Mars Audiac Quintet | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2 August 1994 | |||
Recorded | March – April 1994 | |||
Studio | Blackwing (London) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 66:57 | |||
Label | ||||
Stereolab chronology | ||||
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Singles from Mars Audiac Quintet | ||||
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Mars Audiac Quintet is the third studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 2 August 1994 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records.
Stereolab recorded Mars Audiac Quartet in March and April 1994.[4] Keyboardist Katharine Gifford joined the band for the recording of the album. During recording, guitarist Sean O'Hagan left as a full-time member in order to focus on his band the High Llamas, but continued to be a session musician for the band ever since.[5]
AllMusic critic Heather Phares characterised Mars Audiac Quintet as a more pop-oriented affair than previous Stereolab albums, noting that it largely highlights the band's brand of space age pop.[2]
The song "International Colouring Contest" is a tribute to Lucia Pamela and opens with a sample of her voice.[6]
Mars Audiac Quartet was released on 2 August 1994 in the United States by Elektra Records,[7] and on 8 August 1994 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records.[8][9] It peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart.[10] The tracks "Ping Pong" and "Wow and Flutter" were released as singles on 18 July 1994 and 17 October 1994, respectively.[8]
A remastered and expanded edition of Mars Audiac Quintet was released by Duophonic and Warp on 3 May 2019.[11]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | C+[13] |
Pitchfork | 9.1/10[14] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | 4/5[18] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[19] |
Uncut | 8/10[20] |
Richard Fontenoy, writing in The Rough Guide to Rock, said that Mars Audiac Quintet elevated Stereolab "firmly into the higher stratum of indie pop".[1] In 2003, Pitchfork ranked Mars Audiac Quintet as the 78th best album of the 1990s.[21]
The American indie rock band Transona Five took their name from the title of the third track on the album.[22]
All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Three-Dee Melodie" | 5:02 | |
2. | "Wow and Flutter" | 3:08 | |
3. | "Transona Five" | 5:32 | |
4. | "Des étoiles électroniques" | 3:20 | |
5. | "Ping Pong" | 3:02 | |
6. | "Anamorphose" | 7:33 | |
7. | "Three Longers Later" | 3:28 | |
8. | "Nihilist Assault Group" | 6:55 | |
9. | "International Colouring Contest" | 3:47 | |
10. | "The Stars Our Destination" | 2:58 | |
11. | "Transporté sans bouger" | 4:20 | |
12. | "L'enfer des formes" | 3:53 | |
13. | "Outer Accelerator" | 5:21 | |
14. | "New Orthophony" | 4:34 | |
15. | "Fiery Yellow" |
| 4:04 |
Total length: | 66:57 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "Moogie Wonderland" | 3:35 |
Total length: | 70:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Klang Tone" | 5:36 |
2. | "Ulan Bator" | 3:14 |
Total length: | 8:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Ulan Bator" | 2:20 |
2. | "Klang Tone" | 5:38 |
3. | "Melochord Seventy-Five" (original Pulse version) | 5:32 |
4. | "Outer Accelerator" (original mix) | 6:05 |
5. | "Nihilist Assault Group – Part 6" | 2:13 |
6. | "Wow and Flutter" (7"/EP version – alternative mix) | 3:06 |
7. | "Des étoiles électroniques" (demo) | 1:25 |
8. | "Ping Pong" (demo) | 2:55 |
9. | "The Stars Our Destination" (demo) | 1:19 |
10. | "Three Longers Later" (demo) | 2:05 |
11. | "Transona Five" (demo) | 1:30 |
12. | "Transporté sans bouger" (demo) | 2:09 |
Total length: | 36:17 |
Sample credits[24]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[25]
Stereolab
Additional musicians
Production
Design
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[26] | 76 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[27] | 33 |
UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 16 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[28] | 2 |
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[29] | 92 |