Stereolab announced on April 8, 2025 their first album of new material in 15 years. Instant Holograms on Metal Film arrives May 23 via the band's own Duophonic UHF Disks and Warp Records, following 2010's Not Music.

The announcement came with the single Aerial Troubles and a video directed by French photographer and painter Laurent Askienazy. Before that, fans had received a mysterious 7-inch vinyl in the mail labeled unsolicited Stereolab material, featuring the song on one side and an instrumental version on the other.

Alongside original members Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, the album features contributions from Cooper Crain, Rob Frye, Ben LaMar Gay, Ric Elsworth, Holger Zapf, Marie Merlet and Molly Read. The 7-inch also included word-finder and fill-in puzzles with band members' names and hints about the new music.

The 13-track album lands as the group prepares for an international tour across North America and Europe, running through the end of the year.