# Mars Audiac Quintet

Mars Audiac Quintet is the third studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 2 August 1994 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records.

## Recording

Stereolab recorded Mars Audiac Quartet in March and April 1994. Keyboardist Katharine Gifford joined the band for the recording of the album. During recording, guitarist Sean O'Hagan left as a full-time member in order to focus on his band the High Llamas, but continued to be a session musician for the band ever since.

## Composition

AllMusic critic Heather Phares characterised Mars Audiac Quintet as a more pop-oriented affair than previous Stereolab albums, noting that it largely highlights the band's brand of space age pop.
The song "International Colouring Contest" is a tribute to Lucia Pamela and opens with a sample of her voice.

## Release

Mars Audiac Quintet was released on 2 August 1994 in the United States by Elektra Records, and on 8 August 1994 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records. It peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The tracks "Ping Pong" and "Wow and Flutter" were released as singles on 18 July 1994 and 17 October 1994, respectively.
A remastered and expanded edition of Mars Audiac Quintet was released by Duophonic and Warp on 3 May 2019.

## Critical reception and legacy

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+ |
| Pitchfork | 9.1/10 |
| Q | |
| Record Collector | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Select | 4/5 |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 |
| Uncut | 8/10 |
Richard Fontenoy, writing in The Rough Guide to Rock, said that Mars Audiac Quintet elevated Stereolab "firmly into the higher stratum of indie pop". In 2003, Pitchfork ranked Mars Audiac Quintet as the 78th best album of the 1990s.
The American indie rock band Transona Five took their name from the title of the third track on the album.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, except where noted
Sample credits
* "International Colouring Contest" contains a sample of Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela, written by Lucia Pamela.

## Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Stereolab
* Tim Gane – guitar, Farfisa and Vox organs, Moog synthesizer, bass
* Lætitia Sadier – vocals, tambourine, Mint's and Vox organs, guitar
* Duncan Brown – bass
* Katharine Gifford – Farfisa and Vox organs, Moog synthesizer, backing vocals on "Transporté sans bouger"
* Mary Hansen – vocals, guitar, tambourine, egg shaker
* Sean O'Hagan – marimba, slide guitar, brass arrangements, guitar twang on "Ping Pong", guitar tremolo on "International Colouring Contest", percussion on "Fiery Yellow"
* Andy Ramsay – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
* Alan Carter – tenor saxophone, flute
* Vera Daucher – violin
* Jean-Baptiste Garnero – backing vocals on "Transporté sans bouger"
* Lindsay Low – trumpet
* Andy Robinson – trombone
Production
* Steve Rooke – mastering
* Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing
* Paul Tipler – engineering, mixing
* Nick Webb – mastering
Design
* Peter Morris – photography
* Trouble – layout

## Charts

| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
| European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media) | 76 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 33 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 16 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) | 92 |