1,421 STEREOLAB, Mombojo, Oxford O2 Academy, Saturday 13th December 2025

 

This was pretty much Logan’s shout, and actually mainly thanks to the film “High Fidelity”… after “discovering” this film a couple of years ago, Logan obsessed over its’ soundtrack, which included left field, avant garde 90’s indiepop band Stereolab’s “Lo Moob Oscillator”, so when “The Groop” (as they were known in their heyday) announced a post-hiatus tour and new album (apparently their first in 15 years), we sorted ourselves out for both! I liked them fine back in the day, saw them once in their own right in 1994 (gig 279), but was never a huge fan. Their keyboard led metronomic sonic template was very particular and idiosyncratic, evoking either 60’s Sci-Fi soundtracks and transmissions from the outer limits, or alternatively, sun-dappled Parisienne balconies and alleyways, and 60’s French language B Movies portraying impossibly beautiful mademoiselles in severe black bobs, skimpy black negligees and tear-smudged mascara hurling pillows and abuse across high-ceilinged bedrooms at unshaven men in unkempt suits who just shrug, take a drag of their Gauloise and pour themselves another Pernod… Erm, sorry, that was quite the tangent… anyway, I liked bits and bobs, but was happy to indulge Logan in checking them out “live”.

Given it was the weekend, Logan’s boyfriend Kristian was persuaded to join us for his first actual gig ever! We set off at ¼ to 5, waiting 10 minutes in that difficult Tesco car park but ultimately getting a spot, then going for a pre-gig Chinese in the recently renovated Rice Box, where I’d taken Jami before the Front Bottoms gig (gig 1,308)! In about 10 to 7, grabbing a barrier down the front, extreme house left, but breaking to chat with Keeley guitarist Lukey and his mate! Support Mombojo were on prompt at 7.30; a Brazilian collective, their metronomic rhythm suggested a World Music version of Stereolab, albeit funkier, more jazz-like freeform and less cohesive than their obvious idols. Buoyed to simply be here, they weren’t my cup of Brazilian coffee but were entertaining enough, with the last couple of numbers – a more impassioned one with “woah-oh” choral hook and a pan pipes-like synth refrain, then a final melange of almost early Human League staccato synth rhythm merging into a wah-wah-led punky outro! – their best ones for me. 

A quick loo trip in this horribly-laid out venue, annoying a few folks in this sold-out crowd as I navigated my way back, before the undulating synth pattern of new album opener “Mystical Plosives” heralded Stereolab onstage at 8.30. The smooth melody and harmony of newie “Aerial Troubles” kicked into gear, powered by the synth rhythms of keyboardist Joe Watson, who appeared to be sat behind the controls of the Starship Enterprise (!), and the still-statuesque vocalist Laetitia Sadier’s hazily drifting vocal overlays. Sadier fended off cries for “French Disko” (my fave ‘lab number, sadly absent tonight) with a severe, “don’t start!” before the languid lounge music of “Transmuted Matter” (“where you take shit and turn it into gold..” informed Sadier) then segued into a brilliant, harder-edged “Peng 33”, racey, punky and ultimately my set highlight.

The Groop were on fine form tonight, switching between those retro sci-fi and French B Movie vibes with effortless ease, and delivering a much more dynamic and upbeat set than I expected. Sadier was also a surprisingly effective frontperson, handling some technical gremlins with patience and grace (“I don’t know what’s going on tonight…who did that?”), augmenting her languid tones with some startling trombone (!), and commenting on the state of the world with, “capitalism is a wound, which leads to fascism is a wound… but all wounds can heal…” before the lengthy mid-set focal point of “Melodie Is A Wound”, its’ groovy pastoral opening speeding up towards a punkier outro, the song then collapsing in on itself before reconstituting into another savage clattering crescendo! The 2 parts of the subsequent “If You Remember I Forgot How To Dream” were bouncy Eurodisko and eerie pulsing pseudo-goth in equal measure, before da ‘lab hit the Parisienne vibes again for a fine, dreampoppy “Miss Modular”. 

“Ectoplasmic Creeping Eruption” (their song titles actually say more about the band than I ever could!) was a crazy Sci-fi transmission with a groovy outro degenerating into a weird noise fest, Logan and I commenting that “live”, this lot often seem to just enjoy making odd noises in their songs for shits and giggles! Then the coruscating synth riff of “Electrified Teenybop” was an excellent set closer, a weirdly anthemic instrumental recalling The Colourbox World Cup Theme for me. A 2 song encore culminating in a groovy “Cybelle’s Reverie” and profuse thanks and a cry of “Fuck the patriarchy!” from Sadier (before checking with the blokes present if we’re cool with it… yup, we are!) rounded off an overall entertaining and much better than expected set. Grabbed a list before the drive home got us back in the ‘don for 11.30. Welcome back Stereolab; happy to have you back on this form, and by the way… great shout Logan!