Europhiles Rejoice: Stereo Total Headed Our Way

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 25, 2010 3:40PM

Though not widely known in the US, Berlin-based duo Stereo Total has been doing its thing for a long time. The French/German act is composed of Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring, who’ve been crafting their brand of retro electro-pop together since the mid-‘90s. And this spring, they released their tenth album, Baby Ouh!, a lengthy 17-track potpourri of new wave, French-pop, electronica, and garage and punk rock delivered in French, English, and German with splashes of Japanese and Spanish.

Their sound is clearly eclectic, but it’s the playful and spontaneous nature of their music that makes it so consistently entertaining. For example, “Alaska” details in Japanese lyrics the distress of a forlorn lover who turns into a frigid robot while a lo-fi disco beat pulses in the background. And “I Wanna be a Mama,” hooks the listener with its shamelessly catchy pop tune before Cactus chimes in with his nonchalant vocals and mildly disturbing lyrics, such as “I will call him Lucifer and teach him how to criticize/I will teach him how to live off prostitution.”

Cactus and Göring obviously don’t take themselves too seriously, even after all these years. For the most part their songs are humorous and trivial, and their sound is at times so elemental and lo-fi it seems nearly amateur. But the duo seems to know what they’re doing, because their music leaves us feeling refreshed rather than dissatisfied and because their fan base is almost unhealthily dedicated. You can catch Stereo Total's live show when they play the Empty Bottle this Monday, Aug 30. Also playing are locals Brilliant Pebbles and Boutros, both acts that specialize in dance music with an ‘80s feel, so this show may be a good chance to dance off those Monday blues.

Stereo Total plays Monday, August 30 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 9:30 p.m., $15, 21+