5 things you didn’t know about Daft Punk’s most iconic tracks
Despite Daft Punk’s disbandment, their music continues to live on as highly respected pieces in electronic music. This is especially true with the upcoming release of a 10th-anniversary edition of their 2013 album, Random Access Memories, on 12 May.
As 909originals recently reported, a number of new features will be added to this special edition, including several outtakes, a soundtracked version of their Epilogue video , and a spatial audio version, among other elements.
Read More: 5 things we know about Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ reissue
Ahead of the upcoming release, Andrea Charles examines five things you probably didn’t know about Daft Punk’s most iconic tracks.
1 – They used a guitar pedal to create Rollin’ & Scratchin‘s harsh sounds
They combined disliked and popular equipment for their first album
Despite their rising popularity in the late 1990s, it wasn’t until later on that Daft Punk was able to invest in better gear. In constructing their seminal debut album Homework, the duo heavily relied on Roland TR drum machines and the TB-303, such as on Da Funk.
At the same time, it has been suggested that Daft Punk also used the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone guitar pedal on Rollin’ & Scratchin. Using this distortion pedal, artists can get high saturation levels, heavy mids and lows, and plenty of tone-sculpting possibilities. Although not fully confirmed by Guy or Thomas, musicians have made a strong case for its use on Rollin’ & Scratchin’ by accurately recreating its iconic harsh, pulverising sound.
2 – They plundered an array of 70s and 80s tracks on Discovery
For their second studio album Discovery, the duo undertook extensive sampling on almost every track, combining this with additional performed parts. In many cases, Daft Punk went back to the ‘70s and ‘80s to draw samples.
Some notable examples include Sister Sledge’s II Maquillage Lady, which was used in Aerodynamic and Edwin Birdsong’s Cola Bottle Baby, which forms the backbone of Harder Better Faster Stronger.
3 – Each group of characters on the Around The World video represents a different instrument
The music video for Around The World, directed by Michel Gondry and choreographed by Blanca Li, has a genius design. The video features a platform resembling a vinyl record, with five groups of characters dancing or walking along to the song— with each group representing a different instrument. Given its witty choreography, it’s no wonder this song is one of the most played on YouTube.
4 – They were inspired by electronic composer Wendy Carlos on the Tron: Legacy soundtrack
In 2008, Daft Punk started work alongside composer Joseph Trapanese and music supervisor Jason Bentley for the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.
The duo took inspiration from legendary electronic composer Wendy Carlos, who produced the iconic soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, on the opening track, Overture, which sounds like a system booting up.
5. Pharrell Williams wasn’t originally on Get Lucky
Released in 2013, Get Lucky sees Daft Punk collaborate with musicians Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. Initially, Daft Punk had a running draft of the song, which was reworked from almost the ground up when Rodgers started collaborating with the duo.
When Williams caught wind of Daft Punk’s upcoming project, he met with the group to share his material and potentially work with them. In an interview, Williams said he was inspired by Rodgers, without realising he was also recording with the group.
[Article by Andrea Charles]
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