This is not a Daft Punk review. Instead, I ask of you to think of it as a self-analysis of my feelings of listening to the French duo’s newest LP, Random Access Memories (which certainly wouldn’t be a review), because what I am about to write seems blasphemous even to myself. This internal conflict has left me restless, but I tried. Trust me, I wanted to love this album and to be amongst the masses who will appreciate Daft Punk for their bold and revolutionary move, but I cannot include myself in that category — I am the contrarian left standing alone.

Daft Punk popped endless EDM cherries for many, many people (which may be an understatement). Whether it was “Around The World,” “One More Time,” “Technologic,” or their endlessly covered appearances in pop music media, the duo opened a once underground world of EDM to popular culture. Their nostalgia, mythical aura, and prestige is what makes me extremely coy on openly sharing my thoughts of this album.

First, let me state the obvious: Random Access Memories wasn’t going to be an EDM album. With the various interviews, press releases, song snippets, and producers/collaborators associated with the album, Daft Punk was making it a thorough point of making it a point. Listening to the first few tracks, the duo unapologetically sets the tone for the album. I would consider this entry to be a disco or funk album with loose electronic influence. That being said, if you don’t like either genre, odds are you won’t appreciate what Daft Punk has created with this latest release (or you will because, either way, they’re Daft Punk). Absent are house-signature drum kicks on every beat, along with their sample-heavy style. Instead of sampling 70s funk bands of yesteryear, Daft Punk created the sound themselves: it’s dominated with rhythms from the bass guitar, live drum kits, and endless funk-like guitar strums.

What is familiar though are the auto-tuned-to-hell voices. Daft Punk, who ignited the auto-tune craze, again proves that you can have a genuine purpose for amplified auto-tune which is displayed in tracks “Beyond, ” “Instant Crush,” “Lose Yourself To Dance,” and “Within;” literally every track which has singing, it will be heard.

Daft Punk did a great job in creating a complete album as well. They provide a collection of 10+ songs that are relevant with each other, rather than random, unrelated songs which end up uncomfortably contrasting each other (an achilles heel for most EDM LPs). This album, played from start to finish, feels even more intertwined and dependent of each other, which may be a testament of their experience from composing the Tron: Legacy score. It will command you to start the album from the beginning and letting it play itself through to the end, leaving you hesitant to skip tracks. Because of this unity, very few tracks stand significantly on their own merit.

That strength of the album is what also creates its pitfall, which leads comes my central criticism: the album left me bored and indifferent nearly the entire way through. Before you think “Well not everything needs a drop, bro!” that’s not where I am coming from.

Listen: Give Life Back to Music



The opening track, “Give Life Back to Music,” isn’t as ambitious as the title may lead it to be. This track as well as its successor flusters in its own parody. I often felt awkward and uncomfortable during the first couple of tunes. I felt as they should be a theme or background music for dated TV shows that have a lot afros and bellbottoms. What Daft Punk did here wasn’t taking a retro sound and make it their own, instead, they merely duplicated it.

It does pick up a bit with “Giorgio By Moroder.” The more abstract track opens with a speech from a European-accented gentleman who more-or-less explains the theme of Random Access Memories:

“I wanted to do an album with the sounds of the 50s, the sounds of the 60s, of the 70s, and then have a sound of the future — and then I said, ‘Wait a second. I know the synthesizer. Why don’t I use the synthesizer which is the sound of the future?”

Listen: Giorgio By Moroder



This is obviously sampled to express what the duo was aspiring to accomplish with the album. The track itself is very dynamic and entertaining to listen to. Moroder’s speech transitions into extremely tame synthesized piano solo that rings familiar of elevator/office music; then evolves into a string ensemble; lastly, the layers are brought together by an aggressive drum solo. It was entertaining, but somehow still refrained from being enjoyable.

Although, the impending single, “Instant Crush,” was enjoyable. Taking a more electropop formula, the track is lead by a pop drum beat, a rhythm synthesizer, highlighted by a commanding lyrical performance from the Strokes’ frontmant Julian Casablancas — his voice being disguised with auto-tuning, of course. While I would play this track alone, it wasn’t anything I haven’t heard before. In fact, I thought this track would fit very well into the Drive soundtrack.

Listen: Instant Crush



“Doin’ It Right” is another pleasure that shouldn’t be missed. Again, starting with auto-tuned singing, the lyrics are repeated which creates the rhythm much like their classic “Around The World.” Eventually, Panda Bear, the featured artist on this tracks, lends his (un-auto-tuned) sing-chant which overlays nicely with the repeating lyrics that started the track. What caught me offguard was the hip-hop, trap-esque breakdown two-thirds of the way through that could never get old. This is undoubtedly the album’s shiner.

Listen: Doin’ It Right



Remaining, Daft Punk incorporates and uses traditional funk, disco, and electro elements in their album. Tracks like “Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Get Lucky” are differentiated by tempo, but are much in the same; as goes with “Beyond” and “Within,” which are minimalist tracks dominantly lead by — you guessed it — auto-tuned singing.

Listen: Beyond



Listen: Within



These tracks seemingly go by and I am not left appreciating what I just heard. It began and finished with very little to show for it, much like a movie score’s mission. Instead, this might be a score for a blaxploitation Sci-Fi flick. Sound awkward? Yeah, well that’s how I felt through much of this uninspiring album.

I give them all the respect of creating their own composition which cannot be appreciated enough in the pop music realm. Regardless of the respect, Random Access Memories still doesn’t provide enjoyment. I did get through the album a few times, and I’ll be honest and say that some songs did grow on me — then yet, so does a lot of music when listened to repeatedly. This entry is definitely the most ambitious out of their catalogue, and, as stated earlier, they will more than likely receive standing ovations while they accept their numerous Grammy awards. But I, unabashedly, will be amongst the minority that will not consider this entry to be a great one.

Residing in Las Vegas, I have been listening to EDM since the Eurodance craze of the 90s. I utilize my love for deep, philosophical thought and writing to cover the ever-expanding genre for ElectroJams. Question, concerns, or bitching can be directed to my Twitter account @yalepoloclub. I always love a good conversation. electrojams.com