Switched On

Seeing as this is the Stereolab album that started it all, it seems surprising that there aren't more reviews. I have fond memories of buying this when it first came out in 1992 - my first exposure to Stereolab! - and think it is still just as great after all these years.Since then Stereolab have produced dozens of recordings, and even die-hard fans have a tendency to overlook the earliest ones, giving their acclaim to classics such as "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" and "Dots and Loops". But despite their musical progression, Stereolab have remained consistent with their basic sound: hypnotic back-and-forth female vocals on a swirling sea of mesmerising synthesiser. If you like their subsequent albums there's a very good chance you'll like this.Compared with their later albums, "Switched On" is more energetic and exhilarating. The surging guitars on some of these tracks recall the likes of My Bloody Valentine or Spacemen 3. But this perhaps makes "Switched On" more accessible than Stereolab's more recent, low-key albums. I especially love the powerfully hypnotic "Contact", and the emotive final track, "Changer".The follow-up album, "Peng!", is fairly similar in style and quality. Get them both. Heck, get every Stereolab album!

A bit more basic than later material but interesting nevertheless.