Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer driver and producer Evan Mast.
Biography[]
Mike Stroud and Evan Mast first met as Skidmore College students, 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. This album is entirely instrumental, except for occasional excerpts of dialog at the beginning and end of some tracks. The group started out releasing their debut single Seventeen Years on Evan and his brother's record Audio Dregs label in the US and Rex Records in the UK. They released that single 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.
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.
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.
Members[]
- Evan Mast
- Mike Stroud
Discography[]
Albums[]
- Ratatat
- Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1
- Classics
- Ratatat Remixes Vol. 2
- LP3
- LP4
Singles[]
- "Seventeen Years"
- Germany To Germany
- Wildcat
- Lex
- Loud Pipes
- Shiller
- Mirando
- Shempi
Further Reading[]
- Official site
- Radio Interview. November 2006 - 3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia
- Fader Magazine interview
- Rehearsal Space: Ratatat
- Official Ratatat Myspace page
- Ratatat at All Music Guide
- Audio interview with Ratatat on public radio program The Sound of Young America
- Ratatat Interview with Audiojunkies
- Ratatat Interview