Spring Break
Ratatat sounds off
by Julian Agin-Liebes
Photography Editor
Arts | 9/23/08
Posted online at 11:07 PM EST on 9/22/08
/ Last updated at 4:23 PM EST on 9/22/08
Mike Stroud and Evan Mast, who make up the electronic musical duo Ratatat, recently released a new record that demonstrates their straight-forward approach to nomenclature.
Ratatat's self-titled debut contained the song "Seventeen Years," which begins with a voice-over by a man who states he's been rapping for 17 years. The 2006 follow-up record, Classics, featured a song titled "Wildcat" on due to the fact that it heavily samples the sound of a wildcat's growl. Stroud and Mast's candid and direct style carries over into their conversation as they discuss their backgrounds, plans for the future and their hatred of jazz with JustArts.
JustArts: What are your musical backgrounds?
Ratatat: There was a kid in fourth grade I saw playing piano. He was a total prick. I was shocked. I was shocked that he was a good musician, so I asked who he got piano lessons from I started piano lessons when I was 10. And then I started guitar. I have been playing it for about 16 years now.
JustArts: What are your influences?
Ratatat: Um, I don't know; we both listen to a bit of everything.
JustArts: How would you classify yourselves?
Ratatat: The opposite of jazz.
JustArts: Your music does have jazz influences in it. What makes you say it's the opposite?
Ratatat: I just hate jazz. We both do.
JustArts: What do you hate about jazz?
Ratatat: I hate everything. I like jazz trumpet, [though]. Noodling … I cant keep up with it, and I hate the saxophone.
JustArts: So do you classify yourselves as DJs, rock band, electronic, a little bit of everything?
Ratatat: Yeah, I mean people always ask us how to describe what this band is, which makes me think it is hard to pin down. We're not a straight-up rock band, but I try not to analyze it too much.
JustArts: Can you tell me a bit about what went into the making of your newly released album LP3? I heard that this album was made in only a few weeks; how did that get accomplished?
Ratatat: We went to this house upstate in the Catskills, this big old house filled with crazy instruments. They had a mullacha, like a string piano, a harpsichord, a beautiful piano and all of these organs. I think we were just having a lot of fun, which is why it happened so quickly, because we had nothing to do at all in this town. It is the most boring city in the world.
JustArts: Would you say it was an inspirational place?
Ratatat: It was just having space. No noise complaints. We could make music all throughout the night. It was just beautiful. The air was clean. There are so many distractions when you try to make a record in New York.
JustArts: A fourth LP is on the way, too. What can we expect from that album, and when is it supposed to come out?
Ratatat: We have another record, basically; we just have to mix it up and fix it. I have no idea when it is coming out. It is definitely not B-sides; [it's] more like a proper record. It is still in the works, and I have no idea when it is going to come out. It is hard to get anything done when you are on tour.
JustArts: Plan on mixing another volume of remixes?
Ratatat: Not really, not for a while. We've just been making our own stuff. We've had a couple of offers, but it is really impossible for us to record on tour.
JustArts: Plans for the future?
Ratatat: We're going to take some time off. I think we're probably going to make some new music when we get home. We are going to take a tour of France and Scandanavia [in the fall]. That will be fun. It's hard to plan ahead too much. Right now [we're] taking it day by day.
Ratatat's self-titled debut contained the song "Seventeen Years," which begins with a voice-over by a man who states he's been rapping for 17 years. The 2006 follow-up record, Classics, featured a song titled "Wildcat" on due to the fact that it heavily samples the sound of a wildcat's growl. Stroud and Mast's candid and direct style carries over into their conversation as they discuss their backgrounds, plans for the future and their hatred of jazz with JustArts.
JustArts: What are your musical backgrounds?
Ratatat: There was a kid in fourth grade I saw playing piano. He was a total prick. I was shocked. I was shocked that he was a good musician, so I asked who he got piano lessons from I started piano lessons when I was 10. And then I started guitar. I have been playing it for about 16 years now.
JustArts: What are your influences?
Ratatat: Um, I don't know; we both listen to a bit of everything.
JustArts: How would you classify yourselves?
Ratatat: The opposite of jazz.
JustArts: Your music does have jazz influences in it. What makes you say it's the opposite?
Ratatat: I just hate jazz. We both do.
JustArts: What do you hate about jazz?
Ratatat: I hate everything. I like jazz trumpet, [though]. Noodling … I cant keep up with it, and I hate the saxophone.
JustArts: So do you classify yourselves as DJs, rock band, electronic, a little bit of everything?
Ratatat: Yeah, I mean people always ask us how to describe what this band is, which makes me think it is hard to pin down. We're not a straight-up rock band, but I try not to analyze it too much.
JustArts: Can you tell me a bit about what went into the making of your newly released album LP3? I heard that this album was made in only a few weeks; how did that get accomplished?
Ratatat: We went to this house upstate in the Catskills, this big old house filled with crazy instruments. They had a mullacha, like a string piano, a harpsichord, a beautiful piano and all of these organs. I think we were just having a lot of fun, which is why it happened so quickly, because we had nothing to do at all in this town. It is the most boring city in the world.
JustArts: Would you say it was an inspirational place?
Ratatat: It was just having space. No noise complaints. We could make music all throughout the night. It was just beautiful. The air was clean. There are so many distractions when you try to make a record in New York.
JustArts: A fourth LP is on the way, too. What can we expect from that album, and when is it supposed to come out?
Ratatat: We have another record, basically; we just have to mix it up and fix it. I have no idea when it is coming out. It is definitely not B-sides; [it's] more like a proper record. It is still in the works, and I have no idea when it is going to come out. It is hard to get anything done when you are on tour.
JustArts: Plan on mixing another volume of remixes?
Ratatat: Not really, not for a while. We've just been making our own stuff. We've had a couple of offers, but it is really impossible for us to record on tour.
JustArts: Plans for the future?
Ratatat: We're going to take some time off. I think we're probably going to make some new music when we get home. We are going to take a tour of France and Scandanavia [in the fall]. That will be fun. It's hard to plan ahead too much. Right now [we're] taking it day by day.
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