Ten Years of Dots & Loops: Stereolab's Mastery Takes Full Effect.

Later this year, the brilliant English Experimental Pop outfit known as Stereolab will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their immortal 1997 epic "Dots & Loops." It is unclear or possibly unlikely that there will be any sort of bloated deluxe edition of this catchy technological achievement in melody, especially considering the fact that The Groop were unceremoniously dropped from major label Elektra shortly after the release of the Disco-influenced "Margerine Eclipse." Regardless, "Dots & Loops" is Stereolab's greatest achievement.

"Emperor Tomato Ketchup" only hinted at the full blown Psychedelic Lounge that came together on this record, as on "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" it is still rather clear that The Groop had a little bit of Kraut Rock left to get out of their systems. Rarely has the use of drum machine or the use of the computer recording software Pro Tools been put to better use. A record that enlisted the help of Mouse On Mars for those tracks recorded in Germany, and members of Tortoise for those tracks recorded in Chicago. Stereolab removed any significant element of Rock on this record and replaced it with Easy Listening Bliss. The horn arrangements were simple yet effective. The vocal arrangements, while possibly complex at times, cascaded along quite nicely and were often accompanied by a Bossa Nova beat. This was music suited for all occasions, including a Volkswagen commercial.

The "Miss Modular" single was featured heavily in music video form on the short-lived Electronica leaning AMP, before MTV switched their focus in the late '90's to Teen Pop. Such lovely pieces of ear candy like the brilliant "Diagonals" are still featured in concert, and are equally as effective in a live setting. Stereolab's success of "playing the studio" has never been so potent as on this record. Each song is an example of musical timelessness and a sort of music that is naturally trippy, without requiring the listener to partake in indulgences in order to enhance the experience. Nowhere is Tim Gane or any other member of The Lab featured anywhere in the album artwork, and the listener is just left with a series of shapes and design patterns, while the music itself leaves the listener with nothing but "Dots & Loops."

Finally, controversy still very much surrounds this record as Stereolab's turning point, in which they ceased to be a band writing songs, but rather, were composers working on film scores, but the critical drama did not take full effect until 1999's experimental Jazz fusion effort "Cobra and Phases Groop Play Voltage in The Milky Night." While many early fans of Stereolab saw "Dots & Loops" as the end, for me, it was very much the beginnings of what I enjoy most of all about this particular band's musical output, and that is: The absolute mastery of ear candy.