Released in 1993, Space Age Bachelor Pad Music refined Stereolab's sound
further and also showcased the increasingly experimental focus of the
band's music. Split into two sides -- the gentle, intricate "Easy
Listening" and the more upbeat "New Wave" -- this eight-song
EP ranges from the bubbly keyboard piece "Space Age Bachelor Pad
Music (Foamy)" to the defiant, driving groove of "We're Not
Adult Orientated." The sweet, close harmonies on "Ronco Symphony"
and "The Groop Play Chord X" edge closer to the sophisticated,
lounge pop-inspired sound explored during the rest of Stereolab's career,
while the vibes of "Avant Garde M.O.R." and the fizzy keyboards
of "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music (Mellow)" spotlight the band's
more texturally complex arrangements. However, the immediacy of "We're
Not Adult Orientated (Neu Wave Live)" and the hypnotic, fuzzy guitars
on "U.H.F. - MFP" prove that while Stereolab gained more polish
and ambition on Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, the band didn't lose any
of its kinetic edge.
(by Heather Phares, All Music Guide)
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