Rating: 4/5
During their four-year-old recording career, Ratatat have proven themselves true explorers; not always striking gold, but taking risks nonetheless. For the creation of LP3, the intrepid duo decamped from their native Brooklyn to the Old Soul studio in the Catskill Mountains, a dusty musical playground of Wurlitzers and harpsichords. It’s unsurprising then, that LP3 is their most ambitious album so far: Schiller raises the curtain with a radioactive haze of synth, before a haunting lullaby takes effect and Mike Stroud’s trademark pomp-rock guitar slinks in; Falcon Jab reclaims the bravado of 2006’s Classics, with added vocoder and organic beats; Mi Viejo adds Indian Tabla drums into the mix; while Mirando is salsa-meets-Pacman insanity - and that’s just the first four tracks. LP3 is both far-reaching and doggedly individual: any track may have elements of reggae or Bhangra or hip hop, but it’s still distinctively ‘Ratatat’. It’s a mean feat, and one that confirms they have the talent to back up the exploration.
LP3 is out on XL Recordings from 7 July.
Check back for an interview with Evan from Ratatat next week.
2 Comments
July 7, 2008 at 12:21 am
[...] at last year’s Triptych. Perhaps this is your introduction, as they’re set to release LP3 (that’ll be their third album then). Wherever your starting point though, it’s [...]
August 4, 2008 at 4:41 pm
[...] band who belie their electronica tag in a live setting, and even unassuming tracks from the recent LP3 like ‘Mi Viejo’ and ‘Bird Priest’ are transformed into propulsive, hypnotic [...]
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