Ratatat - LP3

by Jim Merrett

Back to the Future Part III

"Opener ‘Shiller’ exposes spooky electronic detachment, as if a GameBoy soundcard was the product of the European Renaissance. Delving further into time and space, recent single ‘Mirando’ is a colonial world trade fair synthesised and poured into your ear. "

The no nonsense name gives the game away. LP3 is a taut, very old school masterclass in the painfully very now. Returning to the creative seam mined for their eponymous debut and comparatively boastfully-named Classics, this is back to basics time for the francophile yanks. And yet the results are perhaps further reaching. Using an arsenal of keyboards and recording equipment probably older than themselves, duo Mike Stroud and Evan Mist have somehow bottled the 21st century.

It’s no surprise to learn that Ratatat have served as warm-up act to Daft Punk, but in going forward, they have peered further back, taking note from Jean-Michel Jarre, even. Opener ‘Shiller’ exposes spooky electronic detachment, as if a GameBoy soundcard was the product of the European Renaissance. Delving further into time and space, recent single ‘Mirando’ is a colonial world trade fair synthesised and poured into your ear.

This is the stuff of fashion shows and mobile phone adverts – one of their previous efforts even featured on Soccer AM.  But don’t confuse catchy simplicity for vacuousness. This is the utopian future Casio keyboards promised us, but right now – we’re living it, people.

A shiny, gleaming, glorious Janus-like peek into both the past and future.

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