Stereolab’s first new music in fifteen years arrives with a shimmer and a pulse. “Aerial Troubles,” the lead single from their forthcoming album Instant Holograms On Metal Film(out via Duophonic UHF Disks / Warp Records on May 23rd), is a glorious return: retro-futuristic psych-pop wrapped in analog warmth and fizzing synths. It’s the sound of a band confidently slipping back into the sonic fabric they helped weave — but with fresh energy and playful invention.
The track opens with rich, piano-topped chords that feel both grounded and dreamlike, before expanding into a dazzling slice of bubbling pop. The synths buzz and cascade like circuit boards in bloom, while the bassline winds and probes with hypnotic intent. Layers of electro flourishes and sweetly stacked backing vocals add a sense of gentle propulsion — propelling the listener through a colourful, imaginative soundscape.
There’s a tactility to the production — organic and electronic textures blending seamlessly — and the song’s melodic core is so charmingly infectious it feels like it’s always been part of your mental jukebox. “Aerial Troubles” is unmistakably Stereolab: cerebral yet deeply emotional, experimental but effortlessly catchy.
If this single is any indication, Instant Holograms On Metal Film is shaping up to be a rich continuation of the band’s legacy — not just a nostalgic return, but a vibrant next chapter. Terrific stuff indeed.
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