Duster - Stratosphere | 90s Album Review
A Deep Dive into Its Unconventional Popularity and Sonic Landscape
Duster's 1998 debut Stratosphere had little fanfare at the time of release. Featuring a distinctive blend of dreamy, reverb-soaked guitars, buried vocals, and a deliberate, slow tempo, the band creates an atmospheric sound that is occasionally mesmerizing. Characterized by its reflective and melancholy mood, tracks like "Heading for the Door" and "Gold Dust" transport listeners to a sonically immersive and otherworldly place, making it a cult classic in the indie rock and shoegaze communities. Over the years, the album has gained recognition for influencing subsequent generations of musicians exploring similar sonic landscapes. But buzz can be a double-edged sword, so will this revered record live up to the hype?
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Inside Out
22:00 - Heading For The Door
26:32 - Stratosphere
29:23 - Gold Dust
33:50 - Earth Moon Transit
37:23 - Topical Solution
Outro - Docking The Pod
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.
Episode Highlights
[00:00] - Introduction
Tim: Thanks to the Dig Me Out Union on Patreon for their support and directs viewers to their website for more information.
[01:08] - Album Discussion
Tim: Introduces the topic of discussion, a popular album from the 1990s with significant streaming numbers on Spotify.
Jay: Expresses surprise and curiosity about the album’s popularity.
[01:53] - Album Suggestion
Tim: Mentions that the album, "Stratosphere" by Duster (released in 1998), was suggested by Jim Stelter, a recurring suggester of albums for the show.
[02:42] - Streaming Numbers
Tim: Highlights the song "Inside Out" from the album, which has over 163 million streams on Spotify, and the album’s overall popularity.
Jay: Jokes about potential reasons behind the high streaming numbers.
[03:54] - Band History
Tim: Provides a brief history of the band Duster, their formation, and discography, including their hiatus and return to music.
[05:19] - Band’s Return
Tim: Quotes Clay Parton from Duster on the band’s almost two-decade break and their unexpected return.
[06:13] - Popularity Mystery
Tim: Discusses the mystery behind the album’s immense popularity, denying any sensational stories like a band member dating a celebrity.
Jay: Expresses skepticism and curiosity about the real reason behind the album’s streaming success.
[06:30] - Organic Popularity
Tim: Explains the organic growth of the band’s popularity in the indie underground circuit, drawing parallels with other indie bands like Neutral Milk Hotel.
[07:53] - Influential Band
Tim: Points out that many indie bands in the 2000s were influenced by Duster, contributing to their underground popularity.
[09:29] - Streaming Numbers Discussion
Jay: Questions the extraordinary streaming numbers, comparing Duster to other bands with similar stories but not as many streams.
Tim: Suggests that social media and the use of Duster’s music in platforms like Instagram and TikTok might have contributed to the high streaming numbers.
[10:57] - Comparison with Other Bands
Tim and Jay: Compare Duster’s streaming numbers with iconic bands like Nirvana and the Pixies, emphasizing the anomaly of Duster’s popularity.
[12:03] - Hopeful Narrative
Jay: Expresses a desire to believe in the organic growth narrative despite the unusual time frame and extraordinary streaming numbers.
[12:17] - Influenced Bands
Tim: Lists modern bands influenced by Duster, underscoring the band’s impact in the indie music scene.
[12:56] - Organic Popularity
Jay: Hopes that Duster made some money from their popularity, considering their significant streaming numbers.
Tim: Discusses the band’s ownership of their music and their potential earnings from streaming.
[14:06] - Album’s Cult Following
Tim: Reads a comment from Jim, who highlighted Duster’s longstanding cult following and their reformation in 2018. Jim also describes the album’s atmospheric and feeling-centric nature.
[14:52] - Patreon Supporters’ Comments
Tim: Shares comments from Patreon supporters giving their mixed opinions on Duster’s music, ranging from a love-hate relationship to appreciation for the album’s atmosphere and mood.
