If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream Pt. 1

Album: Instant Holograms on Metal Film (2025)
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Songfacts®:

  • "If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream Pt. 1" is a call to action; to move from an alienated, individualistic worldview to one of shared humanity and a symbiotic relationship with the planet.
  • The heart of the track lies in its refrain, sung in French:

    J'appartiens à la terre
    N'en suis propriètaire


    It translates into English as:

    I belong to the earth
    I say no to war


    To drive the point home, the lyrics toss in ideas like "quantum entangling" and "permanent revolution," suggesting a belief in a fundamental, shared humanity.
  • Vocalist Laetitia Sadier told Uncut magazine the song confronts fascism and the old illusion of ownership. "The Earth owns me, not the other way round," she explained. "That illusion of separateness is a misconception that leads to war. If we find it in us to soften our gaze and dissolve some of our fears, we can access some much-needed healing to our deepest wounds and thus stop the ceaseless projecting and repeating."
  • The funky track, cowritten by Sadier with guitarist Tim Gane, appears on Instant Holograms on Metal Film, released May 23, 2025, on Warp Records. It was Stereolab's first album in nearly 15 years, following their 2010 set Not Music. The record continues the English-French rock band's legacy of blending avant-pop, krautrock influences and social-political lyricism.
  • Instant Holograms on Metal Film originated with Warp asking Stereolab to promote reissues of several of their albums in 2019 by playing a few concerts. It was originally meant to be a quick jaunt, but the pandemic dragged their shows out until 2022. "The idea to record a new LP came into focus around spring/summer of 2023," said Gane. "Most of the album was written in 2023 and we started recording in January 2024. There were no rehearsals as usual."
  • Instant Holograms closes with "If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream Pt. 2," a slower, more meditative reprise. Where Part 1 struts, Part 2 reflects; a coda that trades funk for courage in the face of adversity.

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