Daft Punk - Random Access Memories Breakdown

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

I have listened to the Random Access Memories many times so far, and I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to hear what I was hearing. I actually didn’t know what to expect. I was used to hearing Daft Punk songs like Around The World, One More Time, Aerodynamic, Let Me Love You Boy, and etc. If you mention Daft Punk to those who know the artists, they would think of electronic dance music, but this album does not really fit.

 

Random Access Memories reminds me more of groovy, slow jam, disco record played at an intergalactic jazz club. If you have ever hear Daft Punk’s Something About Us from their Discovery album, then you pretty much know what to expect from this album.

 

Let’s get to the breakdown of each track:

 

Track 1: Give Life Back to Music

What a way to start an album! Give Life Back to Music is a fantastic song, filled with sweet guitar riffs by Nile Rodgers, a strong base line, good melody, and even delivers a great message through auto-tune. This song was repeated many times in my car, and is my favorite on the album.   Let the music in tonight Just turn on the music Let the music of your life Give life back to music.

Track 2: The Game of Love

The Game of Love is a very mellow track. The vocals, which are by Daft Punk, are once again auto-tuned to perfection, using great tone-pitch change and modulations. Good song.

Track 3: Giorgio by Moroder

Alright, so don’t hate me, (LOL) but I’m not a big  fan of people talking through a song. Even though it may be a tribute to him or whatnot, it is just not my forte. I think they should have had him speak in a separate track and then transition to the music. Nevertheless, I did enjoy his story and how he came to work with synthesized music. Anyway, when the music kicks up, it is very groovy and smooth like liquid chocolate pouring from a fountain. I love the strong bass guitar. Then, at the 5:00 minute mark, Mr. Giorgio speaks again briefly. After that, the orchestra comes in with a beautiful intro, which turns to a magnificent drum and string duo. The bass, guitar, drums, and the orchestra are insane together, which is so good, it will give you goosebumps. Overall, the track is very, very good.

Track 4: Within

Within starts off with a beautiful solo piano melody, followed up with Daft Punk’s robotic, auto-tuned voice. This track is a little on the slow side, but man, it’s really good!

Track 5: Instant Crush

This time, the auto-tuned vocals are not Daft Punk, but they are still good. The chorus is very catchy and the beat is constant throughout the song, so you’ll pretty much bob your head for 5:38 minutes.

Track 6: Lose Yourself to Dance

The beat on this song is very, very hard from the start! It’s sounds awesome in my car. Anyway, Nile Rodgers returns with his funky guitar riffs, but this time with Pharrell Williams, who is able to hit those high notes with ease. This is a good song. C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’monnn.

Track 7: Touch

Ooo-kay…this is where things start getting trippy.  I’m going to break it down by time. 0:00—When this song starts, you feel like you are falling through a hallucinogenic void full of demons. 1:50—Then, when the vocals begin, you’ll feel like you’re inside a Disney movie when the protagonist starts singing outside his small village. Reminds me of Gustan from Beauty and the Beast for some reason. 3:23—You’ll feel like you’re in an old-time saloon or a night club. You’ll want to get up and dance a jig because the music is very upbeat. 4:13—Mescaline trip! You’re floating in the sky, and then dive into a cloud. As you stand on the cloud, you see Victoria Secret models wearing angel wings, who guide you to a golden city in the sky. It starts to rain, but it is raining chocolate candy and jellybeans. 5:31—Still on the cloud, you start running from a swarm of flying lemurs with bat wings and fish tails. In an attempt to hide, you jump into a sea gummy bears and drift down a waterfall of candy until you suddenly realize you’re floating on a giant, white feather, drifting off into the wind. 7:25—Everything around you is spinning violently and chaotically. You find yourself caught in a tornado of insanity until… 7:41—You return to the wonderful world of Disney. The End. Can’t say I like it or dislike it, but it was one hell of a trip. LOL

Track 8: Get Lucky

Get Lucky is a refreshing transition from track 7. Pharrell Williams on vocals and Nile Rodgers on guitar return to collaborate with Daft Punk. When I first heard this song on the SNL Ad, I was immediately hooked. The short video associated with it is fantastic. I was surprised to see Daft Punk behind the bass and drums instead of a turntable, and I actually liked what I was seeing and hearing. This is my second favorite song on this album, behind Give Life Back To Music.

Track 9: Beyond

If you have ever played Sonic Colors / Unleashed, then you will understand why the intro to this song brought those games to my memory. The orchestra is very dynamic during the intro. Afterwards, when The Robots’ vocals hit, the melody is very smooth and the drummer is working the top-hats and symbols nicely. This is a very, very good song—very mellow. My third favorite.

Track 10: Motherboard

I have to say, I am pretty captured by this song. With the title being Motherboard, I really feel like I’m driving on a circuit board. This is another mellow, low-keyed song with periodic sounds of the string instruments. The main hook of his song is with the flute instrument played throughout, which compliments the music beautifully. Then, at 3:07, another mescaline trip begins. Streetlights, spiders crawling on your arms, a sinister laugh in the background, a giant, floating baby’s head, and the sensation and need to pee. The music eventually returns to what it was before until the end. Overall, this is a pretty cool song.

Track 11: Fragments of Time

It’s time to get groovy. Jammin’. This time, the vocals are not auto-tuned, but are wonderfully sung. The great chorus and great beat gives you a good feeling while you’re driving, top down, on a sunny day. At about 2:57, the beat speeds up for a bit, only making the song better. Good stuff!

Track 12: Doin’ it Right

Oh-ho! This song is all about the bump & beat. When I listen to this one in my car, my speakers go BOOM…BOOOMMM…BUM…BUUUMMM. In a way, this track reminds me of ‘old skool’ Daft Punk. No guitar, no orchestra, just straight modular synthesizers. Daft Punk is definitely Doin’ It Right, because I’m dancing.

Track 13: Contact

Now to end the album and the world. The aliens are coming…the aliens are here. Round 1 (1:26) - Fight! — It’s Daft Punk vs. alien, robotic minions. (2:13) — Daft Punk wins. Then, the alien space ship lowers from the sky and drops more enemies from the hull. Round 2 (2:45) - Fight! — It’s Daft Punk vs. more alien, robotic minions and two mecha-dragons. Round 3 (3:15) - Fight! — It’s Daft Punk vs. Mega Tea Kennel returning from Tron: Legacy (Fall). (4:48) — Daft Punk wins. Then, the ultimate boss(s) drops from the space ship. Final Round – Fight! — It’s Daft Punk vs. Daft Punk. (5:53) — Daft Punk overloads and falls to pieces. Daft Punk Wins. Done!

 

So, after listening to the entire album, again, I am pleasantly satisfied with Random Access Memories. I love the combination of synthesized instruments, acoustic instruments, and the orchestra. I suppose they (DP) enjoyed the soundtrack of Tron: Legacy themselves to integrate the orchestra into this album. I also appreciate the collaborators who were involved. It shows that Daft Punk really cared for their music and they put a lot of time and effort into making good, high-quality music. They did a good job with this album, giving us something refreshing, which is much needed. I will add this album to my Daft Punk collection, and, in my opinion, so should you.

 

Comment and tell me what you think.

 

Peace.