12 years have passed since Ratatat released their self-titled debut album. It’s enough time for any musical act to live and die, especially considering Ratatat’s five-year break in-between fourth album LP4 and last year’s release Magnifique.
Supported by an Australian east coast tour only four months ago, Magnifique was received to mixed reviews. Some felt there was nothing new from this album, Ratatat’s electro-rock chillwave shtick only sustainable for so long.
Looking around at the sold-out 170 Russell crowd for one of their Groovin’ The Moo sideshows, however, musicians Mike Stroud and Evan Mast appeared just as relevant as ever. When we last spoke to Stroud, even he was surprised to see they could still pull a crowd after all this time.
Perhaps Ratatat got onto a good thing early. Judging by support acts Frikstailers and Kirin J Callinan, Ratatat’s similarly futuristic but more refined brand of experimental music seems to still be in vogue.
To an electrified Ratatat logo displayed on the projector came the first notes of ‘Intro.’ The shaggy-haired duo arrived onto a symmetrical stage set-up — decks and guitars to the side with two drums in the middle.
This marked the beginning of what could be nothing but a tight performance; such is the requirement of the video display designed by Mast that is orchestrated to match the set exactly.
Following the same structure as their December tour came ‘Pricks of Brightness’ from the 2015 release, its main guitar melody the likely outcome of a fight between Queen and an old Atari game.
Stroud and Mast then treated the audience to ‘Loud Pipes,’ a popular tune from their 2006 release Classics. The song represents some of the genre-bending that the group is capable of, hinting at a smooth hip-hop aesthetic that is very synthetic, but at the same time emotionally compelling, a real tug at the heartstrings.
There was little time for chit-chat during the show — just an occasional hasty “thank you,” symptomatic of not only the duo’s shyness but also a necessity in retaining the rigid configuration of the show. Stroud was the showier of the two, with his spontaneous backbends and high-fives with people in the moshpit.
Mast on the other hand rarely strayed from his side of the stage, nonetheless visibly satisfied by the simple act of sharing his art. Though the show could be perceived as automatic and operational, this provided for an endless dance soundtrack where the music was front and centre, its constancy making the audience want nothing but more.
For the standout single from Magnifique, ‘Cream on Chrome,’ there was an appreciative sea of hands in the air. Save for the occasional spoken-word sample, Ratatat have no words, only melody — which made the crowd’s ‘doo-doo-ing’ of ‘Cream on Chrome’ both strange and entertaining.
Though Magnifique is their most recent release, Ratatat’s set called upon most of their back-catalogue, highlighting the vast experimentation that defines their sound; tinny, sneaky extended play of crowd-pleaser ‘Wildcat;’ bright tropical rhythms for ‘Grape Juice City;’ and ethereal tinkering in ‘Falcon Jab.’ The only selection from their debut was the dramatic ‘17 Years,’ its sad, slow crescendo forming a fitting end to their main set.
As expected, and in their methodical style, Ratatat returned onstage for an encore, Stroud taking a swig from a Red Bull and throwing it defiantly onto the stage. A sense of continuity was captured perfectly in the atmospheric ‘Gettysburg,’ the set finished with the more upbeat ‘Shempi,’ Stroud and Mast taking on the drums for a dramatic and definitive end to their hour and a half set.
So specific is Ratatat’s sound that their songs can easily blend into one another. Despite the potential for monotony, there are enough intricacies and catchy melodies to capture and maintain the attention of the listener. Ratatat produce not just a good dance soundtrack, but also the kind of electronica that makes you actually feel something. No lyrics, just sounds and an unwavering sense of momentum.
Some critics may feel otherwise, but seeing Ratatat hit the spot in their meticulous and unusually introverted style, it’s clear they’re doing something right, and likely to continue on that trajectory for some time yet.
Check out the full gallery from the show here.
