Between the news of a new project from Ratatat’s Mike Stroud last month, the simultaneous optimism of the vax rollout, and the summer temperatures that have arrived since, now seems like the perfect time for the other half of Ratatat to bring new music to light. Evan Mast is announcing his latest undertaking as E.VAX today with the August 27 release of E.VAX being preceded by the expectedly chill early single “Karst.” The vignette-like three-and-a-half minute piece sets the tone for the rest of the album with a minimal hip-hop beat and light funk guitar. Following in the footsteps of the single “Rabinda,” also released last month, it also demonstrates the broad sonic scope of the collection.
“One of my favorite moments over the past few years was riding on a scooter with my brother through a landscape of karst mountains in southern China,” he shares of the new single while shedding light on his process of finding inspiration for the record. “I wanted this track to sound the way that felt. I started recording it in Brooklyn during the most intense part of lockdown last spring, and finished it a few months later in a barn at a friend’s place in Montana.”
Watch a scenic video for the track below.
