Random Access Memories is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles. This theme is reflected in the packaging and promotional campaign, which included billboards, television advertisements and a web series. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2012 at Henson, Conway and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris, France.
In 2008, after finishing their Alive 2006/2007 tour, Daft Punk began working on new material in Paris, recording demos for approximately six months. They were pleased with the compositions, but dissatisfied with their process of sampling and looping, as they had done for their previous albums. As Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk stated, "We could play some riffs and stuff but not keep it [up] for four minutes straight." Daft Punk put these demos aside and started work on the Tron: Legacy film soundtrack,[4] which Bangalter described as "very humbling".[5] For their next album, Daft Punk decided to work extensively with live musicians. They spoke with Chris Caswell, a well-connected musician in the industry who had previously composed arrangements for Legacy, and commissioned him to gather a group of experienced session artists to perform for the record.[6] According to Bangalter, "We wanted to do what we used to do with machines and samplers, but with people."[7] They avoided the use of samples, with the exception of the closing track "Contact".[7]
The idea was really having this desire for live drums, as well as questioning, really, why and what is the magic in samples? [...] It occurred to us it’s probably a collection of so many different parameters; of amazing performances, the studio, the place it was recorded, the performers, the craft, the hardware, recording engineers, mixing engineers, the whole production process of these records that took a lot of effort and time to make back then.
—Thomas Bangalter, regarding the album's conception[8]
The album features Chic frontman Nile Rodgers. According to Rodgers, the collaboration was "something we've talked about for a long time. We've respected each other endlessly."[9] Daft Punk visited Rodgers' home for an informal jam session.[10] Musician Paul Williams announced in a 2010 interview that he had worked with the group, after Daft Punk had been introduced to Williams by a sound engineer with whom they were mutually acquainted.[11][12][13]
In May 2012, Daft Punk's collaboration with Giorgio Moroder was announced. Moroder had recorded a monologue about his life for use in a track on the album. Rodgers was also present during the Moroder recording session.[14] Moroder clarified that he was not involved in the composition of the track or its use of a synthesizer: "They did not let me get involved at all. Thomas asked me if I wanted to tell the story of my life. Then they would know what to do with it."[15] Daft Punk had been in contact with Moroder in relation to a possible contribution for the Tron: Legacy score, but this never happened.[16]
Chilly Gonzales stated in an interview that his contribution was recorded in a one-day session: "I played for hours and they're gonna grab what they grab and turn it into whatever."[17] He explained that Daft Punk prompted him at the piano in the same manner that a film director coaches an actor, and Gonzales left the Los Angeles studio without knowledge of what the final product would sound like.[18] He had previously recorded a cover version of Daft Punk's song "Too Long" that appeared on their 2003 album Daft Club.
Daft Punk recorded Random Access Memories in secrecy.[5] Recording took place at Henson Recording Studios, Conway Recording Studios and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris.[20] Having worked with keyboardist and arranger Chris Caswell on Tron: Legacy, Daft Punk enlisted him and connected with engineers and other session players.[21][22] They wanted to avoid the more compressed sounds of drum machines in favor of "airy open" drum sets of the 1970s and 80s,[4] which they considered the most appealing era of music. They said the session players were enthusiastic about reuniting in the context of the new album and the prestige of the studio locations.[7][23]
Drummer Omar Hakim recalled being asked by Daft Punk to perform on the album, and was surprised by what they wanted of him. He at first assumed they wanted electronic drum work, since Hakim had done some drum programming in his career. Daft Punk instead specified that they were looking to record Hakim performing drum riffs that they had conceived. Rather than play out the entire structure of a song, Hakim would perform individual patterns for extended periods, creating a library for Daft Punk to cull from.[24] They conveyed their ideas to session musicians via sheet music and in some instances by humming melodies.[25] For example, Bangalter hummed a complex drum and bass line to Hakim, who replicated and improved upon it for "Giorgio by Moroder".[26]
Most of the vocal sessions took place in Paris, whereas the rhythm sections were recorded in the United States.[7] The album incorporates a variety of accompanying performances including a horn section, woodwind instruments, a string orchestra and choir.[2][27] Orchestral parts were recorded for almost every track, but used for only a few on the completed album.[25] The use of such performers and places came at great monetary expense, as noted by Bangalter: "There used to be a time where people that had means to experiment would do it, you know? That's what this record is about."[2] He estimated a cost of over one million dollars, but felt that the number was not important.[28] Bangalter stated that the sessions were financed by Daft Punk themselves, which allowed them the luxury of abandoning the project if they had so wished.[29] He also said "there are songs on the album that traveled into five studios over two and a half years".[7]
The album was recorded in Los Angeles studios, including Capitol Studios.
