The Portal
Celebrating the Return of Pulp and Stereolab in This Week's Archive Dive
Last week, both Pulp and Stereolab announced that they were coming back with new albums in 2025. We duly sent the hoist down into the archive to bring up a couple of pieces on both groups – anniversary essays on Different Class and His ‘N’ Hers in the case of Cocker & co, plus a Strange World of Stereolab and Fergal Kinney’s excellent writing on Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Alongside these we’ve two Baker’s Dozens, from Zola Jesus and Lafawandah, a film feature on Guillermo Del Toro and the fairy day, and the Organic Intelligence newsletter on Iranian pop from the Caltex label. Finally, with authoritarian restrictions on travel very much in the news given all the grim happenings in America, a Black Sky Thinking on why artist visas are an issue that extends beyond Brexit.
Strange World Of...
The Strange World Of… Stereolab
From DIY beginnings in McCarthy, to situationism, to establishing the influential Duophonic Records, to influencing future bands like Deerhunter, Lottie Brazier charts the remarkable voyage of one of France and Britain’s most successful co-achievements besides the Channel Tunnel: Stereolab
Anniversary
Retro Instinct Versus Future Fetish: Emperor Tomato Ketchup 25 Years On
By 1995 Stereolab should have been at the peak of their powers, so why didn't it feel that way to Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier? Fergal Kinney examines the series of events that saw the band escape the dead end they'd ended up in culminating in the release of one of their most celebrated albums
Black Sky Thinking
Solidarity Beyond Borders: Why Artist Visas Are More Than A Brexit Issue
The ending of visa-free travel for artists threatens the livelihoods of many musicians, especially in the underground. Yet while fighting for change to these Brexit rules, we must consider the wider implications for those beyond the EU, and how attitudes to migration reflect Britain's colonial history, argue Fielding Hope, Mariam Rezaei and Stewart Smith
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