I feel that when Ratatat formed, Mike Stroud and Evan Mast were sitting around in a Brooklyn flat, listening to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. After a full singalong rendition, one of them turned to the other and said, “Hey Mike/Evan, you know that amazing climactic solo section with the huge harmonised guitars? Let’s make a band based off of that specific sound.” And thus, Ratatat were born.
The two-piece make a lot more noise than your usual two-piece. An incredibly unique blend of live instrumentation with synths and pre-programmed beats, it’s hard to pin them down, identify or even properly describe them. Their fifth album Magnifique came out this year (read our review here), and its translation to the stage was phenomenal. I was lucky enough to catch the inimitable duo twice in one week (once at The Metro in Sydney, and again at Fairgrounds Festival on the weekend), and both will be remembered among my favourite sets of 2015.
Opening for Ratatat were Melbourne band Black Cab. As the sold-out crowd started filing in, their drawling, fuzzed-out sound began to fill the air Each track started off really cool, with smooth rhythms and thick instrumentation. However, each track also eventually traipsed off into lengthy, uninteresting drone, losing momentum before the audience could really get into it. Basically, I feel like it could’ve been a really good set if every track had ended halfway through.
Ratatat finally took to the stage around 40 minutes late. The atmosphere immediately felt electrified as they were announced via enormous guitar riffs, bright lights and screen projection announcing in fluorescent letters: RATATAT. Equal parts kooky producers and stadium-filler rock stars, the pair delivered an animated, incredibly enjoyable set from the very first moments of Pricks of Brightness. The stage was filled with drums, keyboards, synths and more, with Stroud and Mast utilising the entire space throughout the 90-minute set, where they delivered a career-spanning set as energetic as it was fun.
The setlist was perfectly crafted into peaks and troughs, from audience favourite and Magnifique centrepiece Cream On Chrome, to LP3’s coolest riffs courtesy of Mirando and Falcon Jab, to the bass-heavy Neckbrace (a personal favourite) off LP4 and beyond, the duo delivered a smorgasbord of blistering guitar riffs, power stances, thundering drums, synths that resembled video game sounds, distorted harmonies and explosive grooves.
The show featured so much more than just the music; while the men and their equipment take up a lot of space on stage, without a visual show nor a frontman, it might be hard to maintain audience attention. Cue ridiculous animations (mostly featuring birds of course, as well as statues, jewellery and more), immense light stacks, and rave-ready lasers. The entire experience was a complete sensory blitz.
A Ratatat show is all-encompassing. The music itself isn’t vastly different to what you might hear on record; but it’s louder, bigger, filled with energy and doused in colour (and lasers). It’s an experience more than a gig – and what an experience it is.
Brooklyn’s Ratatat dropped in on the late night TV action for a live performance on Wednesday night’s Last Call With Carson Daly. The electro rock duo played two tracks from they latest album, Magnifique, which was released earlier this year (read our recent interview with them here).
Now on their fifth album, and in fact their first for five years, Magnifique saw a return to what Ratatat do best; simple yet tenacious melodies, channelled through guitar as their instrument of choice. And their performance on Carson Daly showcased that exact formula to good effect. Set to an impressive light show and tripped out visuals, guitars are out front as the pair give it their all. They definitely give some good energy and certainly sweep the crowd along in their glitchy, dance beat melodies.
Check out the videos below of Ratatat performing Pricks Of Brightness and Cream on Chrome as they rock their instrumental feels to an appreciative crowd. And watch out for the girl in the monster hat… head wear goals!
Wed, December 2nd: The Tivoli, Brisbane
Thu, December 3rd: The Metro, Sydney
Sun, December 6th: 170 Russell, Melbourne
Read this next: Ratatat interview – “I think this is our best album”
Showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down after the release of some of their finest work to date in their 2015 LP Magnifique as well as being announced for both Meredith and the inaugural Fairgrounds, rocktronica innovators and Brooklyn boys Ratatat have today announced their intention to traverse the East Coast of this beautiful sun-drenched country on their Australique Tour.
it’s safe to say that Ratatat are one of the most interesting and innovative musical acts around today – going totally against the grain of popular electronic and indie rock, they’re doing their own thang – and that thang is fucking great. Anybody who has ever caught these guys live knows that you’re in for something truly special, so to say we’re excited about these tour dates is something of an understatement.
The pair are set to have heads nodding, toes tapping and everyone’s collective shit lost at the following triumvirate of venues:
Wed, December 2nd: The Tivoli, Brisbane
Thu, December 3rd: The Metro, Sydney
Sun, December 6th: 170 Russell, Melbourne
We interviewed one half of Ratatat, Mike Stroud, earlier this year in anticipation of all of this summer goodness. Tickets aren’t yet on sale but get in quick smart when they do or you’re definitely going to be choking on your own FOMO.
