In today's Monday Music post I want to focus on music that has been around me for a long time, but I'm only just starting to appreciate it fully. It's very synthetic, which is why I never gave it my full appreciation, but the undeniable truth of the matter is, it makes me feel good. So it can't be bad...
The group is called Ratatat, and my first association with the name was the sound of a machine gun, making me think of some type of gangster music. How wrong I could be, as none of their tracks have any lyrics worth the mention (except the occasional intro or outro)! But listening to the beats, I kept expecting someone to bust out some rap rhymes. It never happened, so all I kept feeling was this ongoing sensation of ... yeah ... Pretty sweet, actually.
Electro, Hip-Hop, or maybe even Rock?
Whenever the question of genre comes up, you can bet that my interest is perked as well. As I keep mentioning, a combination of styles is always the best style. And hip-hop has always been quite compatible with electronic music. Sure, you can be a lyrical hot-shot, but without a decent beat your rhymes won't reach their full potential. But a decent beat is probably the most basic part to expect from good hip-hop. It will have angelic melodies floating over a profound baseline. It may feature various rhythms to alternate between. And sometimes, if it is really well produced... well, the music can stand on its own without the rap. That's exactly the case with Ratatat.
But wait, there is more! It's not just that the electronic beats offer a perfect sound to rap to (for those who are into that). To lift their music to a whole new level, Ratatat includes amazing rifs on the electric guitar, while the keyboard may conjure the most catchy harpsichord or sitar melodies. Now, the sound is clearly something to party to. At the same time, it hasn't lost the wordless quality of background study music that won't grab too much of your attention. But its energetic style is just as suitable for doing exercise, or to light up the monotony of driving.
Just Two Guys and Their Computers
Okay, this may be a crass reduction of the multi-instrumental duo that's Ratatat, but in a way it's true. The group does seem very minimalist, with Mike Stroud on the electric guitar (and sometimes on the melodica), and Evan Mast on the bass. Apart from this, both of them are in charge of synthesizers, drum machines, and the whole electronic aspect of their music. No wonder that this way their entire first album was recorded in their Brooklyn apartment.
Thanks to good connections, they managed to play shows with other well known bands, and even performed gigs at unusual venues, such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York. So far they have released five albums, plus a bunch of singles and remixes. Actually, those remix albums feature some really good raps by lyrical hip-hop artists. Their live shows are known to be somewhat reminiscent of the 1960's acid-rock scene, with spectacular laser shows and video projections.
For me, Ratatat started out really as some music I used to put on so I wouldn't have to listen to it. Kinda like LoFi in a way. Since then it has evolved into catchy ear-worm tunes I could not get out of my head, until I reached the point of wanting to listen to Ratatat specifically for their music, and even show it to others. Depending on what music they're normally into, this could be a hit or miss. But as far as the band itself goes, I've come to like their music quite a lot.
Take a Look at the Previous Posts in my Monday Music Series:
The Sound of the Hungarian Zither
Obligatory Line-Dance at Mexican Parties - El Payaso del Rodeo
Floating Into the Night by Julee Cruise
Classic Canadiana - Stan Rogers
Party Like There's No Tomorrow, Cry Like Everything Is Lost - Hungarian Gypsy Music
The Harder Sound of the Middle Ages - Corvus Corax
The First Hip-Hop I Actually Liked - Things Fall Apart by The Roots
No Prophets in Their Own Land - Rodrigo y Gabriela
Beyond the Boundries of Styles and Genres - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Accordion-Rock You May Not Know (But Really Should) - Los Tabascos
Songs of the Mexican Revolution - La Adelita
Memorable Weirdness - What Do You Want A Japanese To Do Again?
Gloomy Sunday - The Hungarian Suicide Song
Party Tunes from the Wild East - The "Russendisko" Experience
Folk Songs from Your Home Village - Hungarian Regional Sound Archives
Polynesian Salt Water Music
Images Conjured up by Tom Waits' Music
In Country: Folks Songs of Americans in the Vietnam War
Somebody Tell Me - Translating a Hungarian Song Into [EN] and [SP]
Somebody Tell Me - first trial & live performance [HU] [SP] [EN]
Horst Wessel in Mexico
Playing for Change - Old Favorites Played Around the World
Soothing Tunes and Gentle Rhythms of Mali Music
What Is It About Music? [Ecotrain's Question of the Week]
Halász Judit, Memories from my Childhood
Discovering Rocksteady
The New Generation of Banda
Horrible Music From Hungary: Dáridó or Wedding Rock
[ENG - ESP] 3 Songs From My Youth / 3 Canciones De Mi Adolescencia
Surfer Tunes from the 60's: Dick Dale
Tiny Desk Concert with the Kronos Quartet
Ghymes, Palmetta, Deep Forest: The Love-Hate of Hungarian Crossover
Crossover Styles : Cooking With Many Ingredients
Shady Grove: My First Impression Leading up to Discovering The Grateful Dead
Endless Jams and Weird Imagery: The Grateful Dead