Musique Automatique


Stereo Total,
Paris < -> Berlin,
Kill Rock Stars [7/22/07]

***** ***** ***** *****


What is described here are dark cinematic scenes including danger-
ous night cruises by car. Everything has to become a bit brighter.
-- Stereo Total on "Mehr Licht" ("More Light")

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Do you like Plastic Bertrand's "Ça Plane
Pour Moi" or Kraftwerk's "She's a Model"?

How about male-female duos, like
the Raveonettes or the Kills?

How about Jean-Luc Godard's Masculin Fé-
minin or Wim Wenders' Kings of the Road?

How about Radio On, a British film influenced by the
German New Wave (by way of the French New Wave)?

How about Cinemania? Directed by 30 Century Man's Stephen
Kijak and German-born Angela Christlieb, this American docu-
mentary features songs by—you guessed it—Stereo Total.



If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, this
Berlin-based electro-pop twosome is for you. Their
alternating male and female vocals combine naïvety with so-
phistication, the crude trumpet and Casio blasts are charming,
and the witty lyrics are in French, German, and English. Plus,
some of the tunes truly rock, especially "Plus Minus Null."

Other songs include "Plastic" and "Chewinggum." Aside from
the great titles, the press notes include band descriptions of
each number, which I found incredibly helpful, since my
knowledge of French and German is limited (to say the least).

To wit: "A rebellious teenage
girl's got the devil in her body.
That's nothing more than the
October Revolution in the
world of hormones" ("Miss
Rébellion des Hormones")
and "The lyrics of this 'soft-
rock track' is a collage of
text lines taken from the
gay porno movie Rasp-
berry Reich by Bruce
La Bruce" ("Baby
Revolution").

Granted, not all of the comments are quite that insightful,
but they sure are entertaining, i.e. "It rocks! Kicks Asses!
This is modern music!" ("Moderne Musik"). That it is!

Paris <-> Berlin is album number seven from Françoise
Cactus and Brezel Göring, and it's just as winning as ever. Al-
so, their Serge Gainsbourg cover—at least their third so far—
"Relax Baby Be Cool," is aces. One of my favorite CDs of the year.

Click here for my review of follow-up Baby Ouh!



Endnote: Stereo Total plays Chop Suey on 9/3/07.
For more information, please visit their official website or
their MySpace Page. Images from their site and Music Club.