Imagine you’re sitting in your car listening to the radio. No, wait – imagine you’re sitting in a DeLorean listening to the radio. Nope, nope, you’re sitting in THE DeLorean, with the hover-wheels folded down and Michael J Fox chilling arms folded on the bonnet, and you spin the radio dial. What do you hear? Screech of static. Jangly piano. Are we heading into the nineteeth century? The Queen-esque twang of the slide guitar tells us different. Everything seems solidly eighties until – a walking bass and sharp beat kicks in and is soon maxxed out. That beat is Cream on Chrome, and you have just found Magnifique, Ratatat’s fifth and hotly anticipated album.
In our recent interview with one half of Brooklyn based instrumental pair Ratatat, Mike Stroud was so happy with the duo’s latest album he called it their best album. Why? “I feel like we went back to doing what we’re good at which is using guitar for all the melodies and everything. I just think the songs are more memorable and simple. I don’t know, why do you think it is?” In Magnifique, diversity is key. With a twist of a radio dial introducing most songs, the whole album is a determined catch-call of “BUT LOOK AT MY RANGE!” Stroud and Evan Mast were determined to show exactly how much is accomplishable with a simple guitar and electronic set up. For this album the melodies were written first, and not basing each track around electronic bass or beat mean a cleaner, directed sound. Doomed to be victims of comparison, Stroud beat us to the punch declaring that this album was a lot like their beloved and fun 2006 album Classics, while LP3 and LP4 were “more about the production.” If you were a fan of Classics, you will certainly be enjoying Magnifique as the effect of those guitars and stacked beats has only been finessed in the four years since their last release.
Running through the album, the radio slides and static twists are the glue that bind each track together. I feel the album was designed to be disjointed – there is no meaningful connection from one track to the next except for an occasional spin of the dial. Take three of the middle tracks – Countach is a deep, heavy electronic warp that is bookended by Abrasive, a bendy, strung out guitar-centric four minutes punctuated with lo-fi drum and midi synth, and Drift, a jazzy interlude featuring a striding bass that sounds like it’s being played on a jug and whines of synth sliding up and down like the crying of a sooky cat. Style and structures jump all over the place. The sound strays from rich warps and wubs resonating through your stomping feet to thin, stringy sparkly guitar riffs in Pricks of Brightness and lush tropical strains as Supreme washes through you like rain, seeping and swelling. There is a lot packed into fourteen tracks, a lot to admire and also a lot to wonder at. The attention to detail is obvious, and the mesh of electronic and guitar melodies is at its strongest in Nightclub Amnesia. My favourite of the album, this exceedingly well-titled track is exactly the glitch and thump you’re after. At six minutes long, things slow down around the 2.40 mark only to be brought up with a pulsing hi-hat and funky bassline you would follow anywhere.
What do you do with this album? Sometimes you can dance to it. Sometimes you can jam to it. Sometimes, like when the violin strains of the title track takes you, you could fall asleep to it. The album’s outro, when you come to it, is so distinct and fitting as the spinning reel comes to an end. You know this has been a labour of love, and the level of detail found in each track will speak for itself. Listen and learn, and find out for yourself.
It’s been a long and arduous wait for Ratatat fans since the release of their fourth studio album in 2010. Their sound is one that defines periods, and for me it was high school. Such a unique tone and blend of so many genres, combining so many elements into a sound entirely their own, Evan Mast and Mike Stroud quickly became one of the defining, and pioneering acts of the late 2000’s. From their debut self titled album released in 2004, to their remix album not long after, with Classics, LP3 and LP4 soon following, their loyal fanbase continued to grow exponentially, especially when they toured their electrifying live show relentlessly.
However, the Ratatat train was suddenly stagnant, hitting a silent wall for fans. Although they were still working (Mast has a solo project under the moniker E*VAX and has produced tracks for Jay-Z and Despot), the fate of the follow up to their most experimental release yet (LP4) seemed uncertain – until this year. Seemingly overnight, they began to have shows booked again come April, including a little festival by the name of Coachella. It wasn’t until the festival was already under way in it’s first weekend that the rumours of new material were confirmed, and Cream on Chrome was released. From there, it has been nonstop for the duo, performing at Primavera Sound in Spain, and the We Love Green festival in France, before confirming that there was, indeed, a fifth album on the way.
Magnifique has been receiving rave reviews from anyone who has had the pleasure to listen to it. The duo did just one interview along with the announcement, stating that it was a return to their guitar-driven sounds, and seemed quietly confident. The album is now about to be released on July 17, and things are once again a-okay in the Ratatat camp.
