Monade
“Socialisme Ou Barbarie: The Bedroom Recordings”
(Drag City)
Best known for her role as the figurehead in the ground breaking group Stereolab; Laetitia Sadier steps slightly outside of the box on her first release under her nom de plume, – Monade. Her debut album “Socialisme Ou Barbarie (The Bedroom Recordings)” isn’t a far cry from the space age jazz Stereolab has come to hold as their own unique sound.
Tracks such as “Cache Cache”, “Witch Hazel” and “Vol De Jour” sound very much like trademark Stereolab tunes; although the record as a whole has a much more of an intimate “core” to it than most Stereolab albums have in the past.
Recorded during a six-year span, Sadier enlisted the help of Rosie and Matt from Pram, as well as her band mates Tim Gaines and the late Mary Hansen to assist in the recording process. Extremely melancholy and tranquil, “Socialisme Ou Barbarie” manages to be both uplifting, and an extreme downer at the same time. Depending on what mood you’re in, Monade will either sooth your pain or magnify it a dozen times over.
“Socialisme Ou Barbarie” is a powerful album crated together by one of today’s most important and under rated musicians. Go ahead! Try and find a copy! I dare all of you fuckin’ gypsy-hipster-milky-lickers!
(No offense to any Gypsies who may be reading this particular album review.)*
