Indietronica duo Ratatat headlines tonight at Oxfam Caf?© in a free show at 8:30 p.m, thanks to the Tufts student-run organization AppleJam. Who are these Rata-mu-thingies? Why Oxfam? Please read on.
The first band to play at New York's Guggenheim Museum, Ratatat is an instrumental duo comprised of synth-man and producer Evan Mast and guitarist Mike Stroud. When they weave their simple but oh-so-catchy micro-melodies together with delectable hip-hop beats, the result is a nicely processed pop pastry. But unlike toaster strudels, Ratatat's offering has a minimal, restrained approach that won't leave you bursting at the waist line.
They walk the line of having music that is light and easy to absorb without falling into generic pop clich?©s, getting vintage, even folksy sounds out of synth leads that would otherwise be found in European shopping-center music.
Besides the band's electronica offerings found on their newest album "Classics," Ratatat has gained notoriety for their eclectic remixing of some of hip-hop's monuments in pop. The self-released "Ratatat Mixtape Vol. 1" artfully rehashes the likes of Missy Elliott and Jay-Z. It turns the platinum backbeat knob way back to pleasantly geeky lo-fi.
Ratatat's ease at backing up hip-hop acts makes for some unstoppable onstage collaboration with tour partner Despot, who promises to crank up the show's energy level several intense notches. Since Ratatat's studio recordings, with the exception of tracks like "Seventeen Years," have been closer to the laid-back side, an injection of live energy into Ratatat's mixes will also be greatly anticipated.
Procuring an act like Ratatat is certainly an achievement on the part of AppleJam, and it definitely should not go unappreciated. "Ratatat is possibly the highest-profile act that AppleJam has had so far, and we were hoping that the show will raise awareness of AppleJam among other artists in the music scene, in order to get us more recognition," AppleJam member Pete Millar, a freshman, said in an e-mail to the Daily. If this holds to be true and AppleJam is able to rope in high-caliber bands for later events, it's good news for music enthusiasts at Tufts.
However, the main concern for this upcoming show is that the limited space in Oxfam Caf?© will be less than adequate for such an ambitious feature. Ratatat is well known and sure to draw in a large crowd, but how may students can fit into Oxfam at once? The ironic downside to the band's popularity is that it will make an extremely tight squeeze for the concert-goers in such a small space. Admittedly, hip-hop and electronica acts are much better appreciated close-up and sweaty, but Oxfam is sure to take the notion of this up-close-and-personal experience to an extreme.
The unfortunate venue choice is the unlucky result of the current renovation of Hotung Caf?© and the financial limitations of providing a sound system and stage for a larger space such as Dewick. "[AppleJam] also looked into other venue possibilities, like the Sophia Gordon multi-purpose room, but they only permit events that are quieter and earlier in the day," Millar said. Despite the space limitations, the bands will surely bust out in one of the biggest shows of the year. Hopefully, through the continued hard work of AppleJam, we will see more underground stars playing at Tufts in the future.
