Sound-Dust

Sound-Dust is an album that yields its pleasures slowly, gradually. It’s probably Stereolab’s most consistent collection of songs, when it comes to sustaining a mood – if this means Sound-Dust doesn’t feature quite as many surprises as the other Stereolab albums, the songs here benefit from the group’s focus. You can hear the influence of Eastern European jazz and soundtracks – there are definitely some tributes to film composer Krzysztof Komeda here; the Eastern European connection is also echoed in the artwork, which borrows from Polish poster art. The songs here are often modular, pieced-together, and there’s something very evocative in the way they shift moods in oblique ways. Really, it’s Stereolab’s masterpiece.