Various sound effects were newly recorded with the help of film experts from Warner Bros. Bangalter noted one example in which the sound of a busy restaurant was achieved by placing microphones in front of the forks of a group of people.[30] In another instance, the effect of dripping water was recorded on a soundstage.[31] Use of electronics was limited to drum machines that appear on only two tracks, a large custom-built Modcan modular synthesizer performed live by Daft Punk, and vintage vocoders.[7][31] Asked which Daft Punk member performed the robotic vocals, Bangalter said it did not matter.[2] Daft Punk produced most of the vocoder tracks in their studio in Paris, with later processing by Mick Guzauski at Capitol.[32] Moroder elaborated that Daft Punk would take "a week or so" to find an adequate vocoder sound, and an additional few days to record the lyrics.[33]
Although Daft Punk felt that the presets and parameters of digital tools would inhibit creativity and innovation,[8] they said Random Access Memories could not have been made without of computer technology.[25] The sessions were recorded simultaneously onto Ampex reels and as Pro Tools tracks; Daft Punk and Guzauski would then listen to each recording in both analogue and digital iterations, deciding which of the two they preferred. Subsequently, the elements were edited by Daft Punk with Pro Tools in a manner similar to how they would work with samples.[32]
Bangalter said the title encapsulates Daft Punk's interest in the past, referencing both random-access memory technology and the human experience: "We were drawing a parallel between the brain and the hard drive–the random way that memories are stored."[7] Daft Punk felt that while current technology allows for an unlimited capacity to store recorded material, the content produced by contemporary artists had diminished in quality. Their goal was to maximize the potential of infinite storage by recording a sprawling amount of elements. They connected this to the title, as they sought to make connections out of the random series of ideas.[29]
Daft Punk created demos for Random Access Memories without a clear plan for an album.[7] Over the course of the sessions, numerous tracks were created and discarded.[29] At one point Daft Punk considered sorting the album into one continuous track, similar to the Prince record Lovesexy. They also considered releasing it as a four-disc box set to accommodate the volume of content.[25] The album lacked structure until the final months of production.[23]
The opening track, "Give Life Back to Music", features guitar by Rodgers and Paul Jackson, Jr., keyboards by Chilly Gonzales, drums by John "J.R." Robinson, and vocals performed by Daft Punk using vocoders.[41] The song reflects Daft Punk's goal to create a light yet polished and elegant record.[13] According to NME, it begins with "a stupendously vast rock intro that obliterates any trace of Human After All's brittle techno".[42] The following track, "The Game of Love", also features vocodered vocals. Bangalter said, "There's this thing today where the recorded human voice is processed to try to feel robotic." Their intent was to produce robotic vocals with expressiveness and emotion.[7][13] "Giorgio by Moroder" was created as a metaphor about musical freedom, with Moroder's monologue about his career as analogue for music's history regarding exploration of genres and tastes.[13] Moroder was not involved in the composition, and said that after he recorded the story of his life "they would know what to do with it".[43] In the monologue, Moroder details the creative process behind Donna Summer's I Remember Yesterday (1977) and its closing track "I Feel Love".[44]
Chilly Gonzales was tasked with creating a transition on "Within" that would modulate to the key of subsequent tracks.
"Within" was one of the first tracks recorded. It features Gonzales on piano with minimal accompaniment of bass, percussion and vocoder.[13][45] "Within" tranistions from the key of A minor of the previous three songs to the key of B-flat minor of subsequent tracks.[46] Regarding the lyrics, the critic Nick Stevenson wrote, "A deep vocoder sings about not understanding the world, being lost and not even remembering his own name."[27] Jeremy Abbott of Mixmag wrote: "So many things I don't understand is the prominent lyric and Chilly's chords combined with grazing cymbals make for a beautiful summer lullaby."[47]
"Instant Crush" was based on a demo that Daft Punk presented to the Strokes singer Julian Casablancas; he became enthused upon hearing it and provided vocals.[13] The song contains rock influences and a guitar solo.[45] The critic John Balfe considered it "appropriately Strokes-ish, even if [Casablancas'] trademark drawl is fed quite substantially through a vocoder".[48] De Homem-Christo said: "It is true that it is not his usual register, it is the way Julian reacted to the track so for us it is even more exciting."[49] "Lose Yourself to Dance", featuring Pharrell Williams, was the result of a desire to create dance music with live drummers. Robinson appears as session player.[13][23] A vocoder chant of "come on" appears alongside Williams's singing.[42]
"Touch" features lyrics and vocals by Paul Williams. Daft Punk said it was the most complex piece, comprising more than 250 different elements.[13] It was composed with Williams's frequent collaborator Chris Caswell, who arranged a counter-melody for the string accompaniment.[50] As Pitchfork observed, "the song warps and bends, floating through genres, epochs, and emotions with a sense of hallucinatory wonder" and recalls the Beatles song "A Day in the Life".[25] In Rolling Stone, Will Hermes wrote: "It's completely ridiculous. It's also remarkably beautiful and affecting."[51] Louis Lepron of Kombini saw the multitude of styles and science fiction aesthetics as a homage to musical films including Phantom of the Paradise, the soundtrack of which Williams had composed.[45] The opening ferences scene in the film in which the title character's voice is gradually enhanced in a studio booth.[26] De Homem-Christo said "Touch" is "like the core of the record, and the memories of the other tracks are revolving around it".[25]
"Get Lucky" features more vocals from Pharrell Williams. Williams said the title phrase did not refer simply to sex, but also the potential of finding chemistry with another person. When he first heard the song, Williams said it evoked the image of a "peachy color[ed]" sunrise on an exotic island.[52] Daft Punk discussed the concept of the song "Beyond" with Paul Williams, who translated the ideas into lyrics. It begins with an orchestral string section and timpani before settling into what NME called "reupholstered Warren G 'Regulate' grooves".[42] Stevenson described "Beyond" as "a lot like the sample used in Nate Dogg and Warren G's ‘Regulate’",[27]Michael McDonald's song "I Keep Forgettin'",[53] which said was "no bad thing". He said the vocored lyrics detail "the existential world beyond oceans and mountains – a land beyond love".[27]
Todd Edwards's contribution to "Fragments of Time" added electronic elements to the initially contemporary song.
