Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

This edition is not a Japanese pressing. It was pressed in the EU and sent to Japan for the obi to be added.

It has background noise and clicks and pops
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An AMAZING record, arguably among the best collection of songs Stereolab has ever put out. Stereolab's trademark sound is easily recognizable and the whole record flows beautifully and was produced at a top-top level that is rarely seen or heard on ANY pressing. Absolutely in the discussion for my favorite record of the year - and many on the forums agree with me. The dead quiet vinyl is a bonus. Also, there is NO sibilance on my copy that one person mentioned (better stylus or set-up may help there) - this pressing is among the BEST sounding records I've heard in the last few years. You will not believe how good Immortal Hands (my fave song on the record) sounds on this press - just a room filling "wow." Turn it uuuupppp - there is literally no distortion at loud levels, it was produced that well - you will not be disappointed!

Picked this up without hesitation because it's a new Stereolab LP. Well worth it. Far more dynamic than spud-ify. The Groop are back and as great as ever.

Well... I've only listened to this new album once. But it seems that like every other band in this situation, I don't like reunions. Not that this album is bad per se, but there's no longer that enthusiasm that I've known with every album up until Margerine Eclipse. To me, Chemical Chords and Not Music were already disappointing, I listened to them very little, while I listen to all the others regularly, this one is in the same vein, without anything surprising. I guess it's time to move on, and for the first time in 33 years, I think it's time to sell my extensive Stereolab record collection.

The pressing is sublime. (Maybe the best-pressed Stereolab LP I have? (The reissue of Dots & Loops is also fantastic.))

This sounds so good and I love having the embossed cover. This album is so much better than I expected. They still got it after 15 years!

Made in the EU so I'm guessing Calyx Mastering have teamed up with Optimal again. Thankfully none of the noise floor issues evident in the reissue programme are reproduced here. Solid pressing.

My copy was a little noisy at first but a groovewasher once over cleaned it right up, and it's nicely centered and flat. I'd consider this "mid-fi" for Stereolab (meaning it's mastered better than like 99% of contemporary music) but everything that's here sounds great, pleasantly warm and a good balance of clarity/heft.
Also is it just me or is this album like, really good? Not the unassailable masterpiece I think Dots & Loops is, but maybe up there with their other classics like Transient Random-Noise Bursts and ETK. We'll see how it holds up but I think it's my fav of 2025 so far.

Side A on my copy is off center. Anyone else with a black vinyl copy (or either color variant) experience this? Doesn’t seem aggressive enough to be audible, although I am not familiar enough with the album to say for sure.