DOTS AND LOOPS. (Stereolab)

BRAKHAGE: SMALL PARTS WITH A LARGE SPACE.

Dots and Loops was released in 1997. Brakhage opens with an arrangement in which small rhythmic and melodic figures remain individually recognizable. The song does not need to fill every moment with a big chord. It is precisely the space between the parts that gives the music its movement. A sound can return and take on a different function because the voice or a rhythmic accent relates to it in a slightly different way.

That way of listening is a good entry point into the entire album. At first, the melody seems to be the clear center. Then you notice how much direction comes from the accompaniment. The parts do not all follow the same path. The arrangement makes room for their differences, without losing the recognizability of the song.

MISS MODULAR AND THE FLOWER CALLED NOWHERE.

Miss Modular gives the record a clear, light movement. The melody remains inviting while the accompaniment keeps enough small accents not to become just a background. The Flower Called Nowhere then chooses a different mood. The transition shows how broadly the record can move without losing its attention to sound and rhythm. The songs share a way of building, but not one fixed emotional color.

Diagonals, Prisoner of Mars and Rainbo Conversation place that attention in each a different place. Listen to the figure that continues under the vocals and then ask yourself how much it really keeps doing the same. A repetition can also be a frame in which a melody changes its direction. That is one of the reasons why the album offers more than an attractive first impression.

LONG LINES IN REFRACTIONS.

Refractions in the Plastic Pulse takes up well over seventeen minutes in the linked digital version. The duration makes room for different passages and changes in emphasis. Try not to hear the piece only as an extended pop song. The attention can go from the voice to the rhythm and from a small figure to the entire sound environment. The connection between the parts becomes tangible precisely because the music takes time to allow those movements.

Parsec, Ticker-tape of the Unconscious and Contronatura then bring their own movement. The finale does not need to bring the record back to one neat conclusion. The combination of short figures and longer lines remains important. A passage can sound relaxed and at the same time contain many small decisions. Dots and Loops asks for a listening experience in which those small decisions get as much attention as the melody.

TWO STUDIOS, A DIFFERENT WAY OF WORKING.

Stereolab recorded parts of the album with John McEntire in Chicago and with Jan Werner and Andi Toma of Mouse on Mars in Düsseldorf. The band describes in the original liner notes how digital recording and editing made building with small parts and loops easier. That is background to the composition and recording of the original album. It does not say by itself which mastering or production technique was applied to every later vinyl pressing.

The Dots and Loops on vinyl is linked to a Duophonic release on two LPs. The separate album cover with turquoise lines on yellow-green gives the story its own image. View the product page for the details of that specific edition. For the relationship with the electric pulse and other albums by the band, read the Artist Story of Stereolab.