Daft Punk have started to fascinate me of late. I guess it was
inevitable, after listening to so much electronic music both this year and
last, that my path of discovery would eventually lead to a new-found
appreciation of the 'kings of French house'. The release of Random Access
Memories this year was huge. Daft Punk's first studio effort in 8 years, the
album was set to either alienate hardcore fans or provide a new lease of life
for the Daft Punk sound. I guess it kind of did both. It is perhaps the most
polarising album of the year so far, proving too much of a departure from their
earlier records for some, whilst at the same time really impressing other
people. People like me.
Daft Punk have set the standard for French house and dance music since
they arrived on the scene with Homework in 1997. A far from impeccable album,
it undoubtedly presented the stone that would eventually be sculpted into the
masterpiece that became Discovery, released in 2001. Discovery displayed the
development of a very specific sound, incorporating more disco influenced vibes
that you can't help but want to get up and dance to. The singles from the album
catapulted Daft Punk into widespread global popularity. Many people I'm sure
still remember songs like "One More Time", "Digital Love" and "Harder, Better,
Faster, Stronger" as being major club and radio anthems of the time. Listening
back to this album in 2013, the sound is instantly Daft Punk. No-one else. I
think that is what is so special. After a live album and remix album, Daft Punk
were back in the studio to compile a new collection of tracks. What came of
this was Human After All, an album which took just 6 weeks to make and
unfortunately, it showed. The album failed to win over critics and many fans
who were expecting another Discovery. Despite putting together a very credible
soundtrack for TRON: Legacy in 2010, fans were still eagerly waiting for the
robots to return to the studio and record another album. What they got was Random Access Memories, which dropped on May 17th 2013.
Coming into this album, I didn't know what to expect. I had only heard
the singles from their older albums, meaning that I did not necessarily have
the same perspective as their hardcore fans. I decided to take the album at
face value. First listen, the album didn't fully capture me. I liked about half
of the tracks, but the ones I didn't like didn't do anything for me at all. I
knew I had to persevere and luckily, I did. I guess it was about the 4th or 5th
listen when the light bulb was switched on. I finally saw the album as a whole,
cohesive work of art rather than individual flashes of brilliance. This is
where it all started to make sense. The robots were painting a picture in my
head with these songs, it just took a few listens for the full picture to
become clear. The title is an almost perfect description of what this album
does for me. Listening to this more and more, it was starting to affect me in a
profound way. I was starting to associate these songs with parts of my life I
had long forgotten. In many cases I'd be listening to a song and a random
memory or emotion would flash through my brain. I guess this is the amazing
power of music, but Daft Punk seem to achieve it with such ease and frequency
on Random Access Memories.
The album opens up with "Give Life Back To Music" and the album is off
to a pretty brilliant start. The track is groovy with instantly recognisable
robotic vocals. The sentiment is simple enough. Daft Punk are setting the tone
for the album with this, they want to bring breathe life back into disco music
which has all but vanished in the contemporary pop scene. However I don't think
this album is simply a throwback to the 80's. Neither does it sound inherently
nostalgic. Somehow, the duo makes this sound seem so timeless, blending their
robotic vocals with super slick trademark production. It is music that could
have quite easily been made in a hundred years time. The second track, "The
Game Of Love" tones it down a bit, with more ambient production. I like the
song but it lacks the punch that the first track provided. "Giorgio by Moroder" is the longest track on the album. It features a monologue with Giorgio
Moroder, talking about his early life and career. I like the concept to the
song and the instrumental that backs him up is sublime.
The album then moves in another direction with the song "Within", which
provides a chilling comedown from the previous track. It is at this point where
the album starts to strike some pretty heavy emotional chords with me. The song
sounds so lonesome. The robotic vocals are nothing short of haunting and
although the lyrics aren't exactly complex, they compliment the piano just
perfectly. "Instant Crush" is perhaps my least favourite track on the album,
featuring Julian Casablancas. It sounds too much like a Strokes song for it to
fit into the album in my opinion. Coupled with a really basic beat and mediocre
lyrics, it just doesn't do anything for me. "Lose Yourself To Dance" however is
a huge return to form. Pharrell puts in a great vocal performance and the
production behind him makes it perhaps the best dance track on the whole album.
The track "Touch" is my favourite on the album for a number of reasons.
This is a song with many musical phases. Unlike some of the more poppy tracks,
this one is far more progressive in structure. The duo have said in
interviews that it tells the story of someone having a near death experience
before coming back to life and remembering how it feels to be touched. The song
does not need to be limited to this though. Listening to it makes you suddenly
aware of your existence and somehow puts into perspective what it is to be
human. For me, listening to Touch is like listening to a robot who is stuck in limbo
between being human and being an android. It “needs something more” after
feeling touch, suggesting it can't compute emotions in the way humans can. Yet
when it is kissed, it is suddenly overwhelmed by emotion and suddenly
everything makes sense. The instrumental section in the middle of the track is
like listening to an outpouring of emotion which has moved me to tears at
times. It then quietens down and a sort of mantra is repeated, "Hold on,
if love is the answer you're home." until a final chilling vocal is sung
by Paul Williams. I could write for hours on this song, for me it is the
beating heart of the album.
The standout single from this album was of course "Get Lucky". This song
showed that the robots still have the knack for producing ultra catchy dance melodies.
It is far from a throw away though. The riff played by the legendary Nile
Rodgers is amazing and Pharrell's vocals are equally as fresh. This may end up
being the pop song of the year for me, it is undeniably infectious. "Beyond" and "Motherboard" are mostly instrumental tracks. Motherboard is by far my
favourite of the two, with live instrumentation unlike anything I've heard from
Daft Punk before. "Fragments Of Time" is another favourite of mine. This song
has a really west coast vibe to it and the robots have talked about capturing
this specific sound on this track. It’s a song that makes every part of you
want to go out and rent a vintage American car and take a Californian road trip.
The penultimate track "Doin' it Right" sees a return to the android like
vocals heard earlier in the album. I would classify this as another dance track
but with some slightly more ambitious production. Panda Bear from Animal
Collective had his hands in this and it is definitely evident. The lyrics
capture the moment of reaching ecstasy on the dance floor and drawing out this
feeling for as long as possible. Again this is a song I really enjoy. The final
song, "Contact", is a mind blower. It starts with a monologue from a man
seemingly looking down upon the Earth from a spaceship. It had a profound
impact on me from the moment I heard it. It makes you realise just how small
the Earth is in the universe but also how magical it is to be alive on it. This
part of the song definitely continues the futuristic feel of the album. After
this, the song really cranks up and becomes mind pummeling. The instrumentation
reminded me quite a bit of track 3 "Giorgio.." but taken to the next level.
This is a simply excellent way to end the album.
All in all, I love Random Access Memories. Daft Punk may have drifted
away from their trademark sound, but in my eyes this is a good thing. This
album perfectly blends 80's disco influences with robotic, futuristic
production and overwhelmingly touching lyrics. It's ironic that the two anonymous
androids of contemporary music have bought so much soul back to a seemingly
sterile and 'time gone by' genre of music. They have implemented live
instrumentation into these tracks unlike anything they've done before, making
the songs sound free flowing and organic. On top of this, the vast range of
collaborators on this project is stunning and adds so much to the diversity to
the album. As Pharrell said when being interviewed about this record, "You
don't need to take MDMA to get the most out of this music." I think he is
right. It is music for the mind, body and soul. It is an album for the ages.
Favourite Track - Touch
Least Favourite Track - Instant Crush
Score - 90/100
