If Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield and Richard D. James had a threesome, this would be their offspring.
Ratatat are a musical duo who came onto the scene in 2001. The duo are guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesiser driver Evan Mast. The two met at Skidmore College in New York and started working together under the name "Cherry" (also the name of a single from their debut album). They have, to date, released three studio albums - the self-titled Ratatat (2004), along with Classics (2006) and LP3 (2008) - and two remix albums with XL Recordings. In 2006, Ratatat became the first band to ever perform inside the Guggenheim Museum. In addition, their music has appeared in many commercials and TV shows (most notably "Wildcat" and "Lex"), and "Tropicana" has appeared in the movie Knocked Up (2007). The pair have toured with, and remixed music by, names such as Björk, The Knife, Daft Punk and Franz Ferdinand.
Their music can only be described as experimental, independent electronica. Otherwise their music tends to cross pretty much every genre ever invented: Loud Pipes has a hip-hop feel in its beat; Falcon Jab is more rock-based; Shiller and Bustelo cross into chillout/ambient territory, and Flynn reminds me, personally, of Massive Attack (specifically their single Karmacoma). The music is almost entirely instrumental except for occasional samplings at the beginning or end of some tracks.
I like it. It's indie electro rock with a twist and it works. In fact, "Bustelo" makes it onto my list of six best songs to wake up to. The two have provided entertainment that will not necessarily make it onto the charts, but will certainly please people who like x genre or y style. The songs themselves intrigue the listener from the first few notes, and don't disappoint at the end. Personally, I listen to these guys a lot during dog walks at night, and my God their music makes me feel good to be alive. YMMV.