Ratatat
July08, music reviews August 8th, 2008
By Fred Sowder, July 2008
LP3, XL Recordings
Many may remember this New York duo from last year’s catchy instrumental college radio hit “Wildcat” as well as their visit to Gainesville at Common Grounds.
What Mike Stroud and Evan Mast build upon in their latest release is their ability to diversify. The familiar harpsichord stabs and tweaky synths remain, but their music is more organic thanks to their use of Old Soul studios, which contain such undecidedly electronic instruments as grand piano and mellotron. They also further tempered their digital tendencies by mixing this album to quarter-inch reel tape. The results are not necessarily more organic, but tunes like “Bird Priest” and the opening “Shiller” sound more Pink Floyd than The Orb at times.
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Ratatat
July08, music reviews August 8th, 2008By Fred Sowder, July 2008
LP3, XL Recordings
Many may remember this New York duo from last year’s catchy instrumental college radio hit “Wildcat” as well as their visit to Gainesville at Common Grounds.
What Mike Stroud and Evan Mast build upon in their latest release is their ability to diversify. The familiar harpsichord stabs and tweaky synths remain, but their music is more organic thanks to their use of Old Soul studios, which contain such undecidedly electronic instruments as grand piano and mellotron. They also further tempered their digital tendencies by mixing this album to quarter-inch reel tape. The results are not necessarily more organic, but tunes like “Bird Priest” and the opening “Shiller” sound more Pink Floyd than The Orb at times.