We had the privliege to chat to one half of the duo, Mike Stroud, ahead of their imminent release. After discussing the weather differences between Brooklyn and Brisbane (Brooklyn: hot, Brisbane: cold), and Mike filling me in some Australian experiences – “Every time we tour in Australia, I feel like the people we meet are so funny” – we got stuck in to chat the album, pre-show nerves, the heavier presence in their drawings (the album’s cover is a collage of the duo’s drawing whilst Mast drew over 4000 pictures for their clip for the Abrasive clip), and how Stroud thinks this is their best album yet.
Congratulations on the album – I love it so much.
Oh thank you!
Do you have any pre-release nerves or anything? What’s going through your head right now?
No, I’m just like “Ahh, about time!” We mixed it almost a year ago. I’ve just been really ready for it to come out.
Lots of streams have been popping up online today as well, do you take notice of that or do you stay away from reviews?
I read some. It seems like so far it’s doing pretty well. We’ve been getting a pretty good reaction when we play live. I don’t know. I think this is our best album. I’m just really excited about it.
I definitely agree with that. Why do you think that?
Because the songs are better? *laughs* I don’t know. I feel like we went back to doing what we’re good at which is using guitar for all the melodies and everything. I just think the songs are more memorable and simple. I don’t know, why do you think it is?
Well, I’ve been a fan of Ratatat for so long, like since Classics. I remember when you guys came to Townsville in 2009 and I was 15 –
*laughs* Yeah! I think this record is most like Classics.
It’s been such a long time coming. Do you think because you took your time with this one, you had the freedom to explore and that’s why you returned to that sound? You weren’t trying to get it done in a certain amount of time and there was no urgency with this one?
We definitely experimented a lot. We made so many different kinds of songs for this record. We kind of set out to make a guitar focused album from the beginning. That was a conscious decision for sure.
Why was it a conscious decision?
Because those songs are more fun to play live. All the songs from Classics are so much fun live. With LP3 and LP4, it was more about production. There was tonnes of little guitar parts or keyboard parts. I like those albums, but this is going to be so much more fun to play live.
Can we expect a whole new live show for the Magnifique tour? Have you been playing much of it already?
We’ve been playing a few songs. There is a whole new visual element and we have lasers. It’s still just the two of us paying guitar and whatever live, but the whole visual side of the show has definitely stepped up.
I’ve seen you guys a couple of times and the visual side is something that really stuck with me. Do you think you rely on that a little more because of the absence of vocals?
Yeah probably. There’s no frontman, there’s no drummer. We don’t particularly want to be looked at *laughs* You know what I mean? I just think it makes it more interesting.
I can see that! Normally there is no spotlight on you, and you’re both using so many instruments you’re kind of hiding behind them in a way…
We’re both kind of “shy”..
I feel like you’re in the wrong industry if you’re shy!
I know! I get so nervous before we play.
Still?
Totally! I get nervous before the show. I get nervous for a week! We have a show in a week and I’m already nervous.
Woah! What are you nervous about? Getting up in front of people or is there something more?
Yeah! It’s not a normal thing for me to do. I think that it kind of adds to the show though. Your adrenaline is pumping. I totally get nerves. Evan gets a maybe little nervous, but I think I’m a little worse.
Do you have any ways to combat the pre-show nerves?
Usually I just drink a beer! *laughs* That always helps.
Well you can’t tell. I was streaming your Coachella performance from the comfort of my couch and I have to say – what a way to return with that performance! Dropping Cream On Chrome and then playing it that same weekend! Was that just as crazy for you too?
It was totally intense! We actually had some technical problems too for the first show, so we were both a little flustered. I was crazy nervous for that one! It was amazing though. Coachella is always fun. That was the third time we’ve played there. The more recent festivals have been fun too, though. We played this festival called Primavera in Barcelona, and we did one in France too. Those were crazy. It was cool, it felt like the European crowd was finally as good as our crowd in the States.
Those festivals would be crazy! They don’t finish early like the ones in the U.S. or Australia, right?
Yeah! We played at 3am at Primavera.
What was the crowd like for the 3am set? Did you have a big crowd?
Yeah, I think there was like 15,000 people there or something!
Holy shit!
Yeah I know, I was thinking no one was going to come but everyone was telling us it was actually a really good slot to have for Spain. They don’t even have dinner ’til like 10 or something.
Why do you think it took a little longer to get the fanbase in Europe?
I don’t really know, honestly. I always expected that it was going to be better in Europe, but it was just… Maybe it’s because we toured so many times in the States now? We’ve had more exposure at home.
I wanted to talk to you about all the drawings involved in this new album. The clip Evan made for Abrasive is amazing, and the album cover is so intriguing.
