Margerine Eclipse
2004 studio album by Stereolab
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Margerine Eclipse is the eighth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by Elektra Records[14][15] and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records.[14][16] The album is in large part a eulogy to band member Mary Hansen, who died in 2002.
| Margerine Eclipse | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 January 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Studio | Instant Zero (France) | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 53:41 | |||
| Languages |
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| Labels | ||||
| Stereolab chronology | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Alternative Press | 4/5[6] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[7] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| The Observer | [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Spin | B−[12] |
| Uncut | [13] |
By June 2004, Margerine Eclipse had sold over 40,000 copies in the US.[17] A remastered and expanded edition of the album was released by Duophonic and Warp on 29 November 2019.[18]
Background
In December 2002, Stereolab member Mary Hansen was killed in a cycling accident.[19] The band subsequently dedicated Margerine Eclipse to Hansen,[20] with the lyrics of the song "Feel and Triple" making specific reference to her.[5][16][21] Shortly before work commenced on the album, band members Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier ended their romantic relationship.[19][21] Their breakup is alluded to in Sadier's lyrics for the song "Hillbilly Motobike".[21]
Margerine Eclipse was mixed with full stereo separation – or as Stereolab termed it, in "dual mono".[21] For every song, the band made two recordings – each with a different arrangement – then created a final mix by synchronising both recordings together, with one on the left channel and the other on the right channel.[21] The technique was also used on the band's 2003 EP Instant 0 in the Universe.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vonal Declosion" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Need to Be" | 4:50 |
| 3. | "'...Sudden Stars'" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Cosmic Country Noir" | 4:47 |
| 5. | "La Demeure" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Margerine Rock" | 2:56 |
| 7. | "The Man with 100 Cells" | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Margerine Melodie" | 6:19 |
| 9. | "Hillbilly Motobike" | 2:23 |
| 10. | "Feel and Triple" | 4:53 |
| 11. | "Bop Scotch" | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Dear Marge" | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 53:41 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "La Spirale" | 2:24 |
| 11. | "Feel and Triple" | 4:53 |
| 12. | "Bop Scotch" | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Dear Marge" | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 56:05 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mass Riff" | 6:30 |
| 2. | "Good Is Me" | 5:27 |
| 3. | "Microclimate" | 4:39 |
| 4. | "Mass Riff" (instrumental intro) | 1:13 |
| 5. | "Jaunty Monty and the Bubbles of Silence" | 4:30 |
| 6. | "Banana Monster ne répond plus" | 4:28 |
| 7. | "University Microfilms International" | 4:01 |
| 8. | "Rose, My Rocket-Brain! (Rose, le cerveau electronique de ma fusée!)" | 5:26 |
| Total length: | 36:14 | |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[23]
Stereolab
- Tim Gane – electric guitar, electronics, organ
- Lætitia Sadier – vocals, trombone on "Margerine Melodie"
- Dominic Jeffery – organ, electric piano, harpsichord, celeste
- Simon Johns – bass, drums on "Margerine Rock"
- Andy Ramsay – drums, drum machine
Additional musicians
- Fulton Dingley – drum machine, synthesizer, MIDI, percussion
- Sean O'Hagan – keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, other instruments
- Jan St. Werner – electronics on "Vonal Declosion" and "Feel and Triple"
Production
- Fulton Dingley – engineering, mixing
- Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[24] | 86 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[25] | 108 |
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[26] | 11 |
| US Billboard 200[27] | 174 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28] | 6 |