Daft Punk described "Motherboard" as a "futuristic composition that could be from the year 4000".[13] One critic, Louis Lepron observed its similarity to the style of Sébastien Tellier.[45]Todd Edwards said the lyrics of "Fragments of Time" were inspired by his desire to capture the moments and emotions he experienced during the recording sessions in California.[38] At Daft Punk's request, he implemented his signature "cut-up" method of production into a portion of the song, which they used as the chorus.[54] Bangalter felt this contribution "helped save" the track, as Daft Punk had felt the more "contemporary-sounding" song was lacking in electronic elements.[55] "Doin' It Right" was the last song recorded, and features vocals by Noah Lennox, known professionally as Panda Bear. Initiated by Lennox's desire to collaborate with Daft Punk, the song was recorded over a span of four days.[56][57] Lennox said he wanted to create a song that was neither Panda Bear nor Daft Punk and "hit a target that was perfectly in the middle of us".[26] Daft Punk referred to it as the only purely electronic track, with a modern style.[13]
The closing track, "Contact", was co-produced by DJ Falcon. It features a sample of the song "We Ride Tonight" by the Australian rock band the Sherbs,[20] which Bangalter and Falcon had sampled as Together during a DJ set at a 2002 show in Amsterdam.[58] It incorporates a NASA excerpt from the Apollo 17 mission, in which Eugene Cernan observes a flashing object from a window of his capsule.[13][41] Falcon, who played modular synthesizer on the track, said the studio speakers blew out when they played the completed version.[59]
The Japan-exclusive bonus track "Horizon" is a slow-tempo composition reminiscent of Pink Floyd. It features a consistent guitar strum while additional instruments are progressively layered over, including bass guitar and drums. The song is stylistically different from other tracks, and is one of the few to feature no vocals.[60][61]
Promotion and release
Billboard in New York City in March 2013
In January 2013, de Homem-Christo revealed that Daft Punk were in the process of signing with Sony Music Entertainment through the Columbia Records label, and that the album would be released in early 2013. A report from The Guardian followed specifying a release date of May 2013.[62] On 26 February 2013, Daft Punk's official website and Facebook page announced the signing to Columbia with a picture of their helmets and a Columbia logo.[63] Billboards and posters featuring the helmets and logo then appeared in several major cities.[64]
On 2 March, a 15-second television ad aired during Saturday Night Live (SNL) depicting an animated, stylized version of the band's logo and the aforementioned image of the helmets.[65][66] The music featured in the ad was a result of the collaboration with Rodgers, who noted that various fan remixes of the clip appeared online after the airing.[9][67] A second TV ad also premiered that was similar to the first on Saturday Night Live, but with a different music clip and the title Random Access Memories in place of the stylized Daft Punk logo.[66] During the first night of Coachella Festival 2013, a third trailer debuted that featured Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Rodgers performing, as well as a list of collaborators.[68] The trailer also aired during Saturday Night Live the following evening, but without a list of collaborators.[69]
The gradual rollout of promotion was inspired by advertising of the past, reflecting the theme of the album.[7] Daft Punk approached Columbia with a specific agenda for the campaign; Rob Stringer of the label recalled said they had showed him the book Rock 'n' Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip as an example of what they wanted.[70] Bangalter felt that physical billboards are more affecting than banner ads and that "SNL is this part of American culture with a certain timelessness to it."[7] The campaign was handled by a small group led by Daft Punk and manager Paul Hahn, with assistance from Kathryn Frazier of the public-relations firm Biz 3.[70] The duo had pursued Columbia in particular because of its long-standing history, as expressed by Bangalter: "It felt interesting conceptually to write this story with a record company like Columbia, with a 125-year legacy."[31]
Central to the promotion was the limiting of exposure to the album's content, as well as a focus on face-to-face contact for press previews. As Hahn stated, "There is a minimalism in our approach that creates an absence of information, and we notice our fans tend to throw themselves into the breach, or try to fill the empty spaces."[70] Following a reported leak of the song days earlier, "Get Lucky" was released as a download single on 19 April 2013.[71] On 13 May, a limited-time preview stream of the full album was launched via the iTunes Store.[72][73] In May 2013, Random Access Memories was released on digital storefronts and streaming services.[74]
Unlike the previous studio albums that feature the band's wordmark as the cover art, Random Access Memories is the first and only one to not do so. Instead, it features the band members' signature helmets with the album title written on the top left. The title treatment is reminiscent to that of Michael Jackson's Thriller. The image of the helmets was first revealed on Daft Punk's website, and became a recurring symbol throughout the promotional campaign.[63][70]
The track titles were initially withheld from online retailers and later revealed through Columbia's Vine account on 16 April 2013, as a video relaying a series of images from the back cover of the record.[79] On 13 May, Daft Punk's official Vevo channel posted a video revealing the artwork packaging of the vinyl version of the album, as well as the first few seconds of the opening track.[80][81][82] Disc labels of the album feature the classic yellow and red Columbia design used on records during the 1970s and '80s, reflecting the album's theme.
Columbia released a deluxe box set of Random Access Memories containing a 56-page hardcover book, the vinyl edition, a partial 70mm film strip of the "Lose Yourself to Dance" video, and triangle-designed gold and silver plated USB drives, which contain standard and bonus audio as well as video content, respectively.[83]
A video series called The Collaborators, directed by Ed Lachman and produced by The Creators Project, a partnership between Intel and Vice, was featured on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories website. Eight episodes were released in the series, which features interviews with participating musicians. The episodes were released weekly leading up to the album's launch. All featured album artists appear in the series with the exception of Casablancas, who would go on to appear prominently in the music video for "Instant Crush". Excerpts of the lead single "Get Lucky" appear in the opening and ending of each Collaborators episode as well as excerpts of other songs from the album, corresponding to each featured musician.
The first episode features disco pioneer Moroder speaking about his experiences with the genre such as his records with Donna Summer and experimenting with synthesizers. Moroder also talks about his visit with Daft Punk in their recording studio. The first Daft Punk track he heard was "One More Time" (2000), and especially liked the breakdown middle section. He concluded Daft Punk were "perfectionists" and described the album as "something [...] different. Still dance, still electronic; but [they] give that human touch back."[33][84]
Episode two revealed that Edwards had contributed to the album; he said it was difficult keeping his involvement a secret. Edwards had previously collaborated with Daft Punk to create the song "Face to Face" on the 2001 album Discovery. He summarized his experience in the studio recording "Fragments of Time" as being life-changing, as the sessions inspired him to move from New Jersey to California on a permanent basis. Edwards also pointed out the irony of "two androids [...] bringing soul back to music".[38][85]
The third episode features Rodgers, who spoke of his background as a founding member of Chic, as well as his numerous collaborations with other artists throughout his career, such as David Bowie, Madonna, and Duran Duran. He expressed that working with Daft Punk "[felt] like [...] working with contemporaries" and that they motivated each other to excel when collaborating. Rodgers played a portion of "Lose Yourself to Dance", and said Daft Punk had evolved while exploring music's past, suggesting that "they went back to go forward".[86][87]
Pharrell Williams participated in the fourth episode. He discussed the organic sound of the album, saying it "feels like the only click track they had was [...] the human heartbeat". He felt that the record can be enjoyed by people of all ages due to the accessible nature of music, and concluded that Daft Punk "could just get back on the spaceship that brought them here and go, and leave us. But they're gracious, they're nice robots. They chose to stay".[52][88]
Episode five features Noah Lennox, better known by his stage name Panda Bear, who spoke about his contribution and his history with the band Animal Collective. He first heard of Daft Punk through the music video of the song "Around the World", which introduced him to many aspects of electronic dance music. He added that Homework was one of the few albums he and his older brother both enjoyed. Regarding Random Access Memories, Lennox remarked upon the approach of having live musicians, but structuring their performances in a minimal, sample-like fashion.[89][57]
For the sixth episode, Gonzales recalled Daft Punk's joy listening to the raw session recordings made early in the production, and said it took years to finish the album. He said Daft Punk were aware of how the keys of each song would contribute to the emotional progression of the album as a whole. He therefore performed the piano in the song "Within" to accommodate the cycle. Gonzales concluded by pointing out that Daft Punk rarely collaborate with others, and thus felt that they did so on Random Access Memories to "make the work be transcendent".[46][90]
The seventh episode features Stéphane Quême, otherwise known as DJ Falcon, who spoke of first meeting Daft Punk when they began recording their debut album Homework. Quême noted that their sound had since changed and that each of their albums drew from different influences. He felt producers would be able to sample Random Access Memories in the same way Daft Punk had sampled older records in their previous albums.[59][91]
Episode eight features Paul Williams, who likened Daft Punk's personas to a character from the film Phantom of the Paradise, in which he starred. He also added that their masks hide who they are from the public and allow the listeners to enjoy the music for what it is. Paul Williams worked at Henson Recording Studios, the former studio of A&M Records where he had worked previously, including his compositions for Jim Henson's films featuring the Muppets, such as "Rainbow Connection". He also stated that the song he penned was to be sung from the point of view of an unidentified first person, setting the emotion, but the lyrics came from the music itself. Paul Williams said that he felt vulnerable while writing the record, and said he writes best when he is allowed to be honest and vulnerable, a situation that Daft Punk nurtured. He also stated that his sobriety added a sense of wonder to the song he wrote, as every day for him being sober has been wonderful compared to his prior life of excess.[91][92]
Global album launch
The 79th Annual Wee Waa Show, held on 17 May 2013 in the rural Australian town of Wee Waa, was selected as the venue for the worldwide album launch.[93] The tickets for the Wee Waa album launch were completely sold within thirteen minutes of release, even though it was widely understood that Daft Punk would not be in attendance at the launch. The launch details revealed that the album would be streamed live to the 4,000 audience members.
Sony commissioned the design and construction of a custom-built stage for the Wee Waa album launch event, and the Daft Arts production house assembled a LED circular music space that became Australia's biggest-ever outdoor dance floor. The record label described the creation, which was illuminated by a giant disco ball and complemented by four speaker towers and flood lights, as "Saturday Night Fever meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind".[93][94] The prelude to the streaming was a pyrotechnic show provided by Father Anthony Koppman and his company "Holy Smoke" from Guyra, New South Wales.[95]
On 22 February 2023, Daft Punk announced that a 10th-anniversary edition of Random Access Memories would be released on 12 May. It has an extra disc of 35 minutes of bonus content, including unreleased demos and outtakes. It includes the version of "Touch" used in the video announcing Daft Punk's disbandment. A Dolby Atmos version of the reissue was also released.[96] The reissue contained the single, "Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo)", featuring Julian Casablancas and the Voidz. Casablancas discussed the song in interviews in 2014.[97][98] Daft Punk called the track their "last song ever" in its press release.[99] The reissue reached number one on the BillboardDance/Electronic Albums chart and the top 10 on the Billboard 200.[100][101]
Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition) was released on 17November 2023. It includes the original 13 album tracks without drums.[102] The re-release received lukewarm reviews, with Ben Cardew of Pitchfork writing that while some songs sound "bereft of life," the more orchestral songs "feel flush with vivid color."[103] Jason Heffler of EDM.com gave Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition) a positive review, praising its "kaleidoscopic warmth".[104]
Random Access Memories received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it has an average score of 87 based on 47 reviews,[106] the highest of any Daft Punk album.[114]
Q referred to it as "by some margin Daft Punk's best album in a career that's already redefined dance music at least twice. It is, in short, a mind blower."[41]The Independent stated, "Random Access Memories breathes life into the safe music that dominates today's charts, with its sheer ambition... It's an exciting journey, and one that, for all its musical twists and turns, has its feet planted on the dancefloor."[112] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly called it "a headphones album in an age of radio singles; a bravura live performance that stands out against pro forma knob-twiddling; a jazzy disco attack on the basic house beat; a full collaboration at a time when the superstar DJ stands alone." She concluded her review by saying that "if EDM is turning humans into robots, Daft Punk are working hard to make robot pop feel human again."[110]
Several critics commented on the variety of content. NME said, "There's a creeping notion that every musical idea that's ever been so much as thought up is on this album."[42] In addition, Random Access Memories is ranked No. 497 on NME's list, "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time".[115] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork echoed this sentiment, calling the record "a mix of disco, soft rock, and prog-pop, along with some Broadway-style pop bombast and even a few pinches of their squelching stadium-dance aesthetic". Richardson praised the engineering and recording, but found that "though everything about RAM, from the session musicians to the guests to the means of production, is meant to sound more 'human,' the album at points sounds more sterile, almost too perfect."[1]Pitchfork named the album the seventh-best of 2013.[116]
DJ Magazine commented on the shift in Daft Punk's musical style: "While Daft Punk clearly want to move on and evolve, ditching the electronic beats, house and techno that first elevated them to fame, it's that music that forms the bedrock of their best tunes, and still, that's what they're best at making."[117]Resident Advisor stated that "it's an album rooted in a now-ancient aesthetic", noting the influence of music born out of California and New York in the 1970s.[118] In a five-star review, Heather Phares of AllMusic said that the record "taps into the wonder and excitement" of music from the 1970s and early 1980s. Phares concluded her review by saying, "Random Access Memories is also Daft Punk's most personal work, and richly rewarding for listeners willing to spend time with it."[107]
Aaron Payne of musicOMH wrote, "Daft Punk somehow misplace the wit and the light touch that's pretty much their trademark. Instead, these long epics become somewhat tedious and there is a strong whiff of egoism and self-indulgence... At over 70 minutes, the album feels rather bloated. Quite a few of the songs are too long, or too empty of ideas, or too willing to repeat themselves, or too willing to play to type".[119] Dan Weiss of Paste noted that "none of the admittedly eclectic pilferings of Random Access Memories challenge or defy anything. They all evoke specific eras of film soundtrack or disco trend. The beats have grown less, not more, complex over time."[36]
