Ratatat (Mike Stroud and Evan Mast) are pleased to announce the release of LP4 through XL Recordings on June 8, 2010. LP4 is the follow up to LP3 which was released to worldwide critical acclaim in July 2008.
The album, their fourth for XL, was conceived following the prolific LP3 recording sessions at Old Soul Studios, in rural upstate New York and much of the album was ultimately was recorded there as well. And while the albums were born in the same studio LP4 is by no means an extension of its predecessor. The band describe LP4 as a 'weirder' listen than LP3, with a much braver approach to the arrangements. Ratatat incorporated even more sounds and instruments into the mix on this album, working for the first time with a full string section, which they recorded at Glassworks Studios in Manhattan.
The album also features a number of spoken word interludes, one taken from Werner Herzog's 1977 film 'Stroszek' in which the lead character Bruno S describes the keyboards he owns. The other samples are all courtesy of Linda Manz, the child actress who achieved cult status on the back of her debut appearance in Terence Mallick’s 1978 classic ‘Days of Heaven’. She went on to star in ‘The Wanderers’ and ‘Out of the Blue’, before disappearing for many years to resurface briefly in Harmony Korine’s ‘Gummo’.
While trying to clear the spoken word sample from ‘Days of Heaven’, Evan unexpectedly ended up on the phone with Linda herself. The call resulted in a trip to Linda's house, where he recorded an interview with her, excerpts from which make up the remaining vocal snippets. Since the release of LP3 the band has toured relentlessly playing shows as far away as Vietnam, China and Cambodia, and selling out bigger venues than ever before. Ratatat's US touring ended with two sold out nights at New York's Terminal 5, playing to over 6,000 people.
The period in between albums also saw Ratatat’s sideline in hip-hop production develop from a hobby into mainstream commercial success, with two tracks featured on Kid Cudi's debut album. One of these tracks was the single 'Pursuit of Happiness', which the band performed live on Letterman with Cudi in September of 2009.
