Ratking are a ferocious trio of beat-makers and rappers from New York that draw as much influence from punk as they do from hip-hop.
Their music jumps around with a boldness akin to Death Grips, but judging by tonight, their only concern is to be the best version of themselves.
Band leader, Wiki, is small in stature, but he moves erratically on Broadcast’s small stage and growls in a stereotypically thick New York accent, suggesting utter confidence and fearlessness.
From a couple of rows back he even bears a slight resemblance to Louis from Hector Bizerk and they both give similarly defiant performances.
Before Ratking, Hak (the group’s second MC) didn’t give music any of his attention, focusing only on visual art, however, an EP and two albums later, tonight’s audience get the pleasure of witnessing him provide a more serene opposition to Wiki’s aggressive onslaughts.
The duo duck and weave between each others words effortlessly and although at times the vocals swerve violently out of key (particularly when Wiki shouts into his microphone), the atmosphere in the basement gives the impression that nobody cares, least of all the performers.
Sporting Life, Ratking’s onstage producer, crouches over controllers at the back, enthusiastically beating drum pads, while sending out warped beats that grapple with the vocals, tugging this way and that.
Each member is so defined as an individual, yanking the music in a million different directions at once in such a manner that borders on muddled confusion.
Instead of pulling back from this, however, they link arms and plunge forth into madness.
Going fully head-on is obviously Ratking’s attitude to performing live and it certainly goes a long way in explaining how they’ve whipped up so much excitement during the four years of their existence.
Having worked with heavy hitters like King Krule and Earl Sweatshirt, the three artists that make up Ratking take Broadcast in their stride, but whenever their ballsy personas lower guard for a second, the one thing that peeks through is an innocent happiness that people from another continent have come to watch their band.
Words: Greg Murray
