Ratatat

Ratatat
Mike Stroud and Evan Mast (2008)
Background information
Origin	Washington DC
Genres	Indie, electronic rock, alternative rock, house, electronic, post-rock
Instruments	Guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer
Years active	2001–present
Labels	XL Recordings, Rex Records, Audio Dregs
Associated acts	Dashboard Confessional
Website	Official website
Members
Evan Mast Mike Stroud

Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer player and producer Evan Mast.

History

Mike Stroud and Evan Mast first met as students at Skidmore College, but they did not work together until they recorded several songs under the name "Cherry" in 2001. Their 2004 debut, Ratatat, was written and recorded in Mast's Crown Heights, Brooklyn apartment on Stroud's PowerBook.^[1] The album is entirely instrumental with the exception of vocal excerpts at the beginning and end of selected tracks. The group debuted by releasing the single Seventeen Years on Evan and his brother's record label Audio Dregs in the US and Rex Records in the UK. Seventeen Years was released again on Evan and his brother E*Rock's record label Audio Dregs. They then signed for XL Recordings, releasing their debut album and the single Germany to Germany. Ratatat occasionally remixes others for collected release on Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1 (which garnered the attention of Rolling Stone), as well as the later second volume, both of which were self-released in co-operation with Audio Dregs.

Ratatat performing in 2004

Both musicians have had experience with other projects, such as Mast's E*vax and King Pang and Stroud's stage work with B4-4, Joe Satriani and Manowar. Stroud has also recorded with Ben Kweller on On My Way. Ratatat has toured with bands such as Björk, Daft Punk, Mouse on Mars, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, CSS, The Faint, Super Furry Animals, Clinic, Panther and The Killers. In 2006 they supported Mogwai in Japan.

On October 6, 2006 Ratatat became the first band to perform a public show inside the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

On October 10, 2006 a new demo album from Ratatat entitled 9 Beats was leaked online. This set of tracks does not appear on any official discography listings. The tracks consist of short instrumental electronic musical pieces and demos for their next mixtape.^[2] This release was followed by another remix album, Ratatat Remixes Vol 2..

It has been rumored that they will be signed by Star Trak as the understudies of the Neptunes.^[3][4]

Mast has most recently collaborated with former Shudder to Think vocalist Craig Wedren on a record for a Tokyo independent label, Mold Recordings and said to be finishing a follow up solo album for Audio Dregs.

From June 2007 until October 2008, Ratatat had Martin Bonventre accompany them on their European tour and Fall shows in America as the pianist/synthesizer player. He drew much attention due to his enormous afro and crazy, erratic dance movements on stage. The reason for his leaving the performance is unknown.

Ratatat's live performances bear strong similarities to the performances of the psychedelic rock bands out of San Francisco in the 60s, with energetic light shows, swirling colors projected onto a screen, and random clips of movies thrown in.

The official site has been updated showing the videos of the three first singles of their most recent album LP3, which was released on July 8, 2008. Shiller, Shempi then Mirando have all been released (or announced) on 7" or 12" singles, Shiller being first released with a special b-side Mahalo.^[5]

Ratatat has contributed 2 songs to the most recent album by Kid Cudi entitled Man on the Moon: The End of Day, released September 15, 2009. They played on Late Show with David Letterman on September 11, 2009. The two songs are produced in the similar electronic style Ratatat is known for; entitled "Alive" and "Pursuit of Happiness" featuring MGMT.

According to Mike Stroud in an interview conducted by Julia Askenase of Paste Magazine released on August 4, 2009, LP4 is almost completed and nearing release. Stroud said "LP4 is indeed mixed and nearly finished. In fact, most of it was recorded during the same studio sessions that yielded LP3"^[6].

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Remixes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ratatat

• Official site
• Official XL Recordings site
• 2008 Ratatat Interview at Bandega.com
• Radio Interview. November 2006 - 3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia
• Fader Magazine interview
• Rehearsal Space: Ratatat
• Official Ratatat Myspace page
• Ratatat at Allmusic
• Audio interview with Ratatat on public radio program The Sound of Young America
• Ratatat Interview with Audiojunkies