“Why don’t you play the game?” Because Daft Punk is absolutely doing so, and winning far ahead of the finish line (May 21st to be exact). Daft Punk’s forthcoming album, Random Access Memories, will be out in just about a month after eight years since their third studio album, Human After All. In the meantime, the groundbreaking electronic French duo have been carefully cultivating their hype using mystery as a theme, which has long been one of their most attractive components.
Less than a week has gone by since the latest ad of Daft Punk’s previewing newest single “Get Lucky” ft. Pharrell premiered at Coachella and aired during a commercial break on Saturday Night Live. If the chirp online is any indication, fans are happy to be done waiting—almost, anyway. The preview has gone viral, as evidenced by the nearly three million YouTube views of an unofficial video of the official ad. Unable to wait until 12:01am on April 19 for the full release, an impressive number of fakes have been circulating the Internet (ranging from the original 15 second preview to actual 10 hour loops), leaving fans guessing as to whether they might be listening to the actual leak or not.
Since we’ll probably be on the receiving end of teasers along the lines of a silent video via Vine revealing the new album’s tracklist, let’s take a look back at some of the duo’s most memorable tracks in a completely scientific manner of speaking. As in, moments/descriptions most likely to conjure up a Daft Punk song, imaginary or otherwise:
Quintessential Daft Punk Song Upon Hearing News of Their Long-Anticipated New Album: One More Time (Discovery)
Instantly recognizable and completely overplayed, it’s hard not to fall in love with the track all over again and refrain from singing along, ‘One more time / Music’s got me feeling so free / We’re gonna celebrate / Celebrate and dance so free,’ when learning that there is reason for music fans to be ecstatic again.
Immediate Transport Back to the 90s Dance Heyday: Around the World (Homework)
Whether you were actually old enough to have hazed out to this at some club or to have spazzed out as a kid dancing around the bedroom, there’s no argument that ‘Around the World’ prominently displayed the duo’s electronic genius in using basslines to produce one of the best dance tracks in existence. All the more impressive given that the only lyrics are in the title.
Most Likely Foreshadowing of What Random Access Memories Will Sound Like: tie between Something About Us (Discovery) & Emotion (Human After All)
With all the secrecy that has surrounded Daft Punk’s physical identities, the duo have made no mystery of the fact that their musical ones have largely been influence by their penchant for the funk and disco highlighted throughout the 70s and 80s. Given that collaborators on the new album include Niles Rogers of legendary band Chic and legendary disco producer Giorgio Moroder, the spell inducing ‘Something About Us’ and ‘Emotion’are likely predictions of how Daft Punk might actually make the current retro trend more progressive.
Best in An Altered State of Mind: Aerodynamic(Discovery)
Whatever your interpretation of altered may be, there’s no question that this track mixing the funkiest of guitar solos, along with the unlikely use of bell tolls, is ideal for blocking out time by it’s very use of era-confusing genre of sounds.
Feeling Down? To Transition Out of Being Face Down, Unmotivated on the Floor to Getting Yourself Reinvigorated: tie between Digital Love & Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Discovery)
You can’t get anymore classic Daft Punk than these two tracks. Use them to get out of a funk and feel funky instead.
Random Access Memories is out May 21st.
**Bonus Track: ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ by LCD Soundsystem has to be thrown in for good measure as the jubilant ode to the duo for making countless parties that much better.
