Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

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!

Stereolab in general, and specifically Instant Holograms On Metal Film is one of those bands and one of those albums where if one doesn’t like the outing, you’re looked down on, an outcast, shunned as some kind of alpha-hotel, unable to grasp the fine nuances, the subtle variations on a theme, lacking close attention to expressive detail and musical wordplay … but I don’t care, I’m not a hipster.

Yeah, I wrote a solid review for Peng once upon a time, and I ment that review once upon a time, though as of late, I’ve combed all of the Stereolab albums and kept only the songs that resonate with me, a mixed tape of sorts that doesn’t cause me to roll my eyes, or challenge me when all I wanna do is listen to some tunes that make me smile … after all, if I wanted to work I’d listen to machine-gun jazz, and I don’t do that either. So if you’re of a mind, and you enjoy this outing, I happy for you, yet you won’t find me making space during my busy day for this collection.

*** The Fun Facts: As to the album’s title, Instant Holograms generally refers to the advancements in holographic technology that enable faster and more accessible ways to create and view three-dimensional images. This can apply to both the generation and display of holograms, as well as simplified methods for creating them. Metalized or Metal Films: These are polymer films coated with a thin layer of metal, usually aluminum. This coating gives the film a glossy, metallic appearance and improves its barrier properties. Metal films also refers to thin layers of soft metals such as zinc, lead and copper that were traditionally used to cold form and warm form steel and stainless steel; these films were often combined with nonmetallic lubricants to act as carriers for lubrication, although they re no rarely utilized in industrial production.

Review by Jenell Kesler

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.

So far I've just listened to the FLAC files. This is a great album; cohesive and immersive. One track will give your speaker set up (and your ears) a work out - you'll know the one I'm talking about when you hear it; I think every sonic frequency is present and correct, possibly all at the same time.

Perfect press - Great mastering. nice and lively, well-controlled bass, mids and treble, Well balanced. Noise-free vinyl, too.

Of course..had to get the bonus material..only 1 song tho.

Pretty much noise free but cut loud, a little sibilant in some areas