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Ratatat

Ratatat

Date: Jul 20 2009

Themes: Alternative, Tech

Grammar: Adverbs

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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These days, unless you’re listening to the classical station, you aren’t likely to hear a lot of music without words on the radio. Nonetheless, the duo Ratatat creates rich, complex songs that manage to express a lot of meaning and emotion even though they don’t have any lyrics.

The band is made up of just two guys, one who plays guitar and one who plays a synthesizer. But fans of the band have called its music “orchestral” because it sounds like there could be a whole orchestra of instruments contributing to their songs.

Listen to Mason get creative to describe the band’s music to Ella.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Ella

Ella

Mason

Mason

Ella:  Oh man, Ratatat was just in town. I’m a pretty big fan. They’re great workout music, you know? They pump you up.

Mason:  They’re great kick-ass music in general.

Ella:  Totally.

Mason:  It’s just this duo, but they produce so much sound. This electronic, really orchestral sort of thing.

Ella:  Yeah, well the production on it is just classic. I mean, you can listen to it at any time you want. You don’t have to memorize words, you just kind of go to the beat.

Mason:  It’s funny though, I got their new album, LP3, and it’s really more avant-garde and spacey, it doesn’t have that kind of driving, bombastic feel.

Ella:  Not as much bass as it usually does…

Mason:  Seriously. ‘Cause like, I remember when I heard their first album and I was like, “If the French Revolution had a soundtrack from the Nintendo, this is what it would sound like.”

Ella:  That first album is amazing. It just blows your mind, like, I didn’t know you could produce that kind of music, or the kind of sounds that come in…That’s sad about the third album. I don’t know, should I check it out?

Mason:  It’s worth seeing if you’re really a fan of the band, right? Because it shows that they’re trying to experiment and spread their wings a bit and like go beyond their comfort zone, which you gotta respect.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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The electronic music duo Ratatat recently came out with a new album. Both Mason and Ella are big fans of the band. Ella especially likes listening to Ratatat when she’s working out because the music really pumps her up. Mason agrees that the music is usually very exciting to listen to, even though the songs don’t have any words.

But Mason thinks that Ratatat’s latest album is a bit quieter than the band’s older work. He doesn’t find LP3 quite as exciting as the previous albums, but he still thinks that fans of the band would enjoy the new album.

Do you think music without words can be interesting and exciting to listen to? Do you like listening to music when you work out?

 

Comments

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Olivine

Olivine

Indonesia

I found out that lyrical songs distracted my concentration while at work.


I ever went to the live music, they played the synthesizer music, not by Ratatat but by duo women from Holland, At first it sounded nice, short of unique but in the end i felt very sleepy.


I liked listening to beat musics in the past when i was at the gym. It made me forgot about the minutes i had spent working out.

01:00 AM Apr 08 2013 |

cococheng

Taiwan

This is the very first time I heard about Ratatat.  I'm now listening to their music Gettysberg which does pump me up and somehow I feel peaceful in a way.  Thanks E-baby for not just helping me learning English, but also spreading my wings in other areas.

07:28 AM Dec 25 2010 |

kpl

kpl

Taiwan

OH,Nintendo it  really make me spacy  and pump me up video game. Hoping they would keep speading their wings. make more blow people's mind games .

04:39 AM Apr 17 2010 |

303Kevin

303Kevin

China

it is very fruitful to have  lessons like this…,besides english ..another new music for me..thanks

01:23 PM Oct 23 2009 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

sid

01:32 AM Jul 26 2009 |

sheidyjoon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i think its a rock band

06:36 PM Jul 24 2009 |

ChackWang

ChackWang

China

well Ratatat  is a type of sound

04:35 AM Jul 24 2009 |

The_ER

The_ER

Turkey

I think ; Ratatas is meaning a type of mouse

02:26 PM Jul 23 2009 |

mukashi

mukashi

Myanmar

Ratatat,,,, What is the meaning ?

12:38 PM Jul 22 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

I prefer music with words, I'm not good at  judging pure music, lol~

 

Yes, I must listen to music when working out, or it'll be too boring.

 

I'm not crazy about electric music, most of them are too noisy, but the LP3 seems to be quite, so I will try.

08:51 AM Jul 22 2009 |

boddi

China

I love the electronic music even thougt I never listened the  Ratatat's music. These guy are intelligent and their music are kick-ass .

12:24 AM Jul 22 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

i havent heard Ratatat.

talking abt synthesizer sounds , u can listen Aural Planet , they are a duo with 1 computer and 1 synthesizer. in their songs they mix sounds spacey.

i like.

04:26 PM Jul 21 2009 |

sugar2

sugar2

China

I know about ratatat a little…........

11:28 AM Jul 21 2009 |

white_angel

Egypt

I actually don't find music with no words interesting at all , i love lyrics , it's what the songs are all about ;)

and i agree , listening 2 music while working out helps pumping me up =)

01:42 AM Jul 21 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

First,I'm moved by music! I don't imagne me without music! at home…browsing the internet…In my car…Running in the city park…walking on street with headphones…and mainly working out,it is amazing! it really pumps me up ;)

12:45 AM Jul 21 2009 |

tiagon85

Brazil

Working out with music is the best way to do it, I mean.. Exciting songs can help you to be stronger and I always listen to music in the gym.

12:39 AM Jul 21 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

For instance,I love to listen to music when I go to run in the city park,I’m moved to music! It pumps me up ;)

12:35 AM Jul 21 2009 |

Ca_Brazil

Ca_Brazil

Brazil

I think some musics without words can be interesting to listen to, i like to listen to them while i am working on something or just chilling out and also for a date, sounds romantic. 

11:30 PM Jul 20 2009 |

1 person likes this

meteorareanimation

Egypt

I never really heard Ratatat before today. After the lesson I went and checked them out and they absolutely ROCK ;)

10:33 PM Jul 20 2009 |

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