is far more ambitious, melding electronic drones and singsong melodies with string sections, slight hip-hop and dub influences, and scores of interweaving counter melodies. Even when Stereolab appears to be creating a one-chord trance, there is a lot going on beneath the surface. Furthermore, the group's love for easy listening and pop melodies means that the music never feels cold or inaccessible. "

“This album is the most complex and layered album from Stereolab. It lacks the raw, amateurish textures of their early singles, but the music has a lot more emotion and mixes electronic drones with chant melodies and string sections, light hip-hop and dub influences and soundscapes of interfering counter-melodies. Even if it seems like Stereolab are creating a trance from a chord, there is a lot going on beneath the surface. Plus, the band's love of easy listening and pop melodies means the music never feels cold or inaccessible. "

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Track list

All titles from Stereolab

  1. "Metronomic Underground" - 7:55
  2. "Cybele's Reverie" - 4:42
  3. "Percolator" - 3:47
  4. "Les Yper-Sound" - 4:05
  5. "Spark Plug" - 2:29
  6. "OLV 26" - 5:42
  7. "The Noise of Carpet" - 3:05
  8. "Tomorrow Is Already Here" - 4:56
  9. "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" - 4:37
  10. "Monstre Sacre" - 3:44
  11. "Scalatron Motor Scooter" - 3:48
  12. "Slow Fast Hazel" - 3:53
  13. "Anonymous Collective" - ​​4:32

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Robert Christgau CG: Stereolab
  2. ↑ Allmusic review