Serene Velocity: A Stereolab Anthology (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Laetitia Sadier (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion); Mary Hansen (vocals, guitar, percussion); Sean O'Hagan (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, piano, tack piano, Fender Rhodes piano, electric harpsichord, Clavinet, organ, Farfisa, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, vibraphone, marimba, percussion); John McEntire (guitar, keyboards, vibraphone, marimba, drums, maracas, tambourine, percussion, electronics); Jim O'Rourke (guitar, keyboards, percussion, electronics); Tim Gane (guitar, keyboards, percussion); Duncan Brown (guitar); Vera Daucher (violin); Marcus Holdaway, William Hawes, Brian G. Wright , Jacqueline Norrie, Rebecca McFaul, Maureen Loughnane, Meg Gates, Poppy Branders, Shelly Weiss, Sophie Harris, Sally Herbert (strings); Alan Carter (flute, tenor saxophone); Paul Mertens (flute, brass); Lindsay Law (trumpet); Rob Mazurek (cornet); Andy Robinson, Jeb Bishop (trombone, brass); Colin Crawley, Mark Bassey, Steve Waterman, Ross Reed (brass); Xavier "Fischfinger" Fischer (piano); Andy Ramsay (keyboards, drums, percussion); Katharine Gifford (keyboards); Fulton Dingley (synthesizer, midi, drum machine, percussion); Douglas McCombs (acoustic bass); Andi Toma (electronic percussion, electronics); Jan St. Werner (electronics).

Audio Mixers: Phil Wright; Fulton Dingley; Andi Toma; Paul Tipler; John McEntire; Jim O'Rourke.

Audio Remasterer: Nick Webb .

Liner Note Author: Mike McGonigal.

Recording information: Academy Of St. Martin In The Street, Disseldorg (05/1993-??/2003); Blackwing Studios, London, England (05/1993-??/2003); Idful Studios, Chicago, IL (05/1993-??/2003); Instant O, France (05/1993-??/2003); Soma Recording Studio, Chicago, IL (05/1993-??/2003); Wolf Studios, Brixton, London, England (05/1993-??/2003).

Released by the Rhino label in 2006, the beautifully titled and intuitively assembled SERENE VELOCITY is the first Stereolab anthology to explore the remarkably wide range of the revered post-rock group's Elektra albums. Proceeding from the dreamy drone of "Jenny Ondioline" (1993) to the funky, hip-hop-influenced "Metronomic Underground" ('96) to the shimmering experimental-pop confection "Sudden Stars" ('04), the 16-track collection boldly attempts to capture the essence of the British/French ensemble in the space of one disc, and largely succeeds. Stereolab's collective affinity for Krautrock, cinematic scores, and 1960s pop are all on display here, as deftly channeled through the coolly detached lead vocals of Laetitia Sadier, the dynamic guitar/keyboard lines of Tim Gane, and the precise work of the band's formidable rhythm section. Although the slightly earlier OSCILLONS FROM THE ANTI-SUN compilation covers some of this set's territory, VELOCITY's tight focus and chronological sequence are what make it stand out as the definitive introduction to Stereolab.

Whittling Stereolab's impressive (in terms of both size and quality) discography down to a single-disc retrospective is a daunting task, but Rhino's collection handles it well enough that only the fussiest completists could complain. Granted, Serene Velocity -- a title so apt it feels like it was borrowed from some long-lost, limited-run 'Lab 7" -- gets a head start by concentrating on the band's output during their time with Elektra, but that's still 13 years, seven albums, and several EPs worth of material to choose from. Nevertheless, the collection hones in on each release's definitive tracks with lock-groove accuracy: "Jenny Ondioline" and "Crest" capture Transient Random Noise-Bursts with Announcements' bracing, droning sound, while "Ping Pong" and "Wow and Flutter" reflect the more overtly pop direction of Mars Audiac Quintet. Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the only album to have three tracks culled from it ("Cybele's Reverie," "Metronomic Underground," and "Percolator"), all of which show how the group incorporated jazz, funk, hip-hop, and chamber pop into what many consider their masterpiece. The more abstract, aloof feel of Stereolab's work from Dots and Loops to Sound-Dust is well-represented by "Brakhage," "Infinity Girl," and "Double Rocker," while "Vonal Declosion" and "...Sudden Stars" mark Margerine Eclipse's return to poppier terrain. Indeed, the whole collection is so even-handed that it may bore long-term fans (the inclusion of Sound-Dust's "Space Moth" instead of its lead single, "Captain Easychord," is the only remotely controversial choice here), but it works very well as a primer for new listeners. ~ Heather Phares minimize