Ratatat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ratatat | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Evan Mast, Mike Stroud | |
| Origin | New York City | |
| Genre(s) | Electronic, Techno, Hip hop, Indietronica | |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Synthesizer | |
| Years active | 2001 – present | |
| Label(s) | XL Recordings, Rex Records | |
| Website | Official Website | |
Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer driver and producer Evan Mast.
Contents |
[edit] History
Mike Stroud and Evan Mast met as Skidmore College students, but did not work together until they recorded "Cherry" in 2001, a track that later would end their debut album. Their 2004 debut, Ratatat, was written and recorded in Mast's Crown Heights, Brooklyn apartment on Stroud's PowerBook.[1] This album is entirely instrumental, except for occasional excerpts of dialogue at the beginning and end of some tracks.
The band started out on the independent label Rex Records, on which they released their first single, Seventeen Years. They released that single again on Evan and his brother's record label Audio Dregs. They then signed for XL Recordings, releasing their debut album and the single Germany to Germany. Ratatat occasionally remix other artists' songs, most notably on their limited 2004 release Ratatat Mixtape Vol. 1 which garnered the attention of Rolling Stone.
Both musicians have had experience with other projects, such as Mast's E*vax and Stroud's stage work with Ben Kweller, and Dashboard Confessional. Ratatat has toured with bands such as Mouse on Mars, Interpol, The Faint, Clinic, The Killers and more recently they supported Mogwai in Japan.
The song "Seventeen Years" has been featured in a Hummer television commercial and on British television show Soccer AM's "Crossbar Challenge" segment.
On October 10, 2006 a new demo album from Ratatat entitled 9 Beats was leaked on the Internet. This new set of tracks is not listed on any discography associated with the band. They are all short instrumental electronic musical pieces.[2]
Recently a new remixes album has been announced. Titled Ratatat Remixes Vol 2.. It will again feature a variety of rappers such as Bun B, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Slim Thug, Devin the Dude, Young Jeezy, T.I., Beanie Sigel, Pimp C, Ludacris, Young Buck, Saigon, Juvenile, Z-ro, Memphis Bleek, Kanye West and exclusive tracks from rappers Despot and Beans. The mixtape features beats from 9 Beats. A release date has not yet been set. It has been leaked on the Internet on March 27, 2007.
[edit] Discography
Studio albums
 |
 |
Singles
| Song | Album | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Seventeen Years" (US Release) | Ratatat | 2003 | Rex Records |
| "Seventeen Years" (UK Release) | Ratatat | November 25, 2003 | Audio Dregs |
| "Germany to Germany" | Ratatat | October 4, 2004 | XL Recordings |
| "Wildcat" | Classics | July 25, 2006 | XL Recordings |
| "Lex" | Classics | October 30, 2006 | XL Recordings |
Remixes
| Artist | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shout Out Louds | "The Comeback - Big Slippa Remix by Ratatat" | 2005 |
| The Knife | "We Share Our Mothers' Health - Ratatat Remix" | 2006 |
| Television Personalities | "You Kept Me Waiting Too Long Long Long Long Long Long Long Long Long - Ratatat Remix" | 2007 |
[edit] Interviews
- Radio Interview. Nov 2006 - 3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia
- Fader Magazine interview
- Current TV pod
[edit] Other Media
In February of 2007 Cartoon Network aired a commercial for 'My Gym Partner is a Monkey' in which Wildcat played in the background, an episode of the same show contained over two minutes of the song, edited slightly with a few parts cut out.
[edit] References
- ^ Leckart, Steven. "Have laptop will travel", MSNBC. Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
- ^ Rob. "Ratatat 9 Beats Hits Hard", Bittersweet Blog. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
[edit] External links
