Margerine Eclipse

Margerine Eclipse is the eighth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by Elektra Records and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records. The album is in large part a eulogy to former band member Mary Hansen, who died in 2002.

By June 2004, Margerine Eclipse had sold over 40,000 copies in the USA. A remastered and expanded edition of the album was released by Duophonic and Warp on 29 November 2019.

Background
In December 2002, Stereolab member Mary Hansen was killed in a cycling accident. The band subsequently dedicated Margerine Eclipse to Hansen, with the lyrics of the song "Feel and Triple" making specific reference to her. Shortly before work commenced on the album, band members Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier ended their romantic relationship. Their breakup is alluded to in Sadier's lyrics for the song "Hillbilly Motobike".

Margerine Eclipse was mixed with full stereo separation – or as Stereolab termed it, in "dual mono". For every song, the band made two recordings – each with a different arrangement – then created a final mix by synchronising both recordings together, with one on the left channel and the other on the right channel. The technique was also used on the band's 2003 EP Instant 0 in the Universe.

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Stereolab
 * Tim Gane – electric guitar, electronics, organ
 * Lætitia Sadier – vocals, trombone on "Margerine Melodie"
 * Dominic Jeffery – organ, electric piano, harpsichord, celeste
 * Simon Johns – bass, drums on "Margerine Rock"
 * Andy Ramsay – drums, drum machine

Additional musicians
 * Fulton Dingley – drum machine, synthesizer, MIDI, percussion
 * Sean O'Hagan – keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, other instruments
 * Jan St. Werner – electronics on "Vonal Declosion" and "Feel and Triple"

Production
 * Fulton Dingley – engineering, mixing
 * Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing