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...according to our Brian on Thu 25 Nov, 2010.
Rhodri Viney is Ratatorsk. If this was a Scandinavian take on Ratatat i'd be straight round his house shaking my (not inconsiderable) fist at him and shouting "Oi! Viney! No!" Then he'd casually break my legs and toss me into an un hospitable valley to get eaten by wild dragons (most dragons in Wales are tame these days, didn't you know?) Enough affectionate Welsh-baiting, I'll have 'Our Ant' breathing fire down my neck if i'm not careful. As it happens, this is totally sweet. In places coming on like a more loved-up Matt Elliot armed (at one point) with a theremin (or a bowed saw?) instead of a bloodied & grizzled sword of tragic fury, he's also been listening to a spot of Medieval folk & the work of Yann Tiersen. But he's no copycat. This CD has a wholesome, homely charm all of its own. You can tell he's worked with the likes of Gorky's as I can hear flecks of their more wistful, downbeat output. Rhodri has a really calming, tender & gentle voice that fits really well with these sometimes twinklesome, often melancholy delights. This kind of self-produced treat always warms our cockles & we're actually quite chuffed to be hosting this one on our site! My top tip is Track 5 .....'Damnati & Bestias' is a true wonder....but it's all great. Limited hand-made package too. Master of origami this feller...Get in there kids.....
"A work in progress over about a year, this record deals with
shipwrecks, lost soldiers, loneliness and alienation in far off lands
during the early part of the 19th century.
Ratatosk is originally a mischievous squirrel from Norse mythology, but in this context is some guy called Rhodri Viney.
He has previously performed and released music under the names Teflon Monkey and Broken Leaf, along with being a major player in bands such as Right Hand Left Hand and Vito. He has also played live and on record with Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Sophia, Daniel Johnston, H, Hawkline, Brave Captain and others far too numerous to mention.
The music of Ratatosk can be summed up in two words – miserablism and minimalism. If the initial motif is sufficiently sad and melancholy to bring a tear to the eye, then it’s explored and expanded upon with an almost zen-like repetition, using layered guitars, vocals, keyboards, melodica, musical saw, zither and pedal steel."
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