Ratatat duo flourish under the arches

This dynamic duo, formally known as Cherry, fired up at Heaven. A set mainly compromised of tracks from Ratatat’s newest album LP4, was complemented by trippy video projections spanning the rear of the stage, creating a pleasantly multi-sensorial experience. Jungle beats were harmonised with warped collages of sorts, featuring everything from animal portraits to volcanic eruptions.

The two New York based musicians took the stage to the obvious delight of a crowd made up of an array of young music junkies. One particularly enthusiastic fan caught himself shouting “I AM MUSIC!” in anticipation. The oddly indistinguishable, long haired and skinny jean clad duo delivered an energetic performance, alternating between electric guitars, a pair of drums and a synthesiser. The result was a unique sound ranging from hip hop in its purest form to indie electronic breaching the boundaries. Each track is a creative experiment, all of them as catchy as they are ambitious. Vocals are nearly absent from their songs, while down beat rhythms and organic textures are meshed to create a plethora of original material. Strong melodies and beautiful drops made it easy to fall into somewhat of a trance, fed by an impressive light show and a sweet sound system.

Ratatat flourished as a main act, having only indulged in their music in a more mellow light in the past, I was curious to experience the genius, instrumental sound live. Finding it impossible to keep still one’s body seemed to have a mind of its own; in sync with the rhythms streaming from the stage the crowd swayed to the beat. Arriving at the show with considerable hopes I left on a euphonic high.