Stereo Total

Andy J Ryan Apr 06, 2023

Stereo Total - York Theatre 12 September 2007

The setting for this special performance in a lecture theatre gave it a somewhat restrained educational sheen. However it was partially fitting considering the two members of Stereo Total are so exceedingly well versed in the ways of love, life and linguistics – so much so we were often given the choice of four or five languages in which they could sing particular songs.

The way the audience were seated in particularly civil, brightly-lit auditorium seating didn’t really reconcile with the fact that Stereo Total’s music is endlessly danceable.

The lack of a proper stage and a large empty gap of floor also created a bit of an audience/artist stand off and chair dancing was the order of the day til some brave souls finally breached the dance floor void.
Basically the band is one of great contrasting clashes. The French Francoise is almost comically rigid and curt while Berliner Brezel is an effervescently manic eternal-teen.
Their music - concocted largely from a hot-pink keyboard/sampler, drums and a most quirky box-guitar- is broadly-speaking, joyous and bounding Euro-tinged Electro-pop. Despite the dreadful image that may evoke, even those that are lactose intolerant could enjoy it as it is not at all cheesy.

The pair share a mutual and deep-seated respect and fondness for pop music ranging from a sassy cover of Salt N Pepper’s ‘Push It’ to your more classical Serge Gainsbourgh-esque romantic balladeering. They have some immensely silly moments including the dubiously saucy offering of “Let’s go to a Holiday Inn/and I will show you something” or the simply dinky ‘I love you, Ono’ but the fact they are delivered with such lashings of good spirit and infectious fun make it easily forgivable.

Stereo Total manage to safely tread the fine line between catchy and disposable pop music, while their lyrics would never really be considered heavy or deep, the songs sure ain’t no throwaway forgettable flavour of the week numbers either.
Ironically the bounding finale of (I Hate) Everyone in the discotech signalled the unleashing of the pent-up crowd into a heaving heap on the dance floor surrounding the duo for a smiling satiated send off.