Ratatat (pronounced RAT-ə-tat) is a Brooklyn-based rocktronica duo consisting of Mike Stroud (guitar, melodica, synthesizers, percussion) and producer Evan Mast (bass, synthesizers, percussion).
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Evan Mast and Mike Stroud first met as students at Skidmore College. When they started working together in 2001, recording several songs under the name “Cherry”, Stroud had previously toured with Dashboard Confessional in 2000.
In 2003, the group debuted by releasing the single “Seventeen Years” on Mast’s and his brother Eric’s (E*Rock) record label Audio Dregs in the US and Rex Records in the UK.
In the following year, Ratatat supported the band Interpol on their tour. Mike Stroud stepped down as touring member of Ben Kweller’s band after two years of touring and after appearing on the 2004 album, On My Way. Having signed for XL Recordings, Ratatat released their self-titled debut album, Ratatat and the single “Germany to Germany”. The album was written and recorded in Mast’s Crown Heights, Brooklyn apartment on his laptop. It is entirely instrumental with the exception of vocal excerpts at the beginning and end of select tracks.
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Also in 2004, Ratatat released Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1 in co-operation with Audio Dregs, a compilation of remixed tracks by other artists, thereby garnering the attention of Rolling Stone.