Melodie Is A Wound is the second single from Stereolab's first album in 15 years

Big ups Katie from Bayonett Records for putting me on to McCarthy and their incredible 1986 album That’s All Very Well But.... From the first two chords of the album opener Red Sleeping Beauty, I knew I was going to be hooked. Katie had mentioned the connection between McCarthy and their member’s more widely known project, Stereolab. McCarthy guitarist Tim Gane met Lætitia Sadier in France while on tour — the pair worked together on McCarthy’s final album before founding Stereolab and record label, Duophonic Super 45s.

What I didn’t know was that Duophonic put out a compilation tape that included tracks by a band called Darlin’. Darlin’ was the debut project of Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (otherwise known as Daft Punk), and Laurent Brancowitz (founding member of Phoenix). The project lasted less than a year, releasing only a handful of songs.

It’s mind boggling to think about the ripple effect Gane and Sadier’s work and influence has had — not only by helping launch two of the 2000s/2010s most influential acts, but also through their own work with Stereolab, whose sound has clearly inspired artists like Fievel Is Glauque and Melody’s Echo Chamber.

Stereolab are back this year with Instant Holograms On Metal Film, their first album in 15 years, featuring contributions from Brisbane artist Molly Read. The latest single from the album, Melodie Is A Wound, clocks in at 7 minutes and carries all the hallmarks of a great Stereolab track — but with a polished, modern-sounding production.

The song is split in two, with a fade separating the driving first half from a contrasting instrumental section that brings splattered, digitally clipped horns and more jam-oriented textures into the mix. Melodie Is A Wound is out now via Warp Records and Duophonic.

Listen to Melodie Is A Wound below.