LP3 Album
Ratatat supported Daft Punk last summer and have clearly paid attention to the masters of electro. Any perceptible influence is pronounced when opener Shiller suddenly springs to life with a hallmarked space age synthed melody. The New York based duo revel in paying tribute yet prefer outlaying their own subtler version.
Occasionally ears will prick to the beeps and succinct melodies but for the first three tracks of LP3 what comes across is a simple cry out for some substance, something to remember itself by. Whilst the likes of Justice and Daft Punk prove that instrumental, atmospheric music can be executed indelibly with enough hooks and dynamics to entice numerous listens, these first few tracks manage to merge into one long series of percussive beats, squeals and lingering notes. Instead of beats standing up for themselves, they blend meekly into the background and seem to specialise in the sort of soothing, entrancing background music that New Age shops and massage parlours employ. Somehow each track has been designated a profoundly baffling name, even the album title suffers from a lack of delivered importance.
Setting aside such laughably daft song titles, there are a number of select tracks that become conspicuous. Bird Priest has just enough interplay between childish keyboards, unabating basslines and audacious guitar delicately beavering away in the background. Shempi, a word that even Wikipedia cannot help to explain, becomes notable merely as it contains one of those ridiculously annoying to-ing and fro-ing melodies that will remain in your head until you force something as equally irksome in its place.
Mirando begins with those childish bleeps that should force many listeners from my generation to reminisces over Duck Hunt on their first Nintendo. Alas, the melody forgets itself and you begin to wonder if this would be distinguishable accompanied by lyrics. Hip hop pops its head up during Dura and the track could easily find itself at the hands of a club remix. From the club to the playground, Brulee proves that electro does not need to take itself uber-seriously to succeed; using a simple, weaving tune to catchy infantile effect. If Daft Punk were paid tribute to in Shiller then Justice are saluted during the unduly aggressive Mumtaz Khan. Ratatat have thankfully started to lose their inhibitions and even indulge in a 90 second soundtrack to a comical car chase in Gipsy Threat. All that is left is for Black Heroes to wave a sorry goodbye during the end credits.
Though LP3 seems to start slow it was only revving up. This album could so easily have been thrown into the wannabes genre but for its own sake diversifies from electro to hip hop to the downright childish. Now all it needs is an album title as memorable as for some of those songs. Falcon Jab anyone?