Q&A: Ratatat Talk Consistency In Their Music, Being Kevin Parker Fan Boys & Groovin The Moo 2016

12 years since the release of the self titled debut album, Ratatat have always been a bit of a dark horse on the global music stage. Always present but rarely in the spotlight, they have built their career up inch by inch over the years, eschewing the industry’s constant recycling of trends and artists perpetually reinventing themselves by steadily pursuing their own aesthetic and style.

With no vocals and featuring live instruments and electronics layered atop one another till they blur into a unique and rich sound, Ratatat’s music is instantly recognisable as their own. Having created their own sonic palette to work with, each successive album has nevertheless seen producer Evan Mast and multi instrumentalist Mike Stroud refine and grow as songwriters and artists.

Their fifth studio album Magnifique more than proves this, showcasing more of the slick guitar driven fare we’ve come to love from the duo, while also seeing them trying out some new directions. On the way out here to play as part of the Groovin’ The Moo regional touring festival, we caught up with Mast to discuss the band’s long career the new album and the upcoming tour.

MF: Your fifth album Magnifique came out last year, marking 12 years since your debut. How does it feel to have your music almost be old enough to be entering High School?

Haha, it makes me feel pretty old. Barring the age problem, I feel proud that we’ve lasted as long as we have. I never would’ve imagined I’d be touring in Australia 15 years after writing Seventeen Years!

MF: You covered Springwater’s I Will Return on the album, what made you want to include that track? Or a cover at all?

We’ve been told many times over the years that we sound like this or that band, but Springwater was the first time we actually agreed. We’d been talking about covering his songs for a while and it was sort of a warmup to recording together again after a long break that turned out pretty good.

It was really nice to not have to write anything and still get a recording of a song we love… haha. We just love his melodies and the way he layers his guitars. His entire album is pretty epic.

MF: A lot of bands feel the need to constantly re-invent themselves, but your music has always been consistent. Do you not feel that pressure?

I guess what feels like huge shifts in our style and sound really just translates to a continuation of the same thing for a lot of people. In our minds we’ve grown a lot on each album, but I see your point. We’ve managed to stick to the same kind of guitar sounds and similar production style on a lot of our songs, but that’s just what we like to hear.

I guess the answer is no, we don’t feel a constant need to reinvent anything. I think what we do is very unique and not necessarily in need of reinvention.

MF: Would you say you are refining something with each album? If so will it get to a point where you want to try something new?

Who knows..we always go into the next record with a clean slate. I’m sort of assuming (given past interviews) that by something new you mean will we add singing… that probably won’t happen, but I think we’re both hoping that the next record sounds like a dramatic shift from what we’ve done in the past.

MF: Having said that there are certainly some moments on the album that see you guys trying something different, yet it’s all very much still Ratatat. Was that a conscious thing?

Yes.

MF: Having seen you guys live you guys obviously enjoy playing, does that influence the writing at all or is it still very much a case of writing everything on a computer like the first album?

We wanted to make sure these new songs would be fun to play live so we tried to stick to basics. Guitar, bass, and beats. We don’t really write in a computer, we just use it to record everything. We write very organically, in a room together with live instruments.

MF: Speaking of the live show you’ve been called the best hair metal electronica act of all time (by me if no one else), how do you feel about that?

That sounds amazing to me! Thank you.

MF: You’ve played in Australia a lot, have you picked up much Australian music on your trips over here?

Not too much. We both really like Tame Impala. I think Kevin Parker is amazing. We toured with a cool band years ago named I Heart Hiroshima as well. Also, Down Under is one of my favorite all time songs….seriously.

MF: Other than Australian music, is there anything else you’re listening to at the moment that’s blowing your mind?

I’ve been diving back into all these old Bowie records again. The Man Who Sold the World record is blowing my mind today.

MF: You are set to play Groovin the Moo during April, how often do you get to play outside of major cities? And what are you expecting from such a regional tour?

The only times we ever really play outside of big cities is for festivals like GTM. We played it years ago and it was a blast. It was fun to see people really getting into the zone and partying during our sets. I think it’s gonna be a fun time.

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Ratatat play Groovin The Moo 2016, grab the full lineup and details below.

Groovin The Moo 2016

Alison Wonderland
Boo Seeka
Boy & Bear
British India
Client Liaison
Danny Brown (USA)
Drapht
DZ Deathrays
Emma Louise
Golden Features
Harts
Illy
In Hearts Wake
Jarryd James
MS MR (USA)
~~Mutemath (USA)~~
Ngaiire
Odesza (USA)
Ratatat (USA)
Remi
The Rubens
SAFIA
Twenty One Pilots (USA)
Vallis Alps
~~Vic Mensa (USA)~~
What So Not
Marshalled by The Meeting Tree with studio hosts Alex Dyson and Danny Clayton.