• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Stereolab

Oct 07, 2025 By Matthew Berlyant Photography by Matthew Berlyant Web Exclusive

In their first two appearances at Brooklyn Steel (in 2019 and 2022, respectively) since their 2022 reunion, Stereolab focused on playing songs from their immense back catalogue, touching upon most of their original run from 1992-2008. This time, however, was quite different. With their first new album in fifteen years (the brilliant and brilliantly titled Instant Holograms on Metal Film, also their best work in decades) released earlier this year, they have renewed life and have gone from the reunion circuit to an active, thriving band once again.

As such, most of the material played on this evening was from the new album, which in all honesty, was totally fine given the quality of the material, particularly with the stunning “Melodie is a Wound” and “Aerial Troubles” being highlights. Still, they did dip into the back catalogue on occasion, also playing songs such as “Cybele’s Reverie” and “Percolator” (one of the songs in the three-song encore) from 1996’s career-highlight Emperor Tomato Ketchup, along with “Miss Modular” from its quieter 1997 follow-up Dots and Loops.

The excitement on singer and multi-instrumentalist Laetitia Sadier’s face was palpable throughout the entire evening, a clear indication that, unlike the 2006 show I saw at Town Hall, this is a band that’s excited to play music with each other again. There was nothing tired or rote or “going through the motions” about it, just pure excitement. And plus, Laetitia played keyboards and/or her trombone on many of the tracks, a sight to see amidst the mini-orchestra of guitar, bass, analog synths, and drums, all also present on stage.

The overall feel during the set, despite the joy many fans and the band itself audibly expressed throughout the set, was one of a fall-like deep melancholy that was both appropriate for this cool early Fall evening, all despite the upbeat melodies and slight kitsch they’ve always had to counter brilliant lyrics about capitalism, consumerism, and other aspects of the human condition. What a brilliant band! Long may the groop run this time around!