Ratatat music gets organs going

Instrumental albums are not something one casually comes across these days, unless it is classical music or some schmaltzy James Last-like effort. Aside the jazz ones, naturlich. No surprise then that the form has lost respect… Well, here is Ratatat who may change its reputation with their eponymous album that is almost vocal-less bar for spoken interludes.

Ratatat are two guys, Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, based in New York City. Their mission in life is to gladden people’s existence with music that doesn’t conform to the workforce’s daily routine and aural dosage. It does confirm the notion that there are no limits to imagination, if you’ve cultivated one.

‘Ratatat’ is a collection of pieces that stretches from playful rocking of the opener, ‘Seventeen Years’ to the unearthly noises or toying with the more familiar chords on ‘El Pico’. ‘Desert Eagle’ flies leisurely rather than being in a hunt-mode… ‘Breaking Away’ even employs a sub-reggae motif, ‘Germany To Germany’ marches on like an army of prog-rockers…

Ratatat took almost two years (July 2001 to May 2003) to record their debut and the reason for it was Stroud’s touring with the likes of Dashboard Confessional and Ben Kweller to support his music making; Mast, in meantime, started Audio Dregs Records and recorded under the name of E*Vax.

This music is not simply the one that compliments wallpaper but insists on being listened to, it makes you aware, it demands your attention… The scope of Ratatat’s music is wide but not oscure, it isn’t alienating but tempting, not avant-garde but interestingly mellow.

The duet’s project was once called Cherry but that now is only the title of the concluding song. But, a ‘Cherry’ it is, on top… With devil of a cream to add to this mix that affords freeview of the anti-dumbed world.

8/10