Yeah. Evan did the video by himself but for the artwork we did all the drawings. He collaged it all together at the end. We were recording years ago, and there was this super ugly kitchen in the house we were staying in, so we were doing drawings and covering all the walls! That’s where that started.
Wait, is it your house?
No! It was some house we were renting *laughs* All the drawings are at Evan’s place now.
What is it about drawing?
We both drew a lot when we were kids. I think it’s just fun. I don’t know if it helps the music necessarily, it was more of a distraction if anything. It’s a fun hobby.
I read in your interview with SPIN that in this album, you didn’t want to have parts where people talked over to say the next bit was cool.
That always happens! You know when you’re playing someone a song and there is like a boring part? You always try to talk over it and try to distract them. We were trying to really avoid that.
Did that put on any extra pressure for you?
Yeah. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We’re pretty critical of our stuff, probably more so than ever before. I think that’s part of the reason this record took so long to make. It just felt like if it wasn’t going to be totally amazing, there was no point.
I guess this is your fifth album, there would be that pressure to keep delivering?
Mhm! We weren’t getting pressure from any people, it was all from ourselves.
That’s even worse in a way!
Yeah it’s way worse! We were actually out of our contract at the time, so we didn’t HAVE to make an album at the time – we just wanted to.
Did they renew your contract when they heard our great it was?
They did, luckily!
I have to ask, when can Australia hear Magnifique live?
Hopefully this year! We have a tonne of touring coming up, but I don’t know yet.
You do have such a packed tour schedule already…
Well, we just took four years off!
Magnifique is out July 17 via XL Recordings/Remote Control Records
As the July 17 release date for their fourth studio LP Magnifique comes closer, Ratatat are wasting no time at all keeping our excitement and anticipation levels at an all time high. From their at-the-time mysterious Intro to lead single (and the song that is constantly stuck in my head) Cream on Chrome, the two instrumental wizards return once again with their new single, Abrasive.
Incredibly dense and complex, the duo weave absolute musical magic in this track. At times reaching over 30 layered guitar parts in their harmonies, the impossibly smooth – actually the opposite of the title – track is slightly more chilled out than it’s predecessor, but nevertheless as upbeat and dance-inducing.
A dense video for a dense song it also seems, with the duo’s own E.VAX (Evan Mast) stepping up for the visuals. The animated clip is made of 4000 hand-drawn illustrations of people dancing, including Ratatat themselves. It’s warm and happy, like a celebration of the moves and shapes you would probably see pulled at a Ratatat concert (I know I have).
Said to be a return “to their core guitar-driven sound”, the duo also said in an interview with SPIN,“Because it’s instrumental music, you can’t just be half-assed with the music and then like, ‘Oh someone will sing on this.'” If these past releases are anything at all to go by, I would hazard a guess that we are in for something very special. Recorded in New York City, Long Island, Brooklyn and even Jamaica, the duo have spent five long years on this album, and it sounds like the wait has definitely been worth it.
Magnifique will be released on Friday July 17th via XL Recordings/ Remote Control Records.
We were all confused when Ratatat released a strange one-minute video out of the blue. While it sparked much excitement, we also had a plethora of questions. We needed answers, pronto.
Luckily, today we found out what was going down.
Ratatat have announced they will be releasing a new album! The duo have been creating this 14-track record for the past four years in a number of locations, including Jamaica, upstate New York, Long Island, and at their home studio in Brooklyn. Among those tracks is Springwater‘s I Will Return, which is their first cover ever. As we predicted, the album is called Magnifique.
Out in July, this will be Ratatat’s fifth album after 2010’s LP4, and they kept pretty quiet for most of that time – until this year. They rocked an amazing Coachella performance last month, where they performed their first single from the album Cream on Chrome, which showed a few changes for the duo, but still just sublime as their previous works.
Will it live up to its name? Judging by Ratatat’s red hot single and seriously cool intro video, we have no doubts that it will.
Magnifique will be released on July 17 via XL Recordings/ Remote Control Records. Pre-order it here.
Life is just better when Ratatat are making music. From their surprise track dropping last month, Covered In Chrome, as well as their spectacular Coachella performance (which I watched from the comfort of my couch because #thefuture), they have certainly spiked our intrigue and anticipation in the hope for another album to make love to our ear drums.
Well, now they’ve gone and made it just that little bit more confusing but also is it a little bit more confirmed? A new video has surfaced titled Intro, and sees the duo eating oranges, playing piano and wearing suits in France. Of course, those goosebump-inducing guitars come in to make you melt as well (or is that just me?) Either way, the clip ends with the word “Magnifique” – is this their new album title? Is it just them describing the minute long video, which would be an apt description? So many questions, so few answers. All we know is, they’re up to something – and we can’t wait to hear what it is!