Featuring multi-instrumentalist/programmer Evan Mast and guitarist Mike Stroud, Ratatat came together whilst the pair were committed to other projects, with Mast involved with his E*Rock act and Stroud playing session guitar for Bob Kweller and Dashboard Confessional. Still under their original moniker of Cherry, the duo played their first gig in 2003, soon changing their name to Ratatat. They issued their first single, "Seventeen Years," that same year, released on Mast's indie label, Audio Dregs.

Growing in success, Ratatat supported the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Interpol and Battles on a number of tour dates, before catching the attention of XL Records. Their self-titled debut album arrived shortly after, an entirely instrumental record, before then performing with post-rock experimentalists, !!! and Tortoise. In 2006, "Classics" their second effort, hit the shelves, sandwiched between two self-released remix albums from the duo.

For their third release, Ratatat changed their sound, favoring live percussion and keyboards over their electronic beats and scuzzy guitars, helping to refresh the band's energy. "LP3" arrived in 2008, followed by the second installment, "LP4" in 2010. Live performances followed, whilst a number of Ratatat singles were featured on various commercials. Their single, "Loud Pipes," originally released in 2007, found Ratatat a hit in Austria, after it featured in an advertisement for the network provider, A1. Five years since their fourth album, anticipation for new material gathered, as the band promised a new album in 2015.