Stereolab at Ex Theater Roppongi, July 2nd 2026

 

I’ll start with a personal anecdote. The biggest gap between concerts from the same artist I’ve experienced was almost sixteen years between the two Peter Gabriel shows I’ve seen. I saw him in 1993 and then in 2009, I believe those are the only shows he has played in Venezuela. With Stereolab I now broke the record. The only other time I saw them was in March of 2002 in Los Angeles, headlining one of the days of the first All Tomorrow’s Parties festival that was held in America.                        

It could be argued that it was a different groop then. Mainly because of the presence of the late Mary Hansen, who provided harmonies and countermelodies to Laetitia Sadier’s main vocals. Those were an essential part of their distinctive sound. In addition to the motorik Can backbeat and the Velvet Underground inspired songwriting. A unique melting pot of ideas that has been imitated but never matched. In 2002 they were also coming from a run of six albums, from 1993’s Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements to 2001’s Sound Dust, also arguably among the best in rock history.

In those 24 years between then and now, the band has split, reunited and released a few albums. But probably the highlight has been last year’s Instant Holograms on Metal Film. It’s a cliche, but there’s no doubt that album was a true return to form. It can easily be considered as part of the tier that includes that legendary six-album run from the nineties.

They’ve been touring the new album around the world, as a matter of fact they stopped in Mongolia after the Japan shows. I was fortunate to get a ticket to their last show in this country, which was a sold out one at Ex-Theater Roppongi.

The show started around 7:05 with the synth arpeggios from Mystical Plosives, their latest album intro, as the band entered the stage. They went immediately into their latest album proper opener, Aerial Troubles and from the get go their sound lifted the room. The nifty light touch of Andy Ramsay on drums, the percussive strumming of Tim Gane on a guitar that made me wondered all night if it was a 12-string, I don’t think it was. Of course their signature Farsifa and analog synth sound in general, with Joe Watson on keys and the vocal harmonies provided by Xavi Muñoz on bass. The main ingredient is Laetitia Saidier’s vocals which are still brimming with personality and urgency.

The show focused on the new album, it was played almost in its entirety, only missing three songs. The tunes got extended in the live setting. Melodie Is a Wound, for example, which was the first single from the album, included a sort of experimental interlude that lasted for about ten minutes, with most of the groop members manning knobs from instruments and amps. Also the main set closer, the instrumental Electrified Teenybop! was a highlight with its guitar feedback touches.

We also got treated to some classics from their catalog. Starting early in the set with Motoroller Scalatron from Emperor Tomato Ketchup. The Flower Called Nowhere and Miss Modular from Dots and Loops, as well as a throwback to the grunge era from their first album, Peng! 33.

The encore was different from the norm. Most shows this tour have included the same two songs encore, but for this show we got three. The drummer Andy Ramsay asked for clarification before starting and then they went on to play Transmuted Matter from Instant Holograms… They followed it with Immortal Hands and closed with the classic of classics Cybele’s Reverie. It was great to hear this tune 24 years later with the spirit still there.
 
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