Retrospective reviews
In January 2015, Random Access Memories was placed at number 9 on Billboard's list of "The 20 Best Albums of 2010s (so far)".[120] In 2020, it was ranked at 65 on the 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century list of Stacker.[121] The same year, Rolling Stone ranked Random Access Memories number 295 on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[3] In 2021, Pitchfork included Random Access Memories on its list of review scores they "would change if they could", adjusting its score from 8.8 out of 10 to 6.8. The Pitchfork critic Philip Sherburne wrote that it "doesn't feel pivotal in the same way that Discovery did" and "didn't push pop music forward".[122]
Daft Punk Julian Casablancas, DJ Falcon, Todd Edwards, Chilly Gonzales, Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams and Pharrell Williams, featured artists; Thomas Bangalter, Julian Casablancas, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, DJ Falcon and Todd Edwards, producers; Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta, Guillaume Le Braz and Daniel Lerner, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer
Random Access Memories debuted at number one on the French Albums Chart with first-week sales of 195,013 copies (127,361 physical sales and 67,652 digital sales),[126] earning Daft Punk their first number-one album in France.[127] The next week, it sold 49,600 copies to remain at the top spot with a 75% sales decrease.[128] It secured a third consecutive week atop the French chart, withstanding a 29% sales drop to 35,500 copies.[129]
Random Access Memories debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 165,091 copies sold in its first week,[130] becoming Daft Punk's first UK number-one album[131] and the second fastest-selling artist album of 2013 after One Direction's Midnight Memories.[132][133] It remained at number one on the UK chart the following week, selling 52,801 copies.[134] In its third week, it fell to number three on sales of 28,182 copies.[135]
In the United States, Random Access Memories debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 339,000 copies, Daft Punk's first number-one album on the chart.[136] It maintained the number one spot in its second week, selling 93,000 copies.[137] In its third week, it sold an additional 62,000 copies and fell to number two on the Billboard 200.[138] The vinyl LP was 2013's top-selling LP, with 49,000 US copies shifted.[139] The album had sold 922,000 copies in the US as of January 2014.[140] On 12 May 2023, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[141] Following its Album of the Year win at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, Random Access Memories jumped from number 39 to number 10 on the Billboard 200 with a 300% sales increase, selling 30,000 copies that week.[142]
Random Access Memories debuted at number one in several countries across continental Europe, including Austria,[146] Belgium,[147] Czech Republic,[148] Denmark (where it sold 5,392 copies in its first week),[149] Finland,[150] Germany,[151] Ireland,[152] Italy,[153] Norway,[154] Portugal,[155] Spain[156] and Switzerland.[157] In Oceania, Random Access Memories debuted at number one in Australia and New Zealand; it was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) in its first week.[158][159] As of 2014, Random Access Memories had sold 3.2million copies worldwide.[160] It received the RIAA certification of 2x Multi-Platinum on 12 May 2023.[161]
Violin – Assa Dori, Johana Krejci, Rita Weber, Kevin Connolly, Joel Pargman, Song Lee, Irina Voloshina, Margaret Wooten, Mary K. Sloan, Nina Evtuhov, Miwako Watanabe, Samuel Fischer, Lisa Dondinger, Rafael Rishik, Cynthia Moussas, Sara Perkins, Neel Hammond, Olivia Tsui, Calabria McChesney, Carrie Kennedy, Lisa Sutton, Audrey Solomon
Viola – Andrew Picken, Alma Fernandez, Rodney Wirtz, Carolyn Riley, Harry Shirinan, Jody Rubin, Roland Kato, Ray Tischer
Cello – Christina Soule, Paula Hochalter, Vanessa F. Smith, Timothy Loo, Armen Ksajikian
Double bass – Charles Berghofer, Don Ferrone, Drew Dembowski
Choir (track 7) – Shirley Koesnadi, Alissa M. Cremshaw, Elaina S. Crenshaw, Alexandra Gunn, Jeffery Gunn, Emma S. Gunn, Victor Pineshi, Mariah A. Britt, Joshua Britt, Alycia Grant, Chelsea T. DiBlasi, Jessica Rotter, conducted by Angie Jaree
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
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Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved early popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop. They are regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music.
Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. It was released in the US on 25 March 1997.
Discovery is the second studio album by the former French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 12 March 2001 by Virgin Records. It marked a shift from the Chicago house of their first album, Homework (1997), to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk described Discovery as an exploration of song structures, musical forms and childhood nostalgia, compared to the "raw" electronic music of Homework.
Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.
Thomas Bangalter is a French musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, DJ and composer. He is best known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, alongside Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He has recorded and released music as a member of the trio Stardust, the duo Together, as well as a solo artist. Bangalter's work has influenced a wide range of artists in various genres.
"Da Funk" is an instrumental track by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, initially released as a 12-inch single in May 1995 by Soma and Virgin and later included on their debut album, Homework (1997). Prior to its inclusion on the album, "Da Funk" received little attention and was limited to 2,000 copies. The song and its accompanying music video directed by Spike Jonze are considered classics of 1990s house music. It went on to sell 30,000 copies in 1997. A reversed clip of the song was also released on Homework as "Funk Ad", which is the final track on the album.
French electronic music duo Daft Punk released four studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, five remix albums, two video albums, twenty-two singles and nineteen music videos. Group members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met in 1987 while studying at the Lycée Carnot secondary school. They subsequently recorded several demo tracks together, forming Daft Punk in 1993. Their debut single "The New Wave" was released the following year on the Soma Quality Recordings label. Daft Punk first found commercial success with the release of their second single "Da Funk", which peaked at number seven in France and topped the United States Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Todd Edward Imperatrice, known professionally as Todd Edwards, is an American garage house record producer, DJ, and singer. Nicknamed "The God" and known by various aliases throughout his career, he has been credited as a significant influence on electronic music. He inspired the French house duo Daft Punk and played a role in the creation of the UK garage genre.
"Face to Face" is a single by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, featuring vocals and co-production by American house music producer Todd Edwards. It was released on their second studio album Discovery (2001) and as a promotional single on 10 October 2003. As part of Discovery, the song appears in the film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, and the section of the film in which the song appears serves as its music video.
Tron: Legacy is the soundtrack album to the 2010 film of the same name, released by Walt Disney Records on December 3, 2010. It is the only film score by French music duo Daft Punk.
"One More Time" is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Discovery (2001), on 13 November 2000. It was shipped to radio in January 2001. It is a French house song featuring an auto-tuned vocal performance by Romanthony and a sample of "More Spell on You" by Eddie Johns. The music video forms part of the 2003 anime film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. "One More Time" reached number one on the French Singles Chart, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Get Lucky" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams and American guitarist Nile Rodgers. Daft Punk released the song as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album, Random Access Memories, on 19 April 2013. Before its release as a single, it was featured in television advertisements broadcast during Saturday Night Live, after which Rodgers and Williams announced their involvement in the track. "Get Lucky" is a house-inspired disco, funk, and pop track with lyrics that, according to Williams, are about the good fortune of connecting with someone, as well as sexual chemistry. Upon release, it received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised Williams's vocals and Rodgers's guitar riffs.
"Doin' It Right" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American musician Panda Bear of the band Animal Collective. It is a track on Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013), and was the last to be recorded for the album. The song was distributed to American alternative radio stations on 3 September 2013 as the third single from Random Access Memories. Prior to this, it appeared on record charts in France, the United States and the United Kingdom due to digital downloads of the album. "Doin' It Right" received a positive critical reception, with some reviewers opining it as the group's best work out of the entire LP.
"Contact" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It is the thirteenth and final track from the duo's fourth studio album Random Access Memories, released on 17 May 2013. The track was written and produced by the duo, with additional writing and co-production by DJ Falcon. Daryl Braithwaite, Tony Mitchell, and Garth Porter are also credited as writers due to the song containing a sample of "We Ride Tonight" by Australian rock band the Sherbs. The song includes audio from the Apollo 17 mission, courtesy of NASA and Captain Eugene Cernan. Due to digital downloads of Random Access Memories, the song charted at number 46 on the French Singles Chart and at number 24 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
"Lose Yourself to Dance" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams. Like their previous collaboration with fellow American musician Nile Rodgers, "Get Lucky", the song was written for Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013).
"Give Life Back to Music" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. It is the opening track on the album. The song features lyrics performed by Daft Punk using vocoders. "Give Life Back to Music" also features album collaborators Nile Rodgers on guitar and Chilly Gonzales on keyboards. The song includes guitar work by Paul Jackson, Jr. and additional keyboards by Chris Caswell, with drums by John "J.R." Robinson and bass by Nathan East. The song was distributed to radio stations on 31 January 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the final single from the album in 2014. Before this, it charted in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
"Giorgio by Moroder" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013). It is the third track on the album. The song features a monologue by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, who speaks about his early life and musical career. "Giorgio by Moroder" charted in France and Sweden due to downloads of the album.
