Okay, we get it, Ratatat: You're way experimental. The New York-based duo has toured with even - cooler - than - they - are bands like Daft Punk, Interpol, CSS, and Mogwai, and their synth-heavy, guitar-laden beats sound a lot like an updated version of a '60s psych band.
We thought they couldn't top themselves after contributing two songs to Kid Cudi's latest album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. (They even collaborated with MGMT in one of those very songs, "Pursuit of Happiness.") Ratatat has also remixed songs from Björk, Biz Markie, the Knife, and the Shout Out Louds.... Are you getting their cool factor yet?
Well, they've one-upped themselves with the new video for the single "Drugs," off of their fourth studio album, LP4. A purely instrumental track with staying power, we
definitely hear hints of our favorite robots in there, but what's even
weirder: They make smiling scary.
Now we're not sure if this is just a result of our perverse minds at
work, or if all of this is really happening, but within the first
minute, we feel like we're peeping Toms in the soap opera lives of the
35-and-over set. We catch what looks like the beginning of a three-way, a guy
with his folks, and a mysterious blond is introduced who -- climax! --
must have some sort of pivotal role in it all, as a pixie-haired lady
appears right after with a shocked look on her face. Oh yeah, and
there's what looks like arguing, too, and a sudden insert of a bodybuilder that looks like the Old Spice Guy.
All these smiles and silent screams really creep us out, we're not gonna
lie. But we're also intrigued. Are all of these folks in on some
mysterious secret? Are they getting run out of town? If that gray back
screen could talk, we'd be really happy, 'cause no one else in the video
is doing it. Or wait... are they trying to show us what they think
happens to people when they're on drugs?
