Ratarue

Ratarue drops a track for the Lo-Fi and underground Hip-Hop enthusiasts

Active since ’93, Ratarue never stopped challenging himself. ‘Steam’ is his latest release, one that showcases the artist’s expressionism

No stranger to the stage or music production, Austin’s Ratarue has continually developed his sound. From experimenting to production techniques to touring around several states, ‘Steam’ is the latest addition to his catalogue.

A collaborative effort, ‘Stream’ features graffiti writer Sloke One, as well as actress and singer-songwriter ‘Sharky’. Blending Jazz and Hip-Hop, Ratarue hopes to strike a nerve with both dedicated and mainstream listeners, without sacrificing his intentions.

Curated with thorough attention to detail and purposeful lyricism, ‘Steam’ hopes to reach across genre and listeners to find connection.

The track is ominous, layered with beats and instrumental samples that wrap around each other.

Ratarue’s flow feels more like slam poetry, spoken-word commentary in his low timbre, with a few interesting melodic choices and unexpected rhyming sequences.

‘Steam’ is an easy listen, relaxing and old-school in its vocal production.

There’s a lot to listen to in the lyricism, but even surface listeners will ease into the cadence of Ratarue.

The last 30 seconds of the track are laced with a sample, and the sound of graffiti cans being sprayed. The chorus of ‘Steam’ recalls early 90s rap-rock, a nice fusion of genre that repeats but only twice.

Ratarue has a unique presence, his tone recognisable and memorable and the subtle theatricality of his production adds a fresh layer to his words.

The rapper has a knack for fitting a verbose phrase against another, without things feeling too ambitious or solipsistic.

‘Steam’ improves with each listen, a new phrase that
suddenly becomes clearer or a sequence that showcases the producer’s word play.

The production itself is sparse and unconfined, swelling strings and uneasy piano over a repetitive hats focused groove.

The simplicity and repetitious nature works in Ratarue’s favour, keeping the focus on his narrative while assisting in painting the darkest colours of the picture.

‘Steam’ is a track that deserves a listen, and maybe even a few more after that. - Happy Mag T.V.

Star Wars, 16mm film, and the single ‘Steam’ are just a few topics covered in our insightful conversation with Ratarue

Having been active since 1993, it should come as little surprise that Ratarue’s single ‘Steam’ is as exceptional as it is.

The Austin musician has refined his artistry to the point of perfection, with the track traversing genres through instrumental samples and multi-layered beats.

With his spoken-word flows and the assist of collaborators Sloke One and Sharky, ‘Steam’ stands as the epitome of Ratarue’s singular talent, and we simply can’t get enough.

Below, we caught up with Ratarue for a wide-ranging chat about the single, performing on the festival circuit, and being the child of fellow virtuosos. Catch the full interview below, and scroll down to listen to Ratarue’s stellar single ‘Steam’.

RATARUE: I just heard back from the Brooklyn Wildlife Festival. I am excited about the prospect of playing in New York, for such a cool festival.

Being a person who is from Austin, TX that makes Hip Hop and to be able to perform in the Mecca of Hip Hop is not only humbling but exciting.

I have a couple of video projects in pre production and need to book some studio time for an upcoming single. I just got the final beat, from the homie Height and Keech.

I am excited about that project. The studio time will be for a collaboration with Ben Buck. He has been really holding it down, for Austin, TX Hip Hop. I am super stoked for the nod, to be able to collaborate.

HAPPY: What initially drew you to the world of music?

RATARUE: My Mom has a beautiful singing voice and my Dad was a drummer. I jammed out on his drums or when my younger brother played on the drums, I would sing along. Later, I took violin and viola lessons at Montessori School.

I was always into writing and art. I have two cousins that are famous and touring musicians. Darryl Woolfolk is currently drumming for Gladys Knight and my cousin Andrew Woolfok was a saxophonist for Earth Wind and Fire and toured with Phil Collins.

HAPPY: What inspired you to create the song “Steam?”

RATARUE: I feel like I really hit a stride with my song Spent Blooms. I wanted to expand and take the production further. 2” Tape was used in the production of Spent Blooms.

They are very large and heavy tapes that sound amazing and were the industry standard, before Pro Tools. People still use 2” inch Tape today but it is not as accessible as digital means of song creation.

With Steam I took each track and ran it through 4 track cassette tape, overdubbing each track until I got the fidelity I was looking for, coloring the digital tracks and giving them this really nice saturation that emulated the sound of recordings I did when I made songs in my bedroom, as a kid.

I then dumped all the tracks back into Pro Tools before hitting a professional studio. Nick Joswick at 5th Street Studios is great, as well as Evan Kleinecke of Seize the Means productions, and Randy Avenell of the Brain Machine Studios.

Nick really let me get into my mad scientist bag, for Steam. I like to have different ears on my projects. If not, things can get a little off the rails, real fast. No pun intended.

HAPPY: Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach writing a new song?

RATARUE: I am blessed to have an MPC 3000 and MPC 2000 classic. I usually start with the drums. I don’t quantize my tracks, by design. I ended up sampling my Boss DR 660, into my MPC 2000, for Steam.

I then dubbed the drums, tracked out, into Ableton Suite. I want it to sound very organic, that is why I don’t quantize. Later, I create ideas/rhythmic palates. I want my bass lines to sound as ill as possible.

Drums and bass are very important, especially in Hip Hop, even if the goal is to be experimental. I want the instrumentation to be glued to the rhythmical ideas.

I also want the instrumentation, although wonky, to be playable by actual musicians. My lyrics paint a picture, as well as the beats but I do want people to be able to vibe out to it.

The advantage of producing in Ableton Suite is that I can get a bit crazy with it. The hardest part is going into the Pro Tools session and making sure everything lines up as the original digital recording.

Things change when you go into the world of tape. You get analog feedback and other cool artefacts but you have to make sure it still lines up. The process takes a while. Tamed chaos.

Going in and fine tuning each wave in Pro Tools to match the digital tracks. It was surgical but a lot of fun. I lucky have a home studio pre production studio.

To have done this in a real studio would have taken forever and would have been insanely expensive. I would say this one song took months to make, not including the writing of the lyrics.


HAPPY: Who or what are your biggest musical influences?

RATARUE: Thelonious Monk, Gil Scott Heron, J Dilla, Del the Funky Homosapien, Bjork, DJ Cornel West, to name a few.

HAPPY: What messages or emotions do you aim to convey through your music?

RATARUE: Authenticity, Experimentation, and Love for the craft.



HAPPY: Are there any misconceptions about the music industry or musicians that you’d like to address?

RATARUE: There is a lot of smoke and mirrors. My top priority is Peace.

HAPPY: What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the music community?

RATARUE: There is a lot of sacrifice, tussle and toil, smiles and tears that are undergone to bring the masses art. I am stoked to bring y’all good art.

HAPPY: You’ve been active since 1993. How has your sound and artistic expression evolved throughout your career?

RATARUE: The music I release is no longer sampled based. I am learning the art of composition. Expanding in my understanding of music theory. As far as the lyrics, I am trying to get better, while focusing on consistency.


HAPPY: What are you currently working on, and what can fans expect from your future releases?

RATARUE: I just released this really cool song, called Floating, with Glossolalia Online. It is a group of very talented Austin, TX Jazz Musicians. I. really dig it, when I get to work with them. Very nice people.

I hope to collaborate again, with my homie Stef “Sharky”. Schultz, she is the one who appears on Steam as the singer on the hook. I want to shoot more music videos and do more projects on 16mm Film.

Undergoing Music Video production but using Film is difficult but really beautiful, as a result. I really want to do a project with Andi Avery and Kate E Hinshaw of Analog Cookbook, again.

They produced my video Time Heals a Broken Heart. I want the experience of working on more 16mm film projects, with them, as much as possible, to bring more of my Music Productions to life. They are amazing.

I am also in the process of updating my website. I am blessed to be able to work with Michael Scheel of Glory Gold and Glitter, he has done a lot of great art, for me. He mainly works with Exploded Drawing.

He is amazing, very professional. Also, a project with Height and Keech, Acclimated Assassin, and Ardamus are on the way. That is just to name a few.


HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?

RATARUE: Travel. I really like Hawaii. I took my laptop and just made beats while the ocean was crashing in the background, outside of this small condo. The thought of seeing the world. Relaxing.

Playing cool shows and making friends with chill and cool people. Having a dope girl by my side. Setting and accomplishing goals. Making Music. Playing Soccer with my homies. Finishing a good book. Making abstract art.

Dark Comedy, I am really digging Jordan Jensen. Fresh Media. Star Wars. 16mm Film, going to Austin, FC games or watching the U.S. Men’s National Team. I am stoked that we got a squad. The opportunity to do this interview is really awesome.

This is fresh. I am an indie artist. Love goes a long way. I dedicate a lot of time to my art, so when people support, it means a lot to me. Please, support.

Please, go to my website and buy a Vinyl or Cassette Tape or t-shirt. I have new merchandise already produced and will be available soon. People can DM me, for details, or buy at www.ratarue.com. I am a chill dude.

Thank you, it was nice meeting y’all. I appreciate the opportunity. Peace.

HAPPY: Who or what are your biggest musical influences?

RATARUE: Thelonious Monk, Gil Scott Heron, J Dilla, Del the Funky Homosapien, Bjork, DJ Cornel West, to name a few.

HAPPY: What messages or emotions do you aim to convey through your music?

RATARUE: Authenticity, Experimentation, and Love for the craft.

HAPPY: Who or what are your biggest musical influences?

RATARUE: Thelonious Monk, Gil Scott Heron, J Dilla, Del the Funky Homosapien, Bjork, DJ Cornel West, to name a few.

HAPPY: What messages or emotions do you aim to convey through your music?

RATARUE: Authenticity, Experimentation, and Love for the craft. - Happy Mag T.V>

“Does life imitate art / or art imitate life / why are we like this / caught up in this strife.”
- “Voyeuristic”

Ratarue
Odd Augmentation, Inc.

This freshman effort from seasoned emcee Ratarue (former member of Austin’s Spin Alley) is a solid throwback hip-hop effort. I say throwback because his sound doesn’t subscribe to the current trend in the rap/hip hop scene. He doesn’t swear every three words. He doesn’t form tracks around objectifying women or spit meaningless self-masturbatory lyrics. It’s not mindless repetition backed by a heavy bassline. More A Tribe Called Quest and less Lil Wayne. More Del The Funky Homosapien and less Soulja Boy.

The 18 song album (15 + 3 bonus tracks) is chock full of great tracks. He tips his hat to Jimi Hedrix in “Jimi’s Warning,” talks about lost love in “Time Heals A Broken Heart,” and calls out someone with a girl who has “stink breath like Frodo Baggins” in the battle-rap “Opiates and Flatbeds.”

Yes, there are songs about making money (“Maintain Scrilla”), sex (“Mad Eps”), and fame (“Radio”) but they are done with complex lyrics layered with some impressive scratches, mostly by Austin’s DJ Trouble. Ratarue seems set on elevating hip-hop and Odd Augmentation, Inc is his calling card.

“800 Pound Gorilla” is a standout. It’s got a really nice acoustic guitar loop overlaid by drums and scratches. But, the lyrics are the most impressive. “Invigorating, elaborate, conscious is my approach / To put him in denial is to get your body broke.”

I also really dug “One Bite At A Time,” a track about making it in life. “The ego is an ugly troll that lives under a bridge between your heart and your mind. A rabbit’s foot is a sad substitute for horse’s sense. How to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Odd Augmentation, Inc. was released on January 23 at an INsite Night in Austin. It can be found at Waterloo Records. If you’re a fan of hip-hop with meaning, you should pick this one up. For more information about Ratarue, visit his MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/ratarue), follow him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ratarue) or subscribe to his blog (http://ratarue.blogspot.com).

Interesting trivia bit - Ratarue’s real name is Corey Powell. The moniker is a something his younger brother made up to use as a battle cry while they were growing up.


http://seanclaesdotcom.blogspot.com/2010/01/week-21-ratarue-odd-augmentation-inc.html - Sean Claes for Insite Magazine

I’m a selective hip hop listener. Nothing against the style, but let’s be honest – most of the rap you get exposed to sounds like it was written by a fifth grade dropout.

The show I saw yesterday was different. There were a few groups playing and I didn’t get to catch all of them, but out of the sets I caught Ratarue stood out. His music reminds me a little of the Wu-Tang Clan (and that could be because I don’t know much hip hop, but no matter). Intelligent, topical, and void of the narcissism many emcees rely on. One song seems to be a tongue in cheek dig at typical hip hop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxlBoIhPT_k

And that was a video he did himself right here in Austin.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a completely disinterested party. Ratarue’s girlfriend is a co-worker and friend. Despite that I listened with a neutral ear and still found it compelling. His Myspace page has some more great songs:

Ratarue’s Myspace Page

I think my favorite so far is “Voyeuristic”. My truck doesn’t have a “kill your tv” bumper sticker, but the lyrics still resonate with me.

So check him out next time there’s a show. I went this time for a friend. Next time it will be for the music.

Update: I got a copy of Ratarue’s CD “Odd Augmentation, Inc.” today. 5 years in the making, but obviously worth it. When was the last time you really listened to an album? I don’t mean just let the music wash over you, I mean you listened because it really grabbed you? This album did that to me. It also gave me a new favorite track, “800 Pound Gurrilla”. I kept going back to that song over and over. There is a haunting acoustic riff that plays throughout and stays in your head long after the speakers have gone quiet.

