Margerine Eclipse

Margerine Eclipse is the eighth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by Elektra Records^[14][15] and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records.^[14][16] The album is in large part a eulogy to former band member Mary Hansen, who died in 2002.

Margerine Eclipse
Studio album by Stereolab
Released	27 January 2004 (2004-01-27)
Recorded	2003
Studio	Instant Zero (France)
Genre	Experimental rock[1] post-rock[2] electronica[1] lounge[3]
Length	53:41
Label	Duophonic Elektra
Stereolab chronology
Instant 0 in the Universe (2003) Margerine Eclipse (2004) Oscillons from the Anti-Sun (2005)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	77/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Alternative Press	4/5[6]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[7]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[8]
Mojo	[9]
The Observer	[1]
Pitchfork	7.6/10[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Spin	B−[12]
Uncut	[13]

By June 2004, Margerine Eclipse had sold over 40,000 copies in the USA.^[17] A remastered and expanded edition of the album was released by Duophonic and Warp on 29 November 2019.^[18]

Background

In December 2002, Stereolab member Mary Hansen was killed in a cycling accident.^[19] The band subsequently dedicated Margerine Eclipse to Hansen,^[20] with the lyrics of the song "Feel and Triple" making specific reference to her.^[5][16][21] Shortly before work commenced on the album, band members Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier ended their romantic relationship.^[19][21] Their breakup is alluded to in Sadier's lyrics for the song "Hillbilly Motobike".^[21]

Margerine Eclipse was mixed with full stereo separation – or as Stereolab termed it, in "dual mono".^[21] For every song, the band made two recordings – each with a different arrangement – then created a final mix by synchronising both recordings together, with one on the left channel and the other on the right channel.^[21] The technique was also used on the band's 2003 EP Instant 0 in the Universe.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Vonal Declosion"	3:34
2.	"Need to Be"	4:50
3.	"'...Sudden Stars'"	4:41
4.	"Cosmic Country Noir"	4:47
5.	"La Demeure"	4:36
6.	"Margerine Rock"	2:56
7.	"The Man with 100 Cells"	3:47
8.	"Margerine Melodie"	6:19
9.	"Hillbilly Motobike"	2:23
10.	"Feel and Triple"	4:53
11.	"Bop Scotch"	3:59
12.	"Dear Marge"	6:56
Total length:		53:41

All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier.

Japanese edition

No.	Title	Length
10.	"La Spirale"	2:24
11.	"Feel and Triple"	4:53
12.	"Bop Scotch"	3:59
13.	"Dear Marge"	6:56
Total length:		56:05

2019 expanded edition bonus disc^[22]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mass Riff"	6:30
2.	"Good Is Me"	5:27
3.	"Microclimate"	4:39
4.	"Mass Riff" (instrumental intro)	1:13
5.	"Jaunty Monty and the Bubbles of Silence"	4:30
6.	"Banana Monster ne répond plus"	4:28
7.	"University Microfilms International"	4:01
8.	"Rose, My Rocket-Brain! (Rose, le cerveau electronique de ma fusée!)"	5:26
Total length:		36:14

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[23]

Stereolab

• Tim Gane – electric guitar, electronics, organ
• Lætitia Sadier – vocals, trombone on "Margerine Melodie"
• Dominic Jeffery – organ, electric piano, harpsichord, celeste
• Simon Johns – bass, drums on "Margerine Rock"
• Andy Ramsay – drums, drum machine

Additional musicians

• Fulton Dingley – drum machine, synthesizer, MIDI, percussion
• Sean O'Hagan – keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, other instruments
• Jan St. Werner – electronics on "Vonal Declosion" and "Feel and Triple"

Production

• Fulton Dingley – engineering, mixing
• Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing

Charts

Chart (2004)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24]	86
UK Albums (OCC)[25]	108
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[26]	11
US Billboard 200[27]	174
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28]	6