Ratatat

Ethereal rock-tronica duo Ratatat was forged in 2001 out of a common disinterest between guitarist Mike Stroud and multi-instrumentalist/producer Evan Mast; they were both bored by music with lyrics. The laid-back, upbeat pop-electronic outfit effortlessly cranks out imaginative hip-hop remixes and original songs with persistent beats, odd sound effects, and spacey guitars. In 2009, the duo produced two tracks for Kid Cudi’s debut album (including a collaboration with MGMT), before releasing LP4 last year. On it, the band’s familiar sound expands with the addition of Middle Eastern percussion and the occasional string quartet, but never at the expense of soaring harmonized guitar riffs.

Updated 05/24/2011