In 1994, the 'lounge' revival was just barely getting underway, but much of Mars Audiac Quintet incorporated loungy elements, from the Peter Gunn twang of Sean O'Hagan's guitar in Ping-Pong to the exotic Martin Denny-Arthur Lyman feel of the closing marimba-and-vibes instrumental Fiery Yellow and the lyrical salute to exotica queen lucia pamela in International Colouring Contest. Otherwise, the album further refines Stereolab's talent for obsessive one-chord drones mated with krautrock-style rhythms.
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