"Fragments of Time" is a song by written, produced, and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American musician Todd Edwards. It is included in the duo's 2013 album Random Access Memories. "Fragments of Time" charted in France and the United States due to digital downloads of the album.
Random Access Memories is the third compilation album by French electronic duo Daft Punk. It is an anniversary reissue of the duo's final studio album Random Access Memories containing an extra disc with 35 minutes of bonus content, including unreleased demos and outtakes. The reissue was released on 12 May 2023.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Weiner, Jonah (13 April 2013). "Exclusive: Daft Punk Reveal Secrets of New Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013. Without warning, a nearly two-minute video popped up on jumbotron screens flanking the festival's various stages, in which Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers and the Daft Punk robots rock out in heavily sequined getups to 'Get Lucky'
1 2 3 Lachman, Ed (8 April 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 2: Todd Edwards". The Creators Project. YouTube. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013. [...] They reversed gears and went back to a time that no one's really focusing on (2:49 min). [...] When the music becomes focused on the effects that are being used or the presets of sounds, it's just computer – there's no soul there. It's kind of ironic: two androids are bringing soul back to music (6:54 min).
1 2 Lachman, Ed (30 April 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 6: Chilly Gonzales". The Creators Project. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013. [...] [Daft Punk] don't really need any help. And so when they ask for help, it's because they are in such a high level and so advanced, [...] that [they] can ask for help for certain details that are going to make the work be transcendent (7:53 min).
1 2 Lachman, Ed (15 April 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 4: Pharrell Williams". The Creators Project. YouTube. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013. [...] Up; is where they belong. We're lucky to hang out [with them] in the planet. They could just get back on the spaceship that brought them here and go, and leave us. But they're gracious, they're nice robots. They chose to stay. (6:26 min)
↑ Warren, Emma (May 2013). "Todd Edwards – Red Bull Music Academy". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 18 May 2013. 57:58 – Thomas wanted me to see if I could put some cut-ups in there [...] he gave me like the biggest compliment because he's like [...] you actually helped kind of save the track [...] because it was so contemporary sounding, it didn't have any vibe that was kind of along the electronics line.
1 2 Phillips, Amy; Snapes, Laura (26 February 2013). "Daft Punk Confirm Alliance With Columbia". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013. Daft Punk have confirmed their alliance with Columbia Records. [...] The duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo are due to release a new album this year, according to Nile Rodgers.
1 2 Gensler, Andy (24 March 2013). "Daft Punk 'Get Funky' in New Teaser Ad for Random Access Memories". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013. [...] Daft Punk's follow-up to 2005's Human After All will be released May 21 on the group's Daft Life imprint through Columbia Records, and is now available for pre-order on iTunes.
↑ Phillips, Amy (12 April 2013). "Daft Punk Confirm Julian Casablancas, Panda Bear, Pharrell, More Collaborations with Coachella Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013. The video confirmed that Random Access Memories will indeed have a star-studded list of collaborators: the Strokes' Julian Casablancas, Animal Collective's Panda Bear, Pharrell, Paul Williams, Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder, Chilly Gonzales, DJ Falcon, and Todd Edwards.
↑ Minsker, Evan; Phillips, Amy (16 April 2013). "Daft Punk Reveal Random Access Memories Tracklist Via Vine Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013. [...] The French robot duo have shared the album's tracklist via a Vine video which can be watched below. As previously reported, the album features collaborations with the Strokes' Julian Casablancas, Animal Collective's Panda Bear, Pharrell, Paul Williams, Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder, Chilly Gonzales, DJ Falcon, and Todd Edwards.
↑ Schneider, Marc (13 May 2013). "Daft Punk Reveal Random Access Memories Vinyl: Video and Photos". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013. [...] Set in what resembles a command center filled with towering, illuminated computer servers, the 1:40-long video quickly makes its way to an envelope marked 'confidential'. A pair of be-gloved hands begins a thorough inspection of the album, which ends with a needle-drop on leadoff track, 'Give Life Back to Music'.
↑ Lachman, Ed (11 April 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 3: Nile Rodgers". The Creators Project. YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013. [...] I feel like I'm working with contemporaries [...] with people who grew up with me and feel it the same way we felt the vibe when we were creating this stuff. It's like they went back to go forward (10:24 min).
↑ Lachman, Ed (24 April 2013). "Daft Punk |Random Access Memories|The Collaborators, Episode 5: Panda Bear". The Creators Project. YouTube. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013. [...] Instead of sampling an old piece of music, it was like recording things in an old way to make something that kind of sounds like it was sampling something old, but which in turn kind of makes it sound new (7:03 min) [...]
1 2 "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 21.Týden 2013 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
↑ アルバム TOP100[Album Top 100] (in Japanese). Oricon. 15 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
↑ "Los Más Vendidos 2013" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
↑ "Los Más Vendidos 2014" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
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