Random Access Memories

One of the best album of the last couple of years is Daft Punk’s glorious Random Access Memories. Lush, dynamic, analog, modern retro are some of the terms used to describe this piece of funk.

I got the vinyl version on 180g and it sounds amazing, as good as anything in my collection.

The production and tones lean towards the early 80’s/late 70’s mellow funk sound, conjuring up Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, New Wave, Bob James, and Quincy Jones all at once.

The Daft Punk boys have come along way since giving me headaches in the 90’s. Their shit was hot, yeah, but TOO HOT on the production.

I blame this band for really pushing the volume wars and I could never play old Daft Punk in my sets because of it’s recording style.

Check out the unmasked men in the mid 90’s and now:

Someone or something got through to their ears though, and the new record sounds amazing.

This is how records should sound! It has a wide dynamic range, amazing lows, highs, long non-twitchy analog synths, amazing musicianship, all good.

Daft Punk have redeemed themselves, perhaps they can lead again and more modern artists will learn to appreciate the analog synths and analog humans playing instruments.

There’s a ton of good stuff on this record – every track brings something to the table – but here’s one to get you going, get you interested, in what Daft Punk is up to these days. It features Pharrell on vox, Niles Rogers on guitar, and builds up nicely into a smoking groove.

Here’s the short version of the song. The long version will have you bouncing around for hours.

BTW – In the 90’s I was fighting with Daft Punk fans all the time – they were telling me that they were the future of funk and guys standing with guitars and drums were the past. I see I see.