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By now you’ve probably heard of Ratatat, either by word of mouth, from hearing their genre bending self-titled debut, or through Rolling Stone’s crowning of “Hot Remixers” for 2004 for their album Remixes: Mixtape Vol 1. Either way though, it’s going to be hard to avoid Mike Stroud (guitar) and Evan Mast’s (bass) electro-funk soundscapes and crowd pleasing remixes for much longer.

Both albums are released on independent British label XL, but where Remixes: Mixtape Vol. 1 embraces one genre in its entirety, Ratatat blurs the boundaries between them. A classically orchestrated melting pot of electronic, rock, and hip-hop, Ratatat creates an aural landscape that moves with the curiosity of a Sofia Coppola soundtrack, a more compelling, funky version of Air or Lemon Jelly, not afraid to increase the guitars and bass, while still maintaining a cosmic quality.

Recorded over the past two-years, Ratatat ultimately came to fruition after XL approached Stroud and Mast after hearing only a few demo cuts. At the time, Stroud had been touring with Dashboard Confessional and Ben Kweller, adding an extra guitar in both of their live bands, but the opportunity to try something new ultimately proved too enticing.

“We fully decided (to write and record together) once XL signed us,” Stroud explains before a late summer gig in Glasgow, Scotland, during the duo’s first UK tour. “We didn’t really have a full album, so we decided to make one.”

But Stroud and Mast’s history predates the collaboration, going back to college, where the two first met at Skidmore College in the late 90’s. After college, the two moved to New York City separately to pursue individual musical ventures, when Mast invited Stroud to lay some tracks in his home studio.

“Originally we started doing it for fun,” Mast says, “and after awhile we got more and more into it, and soon started recording songs together.”

After the initial recording sessions, the two looked to began playing their music live around New York City, a tricky proposition given the duos intricate and textured compositions.

“We wanted a live band experience, even though we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Mast says. “We wanted something different when we play live. The music has a very electronic quality, but we wanted it to be live instrumentation.”

Although sections of Ratatat feature up to ten guitar tracks, the duo is able to play live utilizing backing tracks, along with Mast’s bass and Stroud’s guitar, with a result that’s a careful balance between prerecorded and live music.

“If we could afford bringing more people on tour, we would,” Mast says, half-joking, acknowledging that bringing more people into the fold would detract from the duo’s uniqueness.

As for Stroud and Mast’s alter egos as “Hot” remixers, the two acknowledge that there are two personas to Ratatat, although they are careful not to prioritize one higher than the other.

“Especially with Remixes,” Stroud says, “we approach it a bit differently than our other music. It’s something we originally did for fun, that’s now part of what we are.

“And it’s surprising that we received attention for our work as remixers,” he continues, referring to the blurb in Rolling Stone’s Hot Issue. “We didn’t expect that at all.”

But for the time being the two are more than happy to continue on their way. October has the two back on the road throughout the states with Mouse on Mars, and looking to begin recording the follow up to their debut. And if the opportunity to produce a track for some A-List artists presents itself, Stroud and Mast are all ears.

Live photo by Ebru Yildiz