July 13, 1999 9:52

SNAKE IT UP BABY

The snappily titled [B]'Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night'[/B] is described as [B]Morricone[/B] meets [a]Faust[/a]...

Stereolab release a new album, 'Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night', through Duophonic on September 27, their first new material for more than two years.

It is their tenth album, and follows 1997's 'Dots And Loops'.

'The Free Design' will be the first single taken from the album and is due out on September 6. It will be backed with three tracks not on the album.

Stereolab also release a limited-edition single, 'Calimero', next month on white vinyl and CD, featuring vocals from French chanteuse Brigitte Fontaine.

A band spokesperson said they had wanted to work with Fontaine, who is hugely popular in France, for a long time.

The new 15-track double album - which includes the tracks 'Blips Drips And Strips' and 'Italian Shoes Continuum' - features contributions from Jim O'Rourke, Tortoise's John McEntire and The High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan.

They complemented the band's core line-up of Laetitia Sadier, Mary Hansen, Tim Gane, Andy Ramsey and Morgane Lhote. Other musicians on the album include new bass player Simon Johns, previously of Duophonic band Clearspot, vibraphone and marimba player Dominic Murcott, musical saw player Kev Hopper, formerly of anarcho '80s indie faves Stump, cornet player Rob Mazurek, plus a full brass and string section.

A spokesperson described 'Cobra And Phases...' as: "Morricone meets Faust meets Roland Kirk meets Brian Wilson meets Archie Shepp. Basically, Stereolab have gone back to their own basics as a means to move forward once again."

Meanwhile, as previously reported on nme.com, Sadier and Hansen guest on a track called 'Cookie Bay', the first single from the new High Llamas album, 'Snowbug'. The single is out September 13, followed by the album on October 18, both through V2.