RATATAT INTERVIEW

RATATAT INTERVIEW

06/05/09 - Elke, Quan and RATATAT

Great fucking night. It started off with Elke blasting out their big sound that they are becoming notorious on the GC for. These guys are rapidly paving their way for a promising and hopefully prominent future. It was definitely a perfect start to the evening as it set a cool atmosphere. The crowd wasn’t as big as it should have been but hey, it was pretty much like that the whole night anyway. (What the fuck was up with that?)

Next up was Quan (lead singer of legendary Brisbane band Regurgitator) showcasing his up and coming side project. He totally proved that taking the solo route from a formerly successful band is not always a shitty, non-profitable idea. There is no way that you could compare his newfound style to that of Regurgitator but I have to say it did have that same level of classic grittiness. The guy had killer beats that complemented some dope and at times hilarious lyrics. He rocked shit hard on stage and had endless energy as well smooth lyrical delivery. It was a great opener for what was to come, as he seemed to captivate the crowd effectively.

Finally there was Ratatat… Where should I start? These guys pretty much proved that they are the pioneers (if not the fathers) of the revived psych music scene that is coming out of New York today. The visuals in the background were epic and captivating. Added with the sporadic light set up, it magnified and engulfed the kaleidoscopic images, which ranged from tigers to explosions. It linked so perfectly to their unique brand of music that it was worth the price of admission alone. Their music, when played live, almost sounds infinitely better than studio recording. Mike Shroud produced amazing sounds with his guitar whilst conveying an amazing on stage persona (I must say, the dude had some killer moves). Adding to these alien sounds with the same steeze as the former, was his partner in crime on the bass Evan Mast. The constant switch from guitars to random items of electronic nature placed in an orderly fashion on stage never failed to impress. Due to demand from the under-packed crowd they came on for an encore that left everybody hypnotized. I guess the only way it could have been cooler was if I was brave enough to be under the influence of some mind-altering substance but a random guy I ran in to was already on top of that. As the show finished, we made our way out of the door. I looked over at him. With pupils as black as night, he smiled in a state of euphoria and said “That was the craaaazeist fuuuuckin mind bending journey of a thing I’ve ever seen maaaaan! What a trip!!!” “I’m sure it was man, I’m sure it was.” I replied. At this, he then continued to walk off into the distance of wherever the fuck he actually came from.
-Ian

RATATAT INTERVIEW- THRASHINGSTEENS from jordan malane on Vimeo.