Right now the album can be found at Waterloo Records here in Austin and will be hitting the online market soon. You should go buy a copy. In the meantime you can read more at Ratarue’s Blog.

http://texasguitar.wordpress.com/ - Logan Kubiakl

Your A-List: Best Rapper By Matthew Odam | Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 12:11 PM Austin may not get the national love that Houston gets when it comes to rap, but we’ve got our fair share of rap artists of all stripes that hold it down and represent the River City. The winner of this year’s poll took home 64 percent of the vote while knocking off some of the bigger and more established names in the game. Hip-hop act Ratarue lists 90s conscience hip-hop icons Tribe Called Quest, Del The Funky Homosapien and De La Soul as influences. But the baritone lyricist is also not shy in giving nods to rock n’ roll, which explains his role as one of the vocalists in hip-pop-punk band Spin Alley, which won last week’s Your A-List poll for Best Local Punk Band. According to his MySpace page, “Ratarue’s debut, full length, 18-song album entitled ‘Odd Augmentation Inc.’ will be coming out in the Fall of 2009.” From that album comes this Austin-centric video for the song “Maintain Scrilla.”
- Matthew Odam for Austin360.com

I’m a selective hip hop listener. Nothing against the style, but let’s be honest – most of the rap you get exposed to sounds like it was written by a fifth grade dropout.

The show I saw yesterday was different. There were a few groups playing and I didn’t get to catch all of them, but out of the sets I caught Ratarue stood out. His music reminds me a little of the Wu-Tang Clan (and that could be because I don’t know much hip hop, but no matter). Intelligent, topical, and void of the narcissism many emcees rely on. One song seems to be a tongue in cheek dig at typical hip hop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxlBoIhPT_k

And that was a video he did himself right here in Austin.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a completely disinterested party. Ratarue’s girlfriend is a co-worker and friend. Despite that I listened with a neutral ear and still found it compelling. His Myspace page has some more great songs:

Ratarue’s Myspace Page

I think my favorite so far is “Voyeuristic”. My truck doesn’t have a “kill your tv” bumper sticker, but the lyrics still resonate with me.

So check him out next time there’s a show. I went this time for a friend. Next time it will be for the music.

Update: I got a copy of Ratarue’s CD “Odd Augmentation, Inc.” today. 5 years in the making, but obviously worth it. When was the last time you really listened to an album? I don’t mean just let the music wash over you, I mean you listened because it really grabbed you? This album did that to me. It also gave me a new favorite track, “800 Pound Gurrilla”. I kept going back to that song over and over. There is a haunting acoustic riff that plays throughout and stays in your head long after the speakers have gone quiet.

Right now the album can be found at Waterloo Records here in Austin and will be hitting the online market soon. You should go buy a copy. In the meantime you can read more at Ratarue’s Blog.

http://texasguitar.wordpress.com/ - Logan Kubiakl

From the digital desk of RATARUE :

‘This is an album almost 3 years in the making. I wanted a signature sound. I feel that I have accomplished this goal. This album contains no samples, although I love sample based Hip Hop. When younger, I went to private school and was adamant about taking Violin and later the Viola lessons. I loved the tone of the Viola. The process of this album involved me digging for Music Theory books, much like I did vinyl records, looking to find what I thought the greats might have studied, for example Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, John Coltrane. My Hip Hop formative years were the 90’s and in that era it was the goal to push oneself and the envelope of the art form, in order to bring something to the table, culturally. In keeping with that tradition of pushing the boundaries and one’s self, I made some discoveries. With research and diligence, plus having made music with some amazing creatives in the “Live Music Capital of the World”, as well as patience, I feel that I have been enabled to think outside the box and create music that is eclectic as my upbringing in Austin, TX and my personality.

This album is an introduction into my new production style but encapsulates rhymes of the past. It is exactly ten years since my first studio project. This is not an anniversary album, by any means. I have made strides lyrically and will be combining the Musicality shown on this project along with my new rhyme style and approach on a full length album, now in early production.

Legend of the Gatling Tongue is also my first independent vinyl release!

I am older now. I am now dealing with thoughts on mortality. For what it is worth and for someone who feels that Hip Hop is not only a Musical art form but a culture, I worked hard on this album, knowing it is part of my life legacy.’ - Chief and the Doomsday Device

One of the beautiful aspects of hip-hop music is the way that heavy rhythms and poetic ruminations can be juxtaposed to not only bolster a narrative, but create an entire mood that is felt in the process of comprehending the message of a song. For this instance, the example being examined is Spent Blooms, the latest single from Austin-based MC and producer Ratarue. Over a very layered and uniquely complex instrumental, Ratarue takes a deeply extended metaphoric dive into the realms of tending to your personal symbolic garden, giving growing things and opportunity to bloom and the importance of removing what is dead to allow what is living to thrive. I know this track is one that Ratarue is very happy with and confident about, and it shows in both the production value and the performance captured. If you’ve got a few bucks to spare, consider using it to support Ratarue.

-chief - Chief and the Doomsday Device