First of the Microbe Hunters

Stereolab | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B00004TCPD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,510 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's a new stereolab disc alright, May 22, 2000

By 

A. F. GILLITT (Alameda, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First of the Microbe Hunters (Audio CD)

the songs on this disc are a lot like "cobra phases" but without so much production or a horn section. the disc is comprised of 6 new songs recorded with sean o'hagan (high llamas) and produced by fulton dingley (who helped with one of the songs on cobra) and a seventh track resurrected from 1997 and produced by john mcintyre. the songs on this album are more groove oriented (outer bongolia, i feel the air) in the keyboard-heavy vein of "metronomic underground" and "brakhage" but also feature a healthy amount of tim gane and mary hansen's guitars. they continue in the jazzy vein opened up by "cobra" but also harken back to earlier albums like "transient random-noise bursts." as always, the interplay of laetitia sadier and mary hansen's vocals complement the complex instrumentations fully.

stereolab is the sort of band that inspires rabid fandom or indifference... if you are among the former, "microbe hunters" is worth picking up. if you are among the latter, i agree with amazon's reviewer, pick up "emperor tomato ketchup," "dots and loops," or "cobra phases" before this disc to fully appreciate the band.

my only quibble is that 40 minutes now seems short for a stereolab release.

p.s. go see this band live. i was lucky enough to see them perform some of the songs at the first show of their current us tour before i got the disc, and seeing the songs played so well live only made me enjoy the disc more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly fresh, May 23, 2000

By 

Neven Mrgan (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First of the Microbe Hunters (Audio CD)

soem ppl said that this is simply continuing where Cobra ended - no way. track no1 is probably the liveliest thing since Reverie, no3 rocks, and so on... really, surprisingly refreshing just when 'lab started repeating themselves... i hate to say this, but the lack of mr O'Rourke here (as much as i adore his solo efforts) is actually helping... and hm, Laetitia -could- try to catch up with the instrumentation now that its reaching Tortoise-style perfection... but anyway, i dont have any major complaints. Cobra and Dots go out for a ride in a brand new Jaguar.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Little EP., November 3, 2001

By 

M. Williams (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First of the Microbe Hunters (Audio CD)

A nice EP from Stereolab to keep us pacified till Sound Dust. I like how it begins with a nice cocktail instrumental. The EP is a nice collection of songs, granted it's not their best work, but it is far from their worst.

If you loved "Emperor Tomato Ketcup," then you will certainly like this fourty minute EP from Stereolab. It's a really atmospheric release.