Ratkiller – Comfortably Declined
2.10.15 by Mike Haley

I don’t know much about Estonia, other than it’s where Skype was created and it’s rather small population. One of it’s 1,315,819 residents is Mihkel Kleis, who can be found sailing from cluster to cluster of plasmic soundholes as Ratkiller. Kleis has a sprinkling of cassette releases, including a handful on the most excellent Rotifer, but “Comfortably Declined” is the first effort I have had the pleasure of hearing. Many high fives to Baba Vanga for pushing it out of their birth canal.

Ratkiller gets the ball rolling with a muggy confab of Casio’d squirts. Simple keyboard drum patterns and miscellaneous notes that are less ‘dance party’ and more ‘eating-a-spaghetti-sandwich’ vibed. A motif that quickly changes as the spools spin. Zappy synth filters and bouncing about the house beats are introduced, along with a sort of mutated Shaft soundtrack philosophy. Is this cat Ratkiller a bad mother? Shut your mouth and you’ll find out. Copious zones are explored on this overflowing cassette, from polished 80’s prom pop to exploratory sampled hip hop, sometimes in the same track. And always wonderful.

Fantastic artwork brings the whole thing together. Sit back, grab a spaghetti sandwich, and funnel Ratkiller into your ears. Purchase a copy here before you are unable to do so.