Daft Club (Remixes) [ECD] - Daft Punk > Reviews > Daft Club

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it rate alongside the competition	Good
Value for Money	Poor

Advantages:	A Good House/Electronica/Dance album
Disadvantages:	Not really Daft Punk .  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

This album is a compilation of remixes of tracks taken from the three Daft Punk studio albums: "Homework", "Discovery" and "Human After All" (chronological order). In addition to the other artist's remixes, Daft Punk themselves have included an "Ouverture" and two remixes of the classic single from Discovery: Aerodynamic.

As it is a remix album I do not find the order of tracks to be particularly relevant although Daft Punk have put the "Ouverture" fittingly at the beginning. This crackles off with a reproduction of the all to well known internet dial-up "tune". This is amusing and realisation soon hits of it's inevitability though it drops at the end of the tune into a drum beat that continues into some more traditional Daft Punking.

There are three (badly spaced out) remixes of Aerodynamic on the album. The first is Daft Punk's own. It has been rearranged and added with the acapella of "One More Time". The combination works brilliantly and the notorious "Aerodynamic" guitar riff is put to even better effect. Speaking of effects there are some subtle changes to the softer riffs in the track when it is layered under the second more menacing, winey guitar riff. This is one of my favourites on the album despite only mild changes.
The next Aerodynamic track is the "Slum Village Remix". The track has been rearranged and used as the backing beat to a rap. The remixing is slightly more radical than the Daft Punk remix but Aerodynamic is still very much there and the track turns out splendidly.
The last is the fearfully named "Aerodynamite". I was expecting something something similar to "Robot Rock Overdrive" from the Human After All remixes EP. Instead, a soothing aerodynamic leads into an unexpected dance track that is barely associable with the original. It's good, but the Daft Punk spirit is slightly removed.

Another of "Discovery"'s singles "Face to Face", is used twice in "Daft Club". The "Cosmo Vitelli" version contains the identifiably original rhythm from the original but replaces the sounds. The vocals kick in on time and the backing changes into smooth, swaying synthesisers. The track seems to have changed only by the sounds and instruments being different. It is interesting and very enjoyable. Awesome.
The "Demon Remix" is much less like the original although the vocals are still present. Punchier with a genre closer to dance, the "Demon Remix" is almost a different track because the original sampling is so abstract.

The classic "Harder Better Faster Stronger" is another Discovery single with two remixes. The first is a Neptunes remix. I have little to say other than that Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have really spoilt this track, it has been so radically changed (for the worse) that there is almost no Daft Punk left in it! A real shame, especially because of The Neptunes' production skills.
The "Jess & Crabbe" is a more repetitive number. Not the best vocal break, uninspiring drumming ripples on, a dance beat joins it, most listeners will change track now… Further vocal line remixing ensues that is utterly unpredictable. To be honest, it's fine, it's listenable to but it's just not Daft Punk!!!

"Digital Love" the song of "Discovery" has been changed almost sacrilegiously speaking for the better. No, I take that back. Nothing is better than the original. However, Boris Dlugosh has elongated it and rearranged. Wise not to change the sound of this masterpiece. Elongated is the key word, suffice to say it is fairly essential to a Daft Punk library.

Not a single, but again from "Discovery", the Laidback Luke version of "Crescendolls" has the exact same feel of the original. It has merely been rearranged. It is a good remix but the original conveys the song better.

The Ganzales version of Too Long is similar to the Laidback Luke version of "Crescendolls" in that there really hasn't been much change. I can't actually see myself ever getting into this track and listening to it when the original is available, especially as I don't even like this track.

Finishing with "Discovery", Romanthony's Unplugged One More Time is one of the last tracks on the album. It kicks off with a slow guitar riff that is probably based around a Daft Punk riff though not too similar or totally dissimilar. Then the guy starts singing. All associations to Daft Punk, house music or even dance has vanished. That doesn't have to be a bad thing but in this case it rather is. The total lack of percussion is most disfitting for something on a Daft Punk album.

Moving back in time to "Homework", there is only one of the older tracks that has been renewed: "Phoenix". This remix is by Basement Jaxx. Listening all the way through I cannot find anything of "Phoenix" at all. It's not a bad track but it's not a remix… I think it is a real shame that "Homework" hasn't been touched but I could also say I am relieved that such a good album has not been "tampered" with!

Overall, this album is a very good house album, but it won't be what most buyers are looking for. What makes Daft Punk Daft Punk is barely present here.