Ratgrave

Ratgrave is a collaborative project between Berlin-based producers Max Graef and Julius Conrad, representing a pivotal bridge between the city's house/techno heritage and a more experimental, funk-driven instrumentalism. Emerging from the tight-knit scene surrounding Graef's Oye Records and the Money $ex Records label, the duo specializes in a sound often described as 'slacker funk' or 'wonky.'

Their aesthetic is defined by a heavy reliance on analog hardware, particularly vintage synthesizers and drum machines, processed through tape to achieve a characteristic pitch-wobble and harmonic saturation. Career-wise, their 2018 debut established them as leaders in the 'nu-funk' movement, while their 2020 follow-up, 'Rock,' pushed further into psychedelic and jazz-fusion territories. Critically, they are praised for their 'unpolished' approach, which stands in stark contrast to the high-gloss production of contemporary R&B and electronic music. They are deeply influenced by the P-Funk of George Clinton, the jazz-fusion of Herbie Hancock, and the beat-making philosophy of J Dilla, resulting in a sound that is both historically grounded and stubbornly idiosyncratic.