[16:08] - Bizarre Resurgence
Tim: Reads a comment noting Duster’s bizarre resurgence among the youth and their impressive Spotify numbers.
[16:38] - Album Cover Discussion
Tim: Discusses the minimalist and abstract nature of the album cover, drawing comparisons to early Death Cab for Cutie record covers.
Jay: Agrees and adds that the abstract cover indicates an artier and emotional album, expressing surprise that the band is from California.
[18:10] - All Music Review
Tim: Criticizes the trend of All Music re-reviewing albums and changing their ratings, advocating for an average rating system.
[18:55] - Zeitgeist of American Indie Music
Tim: Notes that they have never reviewed an album currently popular in the American indie music scene, joking about the potential backlash from new listeners.
[19:45] - Obscurity of Reviewed Bands
Jay: Comments on the obscurity of the bands they have reviewed in the past, placing Duster in a “third level” of obscurity.
[20:13] - Album’s Production
Tim: Mentions that the album was produced by Phil Ek, who has worked with notable bands like Built to Spill, Band of Horses, and Modest Mouse.
[20:52] - Jay’s Opinion on the Album
Jay: Appreciates the warmth and intimacy of the album, noting its methodical tempos and the band’s ability to play with these tempos effectively. He praises the interplay between the guitars and bass, the use of syn pads, and the unexpected chord changes that add an element of surprise to the music. Jay also comments on the lo-fi production quality and sees the album successfully creating a charming and intimate atmosphere.
[25:09] - Jay's Analysis of the Album's Sound
Jay: Describes the album's sound as intimate and warm, with a soft overall sonic quality. He appreciates the unique atmosphere created by the album's production.
[25:37] - Tim's Perspective on the Album
Tim: Expresses his interest in noisy, ambient, experimental music and finds the album intriguing. He compares the song "Stratosphere" and William Basinski's "Disintegration Loops" albums, appreciating the atmosphere of decay and disintegration in the music.
[27:31] - Different Styles in the Album
Tim: Points out the variety in the album, with songs like "Earth Moon Transit" having a shoegaze, early 90s feel, reminiscent of bands like Ride or My Bloody Valentine. He prefers the louder, noisier, and uncompromising aspects of the album.
[30:26] - Vocals and Instrumentals
Tim: Shares his preference for the instrumental parts of the album, finding the vocals to be less prominent and often buried in the mix. He feels the music works better when it can wash over the listener without the distraction of vocals.
[31:15] - Inside Out’s Popularity
Tim: Expresses confusion over the song "Inside Out" with 163 million streams, as he doesn’t find anything particularly noteworthy about the song. Both hosts struggle to understand the song’s immense popularity.
[32:00] - Jay's Critique
Jay: Criticizes the vocals for being uncompelling and often mimicking the guitar’s melody. He finds the instrumental parts more engaging and questions the necessity of the vocals.
[34:51] - Production Quality
Jay: Discuss the inconsistent production quality throughout the album, with some songs sounding lo-fi and others having a cleaner sound. He finds this inconsistency distracting and would prefer a more coherent sonic quality across the entire album.
[36:20] - Comparison to Guided by Voices
Jay: Compares the album’s production inconsistency to some mid-90s albums by Guided by Voices, where the recording quality varied from track to track.
[37:04] - Song Quality
Tim: Agrees with Jay on the inconsistency in song quality and production. He points out songs like "Topical Solution" that sound clean and well-produced, contrasting with others like "Docking the Pod" with fuzzier, lo-fi quality.
[38:23] - Sonic Incoherence
Jay: Expresses his struggle with the album’s sonic incoherence, feeling that the changing production styles take him out of the immersive experience the album could offer.
[39:09] - Final Thoughts
Tim: Echoes Jay’s sentiments, wishing for a consistent sound throughout the album. He likens the experience to listening to a song with suddenly panned drums, which can be jarring and disrupt the listening experience.