Thursday, May 16, 2013

Music: My Daft Punk Playlist

The robots. That's how Daft Punk are known by their close friends and associates. How do you take on the persona of an android, putting on robotic head pieces and never appearing in public without them, and still become one of the most well-respected artists in a global genre, producing the most anticipated releases in the industry? Fanboys everywhere in forest trooper helmets might ask the same question. Part of it may be the natural mystique that follows all genuine artists that value their craft over their own craftiness and successfully keep their private life private. So basically Daft Punk are the Bill Watterson of electronic dance music - except before he retired and with shiny, opaque helmets. Maybe that doesn't fit as well as I thought. This French duo, active since the late 80's, represents the best electronic music has to offer, summarizing its strengths in an accessible, shiny package. They are the bionic ambassadors of EDM.

There is an entire world of electronic dance music (EDM to those who know) that is beyond my scope or knowledge. If you don't know anything about electronic music or have always thought you weren't interested, you should know that Daft Punk is EDM for rock lovers (see Digital Love). Daft Punk is not among the founding fathers of the genre, but they introduced it to a wider audience. LCD Soundsystem, for instance, is Daft Punk as an indie garage punk band. At first glance they are quite different. Yet if you like one, you'll find it easy to connect to the other - and that's not even mentioning James Murphy's incessant references to Daft Punk. I can understand the initial aversion to electronic music because the repetition seems thoughtless and boring. But when you consider that music is a condensed representation of time and motion, electronic music utilizes technology to grab moments or feelings, extend them, and change them subtly from one moment to next, attempting to prolong and manipulate what is normally fleeting. And that is why Daft Punk, a pair of self-proclaimed robots, came to the conclusion that the music they create is actually human after all.

Michael Gondry's bizarre yet entertaining video for "Around the World" (1997)

In honor of Daft Punk's upcoming new album Random Access Memories I have for your edification my ultimate Daft Punk playlist. Daft Punk was another one of those discoveries I made early in high school by perusing cdnow.com. Somehow I wound up listening to their first hit "Around the World" and my mind was instantly blown. I had heard electronic music before but always as a soundtrack to a movie or as background music. I'd never considered listening to it for its own sake. Daft Punk brought that genre to the front of my mind. I remember listening to the album on my discman on a band trip when an older kid asked for a listen. I handed him my headphones and he said quizzically, "It's just the same thing over and over again." I didn't really have a response for him because I couldn't explain why he didn't get it - but he didn't. I learned a lot about song structure, form, and details by listening to Daft Punk - there is a pattern and logic that can appeal to the intellectual listener, but of course there are plenty of Burnin' beats as well. Plus you can't help but love a band that takes on their early criticism as their name.

With all the excitement for the new album I've been devling even deeper into the whole Daft Punk world. I was epically rewarded by finding the anime companion movie to Daft Punk's second album, Discovery. Interstella 5555: The 5ecret 5tar 5ystem was an idea spawned during the recording sessions for Discovery that came to fruition in 2003 after a partnership between Daft Punk and French and Japanese filmmakers. I'd seen the music video for One More Time, the album's opening track, but that was years ago and never really thought about the fact that it starts a story but doesn't finish it. As I was revisiting old videos I realized they were all connected and then I found the full movie on vimeo. My face almost melted off I was so excited. It being a family friendly cartoon movie who's score was perhaps the greatest electronic album of all time I sat down with my 2 year old daughter and enjoyed 65 minutes of pure bliss. With no dialogue and only occasional sound effects, it is a visceral experience that follows the musical flow of the album. The fact that something can keep a toddler's full attention for over an hour is not always desirable, but with this it tells me that she takes after her dad with her impeccable taste. Established robot lovers will already know about this gem, but if you have not seen it, follow the vimeo link the first chance you get 65 continuous minutes to yourself and let it wash over you.


And now, my list. This is exhaustive rather than exclusive. The studio album tracks are really the most essential, but the live mashups add another level of awesome if you know the hits. And the fact that they scored TRON: Legacy - perhaps the most critically underrated sci-fi blockbuster of the last ten years - is just a perfect fit. Let me know if you agree or if I missed your favorite track.
  1. Daftendirekt - Homework
  2. Da Funk - Homework
  3. Around the World - Homework
  4. One More Time - Discovery
  5. Aerodynamic - Discovery
  6. Digital Love - Discovery
  7. Harder Better Faster Strong - Discovery
  8. Something About Us - Discovery
  9. Voyager - Discovery
  10. Short Circuit - Discovery
  11. Verdis Quo - Discovery
  12. Human After All - Human After All
  13. Robot Rock - Human After All
  14. Emotion - Human After All
  15. The Prime Time of Your Life - Human After All
  16. Robot Rock / Oh Yeah - Alive 2007
  17. Around The World / Harder Better Faster Stronger - Alive 2007
  18. Face to Face / Short Circuit - Alive 2007
  19. End of Line - TRON: Legacy OST
  20. Derezzed - TRON: Legacy OST

PS - Someday my wife Karen and I are going to do this awesome dance to Harder Better Faster Stronger in some public setting, although we'll be fully clothed.

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