Ratatat: Get in the line of their fire
02/10/06 10:03
EMERGING ARTIST
By SAM LADACH-BARK
Sounds like heroic old school video game tones. Feels like uncontrollable dance itches. New York-based duo Ratatat has developed a formula for rock that is as catchy as it is genius. The fusion of Mike Stroud's electric guitar and Evan Mast's synthesizer interlock with cyclic house grooves for a fantastically sonic experience.
Stroud and Mast first met in college and began their project in early 2001. Their 2004 self-titled debut slipped in with mass praise, earning them tour spots with bands like Radiohead, Mouse on Mars and Interpol. Another album would have come sooner if their unexpected success hadn't kept them on the road throughout most of 2004 and '05.
Once off the road, they wasted no time fleshing out a sophomore release not-so-humbly titled The Classics. The bulk of the recording was done in six weeks at a friend's house in upstate New York. Unleashed on Aug. 22, Classics was a notable refinement of the sound they had all but perfected in 2004.
Entirely instrumental with the occasional sound byte ("Wildcat" features several well-placed jaguar growls), their music takes you on an eight-bit mission through pulsating keyboards and sonic guitars. Their instrumental pallet has grown since their first release, and now includes acoustic and slide guitars in addition to gyrating harpsichord melodies. Personal favorites include "Gettysburg's" quick-riffed sequences on top of layered keyboards, and the epic squelching thump of "Loud Pipes."
They are now well into their first headlining tour, which will end in New Zealand later this November. Their recent performance at Emo's in downtown Austin, Texas had a normally folded-arm hipster crowd dancing and clapping for more. Stroud's fervently tossed hair spilled over his guitar while Mast's zealous navigation of the keyboards made for an intensely entertaining performance.
Falling somewhere between dance rock and electronica, Ratatat's unique brand of music is hard to label. But these two boys have stumbled onto something remarkable. It's simple, it's catchy, it's Classics. And it will grab listeners hard and fast.
Want to hear Ratatat? Go here.
|