A Stereolab reissue campaign has been announced and kicks off in May with expanded versions of 1993’s Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements and its 1994 follow-up Mars Audiac Quintet.
Each album has been re-mastered from the original half-inch tapes by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering and overseen by Tim Gane. Bonus material will includes alternate takes, 4-track demos and unreleased mixes. All the bonus material is available on both CD and vinyl.
3LP vinyl packages are available and come with a download card, a poster/insert and a lottery-style scratch card, where winners receive a special 12-inch EP!
Two CD expanded sets are also available and more Stereolab reissues will follow in August and November this year. In the meantime, head over to the SDE shop which is stocking the 3LP vinyl packages, the CD sets and a CD bundle.
Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements and Mars Audiac Quintet are reissued on 3 May 2019.
So glad they are doing Deluxe CD editions with these in addition to the Vinyl. Especially with so many bands forgoing the CD with their reissue campaigns (Cardigans, Teenage Fanclub, Elastica) and keeping all their rare bonus tracks and B-sides scattered all over the map. Pre-ordered the CD’s, can’t wait for Emperor Tomato Ketchup which I’ll most likely buy on Vinyl as well.
Reissues done right, as you would expect from an obsessive like Tim.
I have CD & vinyl of everything, and will be buying both formats again.
Hi – quick question. Does anyone know if the 250 number mentioned for the CD is just the ones with the master tape strip? Will the normal versions will be generally available? Really want to get but might need to wait a month or two.
You should be fine. Black vinyl and standard CD still available and, as far as I can tell from the email, there’s no indication that either of those will be limited.
Probably a few in that position.. (even I haven’t got any).
@Paul : as you had clear vinyl (indie exclusive stock) for Stereolab, do u think you’ll have some RSD exclusive releases in stock for RSD (april 13) ?
Ordered the CD bundle from the SDE shop. Cheers!
Great reissue news! Unfortunately no club show in the Netherlands but the good news is I just got tickets in the pre-sale for the Brussels show in Botanique!
Was going to pass on these as already have originals and assumed there were no extra tracks like with the Too Pure reissues, not so! This’ll be my 4th purchase of Transient… (originally bought on cassette) but that’s ok cos it’s one of my all time faves, their most metronomic and wigged out.
Tour dates on sale in the morning folks, don’t sleep on ’em as they’ll no doubt sell fast even though last time I saw them on the final tour they were playing (and not selling out) fairly small club venues. Bands tend to come back bigger than before they went away don’t they?
The cds from Stereolab website sold just as quickly, they are numbered only 250 produced of each. All the limited items sold yesterday and i think the vinyl was USA only, cds were on sale in the UK and elsewhere if quick enough.
‘Crest’ is one of the greatest recordings ever committed to tape and more vital than ever.
When I saw them in 1993, they opened with “Crest”. It was incredible.
Cannot wait for Emperor Tomato Ketchup !
I bought one and received quickly.
The initial mailing list email stereolab them said that the clear versions were limited to 2500 copies with 500 being the numbered versions.
Rough Trade also still have them up for order.
Thanks for the tip. Ordered from Rough Trade U.S.
It’s not clear if the 500 is part of the 2500, or if it’s additional.
2500 is way off… 400 is the figure. I know that because I’ve been in discussions with the distributor today. They know exactly how many there are.
The 2500 is a worldwide figure. There must be 400 for the UK.
The “obi strip” edition was only available in the US.
I just checked the mailing and it makes no mention of the obi-strip version being limited to the US. I know that I managed to order them both yesterday and it applied no restrictions, although a friend did try a couple of hours later and he said “What’s with the US only shipping?” I suspect there was an allocation for each territory, much like you’ve suggested, there is for the non obi strip version.
Still – it’s pretty amazing that theres this much fervour for Stereolab. Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.
The clear vinyl versions are suddenly nowhere to be found.
I ordered the 3 LP clear indie version through Piccadilly Records an hour or so ago. I hope they can fulfil the order.
Only 500 copies each of TRNBWA and MAQ in this limited version.
I can more or less guarantee they won’t be able to fulfil.
Yeah.. don’t really know about the US, earlier comments were about UK.
Probably not. Turns out these are ludicrously limited… and I was lucky to get the smallish allocation we had!
Crikey, that’s brilliant news. What a band! I have the original vinyl albums, but will be splashing out.
I think the best surprise I ever had when seeing a band live was turning up at Earl’s Court years ago to see REM; I had no idea who was supporting, so almost fell of my seat in excitement when Stereolab walked on.
I was gutted Chris, our train from Portsmouth was late arriving and we got into EC just as Stereolab were finishing. So glad I saw them at the tiny Wedgewood Rooms in Pompey a few years earlier. One of the most sonically impressive gigs I have seen.
Have been listening to these CDs for ages, so picking up the LPs this time. My favorite groop of the 1990s. Hope my scratch-off tickets come up Cliffs!
Transient is a stone-cold classic, but I tend to listen to Dots And Loops more often – very excited for that one coming down the pike.
It’s a rights issue. Tim Gane acquired the rights to the group’s Elektra releases last year. The EPs didn’t come under the original Elektra deal and were therefore collected in “Oscillons…” in 2005. That release is why that material isn’t included in the new programme.
The groop’s earlier releases on Too Pure are still owned by Too Pure via Beggars Banquet – TP/BB had Peng! and TGPSABPM were remastered for vinyl last year by Bo Calyx who has also done these remasters. (NB – this is also the reason there was no digital counterpart to Switched On Vol 1 but there was for Vols 2 and 3).
You may be the last person on earth with the clear vinyl for sale, Paul!
I’ll have to wait until these come out because I got tickets for the tour this morning and couldn’t afford both at the same time.
Well I still have the original vinyl of these and tempting as it was to splurge on the new vinyl I’ve gone for the CDs.
I remember a post on their website from April 2009 (?) saying that they were going on hiatus and would be working on reissues. Although I was hoping to see The Groop Plays Space Age Batchelor Pad Music among them, the prospect of these reissues has me incredibly excited. I love this band so much.
“…Space Age…” was remastered and reissued last year by Too Pure, alongside “Peng!”. However, these were only available on clear vinyl LPs with no digital counterpart. A lot of people seemed to miss them because they happened so close to the “Switched On” reissues.
My favorite group (er…”groop”)! Had long since given up hopes of ever seeing expanded resissues of their albums. Many thanks for the heads-up.