Discovery - Daft Punk

The duo of Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo are better known by the name Daft Punk, and together came together in 2001 to produce, “Discovery”, their second album. The French pair perform House music with many twists, making it accessible to pretty much any audience.

1. “One More Time”

You have them begin with what was one of their most well-known tracks, but I have to admit that it wasn’t one of the tracks ...
...This is quite typical of the time at the start of the 21st Century, and the type of mainstream Electronica which came from the period, and you can’t say it’s not a feel-good anthem, but it’s just not something I can get into (aside from the odd break).

**Two Stars**

2. “Aerodynamic”

Although this is a lesser-known single from them, I expect that you will recall hearing the main riff from this, it has them getting ... more

The duo of Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo are better known by the name Daft Punk, and together came together in 2001 to produce, “Discovery”, their second album. The French pair perform House music with many twists, making it accessible to pretty much any audience.

1. “One More Time”

You have them begin with what was one of their most well-known tracks, but I have to admit that it wasn’t one of the tracks on here which appealed to me that much at all. This is quite typical of the time at the start of the 21st Century, and the type of mainstream Electronica which came from the period, and you can’t say it’s not a feel-good anthem, but it’s just not something I can get into (aside from the odd break).

**Two Stars**

2. “Aerodynamic”

Although this is a lesser-known single from them, I expect that you will recall hearing the main riff from this, it has them getting funky with it and bringing the pace up a bit, and it appears that this is why it was chosen by the Grime MC Wiley for a Summer hit in 2008. It is completely instrumental, and has them show how diverse they can be in a single recording.

**Four Stars**

3. “Digital Love”

I would say that if you didn’t recognise the one prior to this, then you won’t have hard this one, but this too came to be released as a single, but didn’t chart as well and so it had limited airplay around the time. It has them grooving much more here, and showing increasingly more of what they do with a song which is quite emotive in it lyrics, but due to the robotic voices, it conveys completely different emotions. For me, it took a while to get into, but the breaks midway through liven it right up.

**Four Stars**

4. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”

This is probably the track which all known them best for, and I would have to say that of all their music, it would be best work them to be known for this as it is a killer song and shows just how they can interwork the sounds of Electro out in Europe, and make it appeal to those likely to shun it (see Kanye’s sample of it in “Stronger). You would have to compare this to their earlier, “Around The World” hit for its subtle use of Hip hop to drive it along.

**Five Stars**

5. “Crescendolls”

We finally come to a break in the succession of well-known tunes from them as we move on to this track, and the way which it started in made me optimistic that they would continue to produce high quality stuff as it begins with some heavy percussion, reminding me of early Hip Hop, before taking themselves into a bright and lively Dance tune. It is fresh and keeps the momentum flowing through the album.

**Four Stars**

6. “Nightvision” (Lude)

7. “Super Heroes”

Following an interlude designed to mellow you through its calming synth, you have them come right back with thumping beats pushing things forward as they get things done and go right back to the House work. I have to say that when bass is used in such a way, the conations of Euro-House (despite having them do this throughout) puts me right off, and it appears that they are conforming to the expectations of similar acts from the region here.

**Two Stars**

8. “High Life”

The funky sampling come back for this one as they win you back with their modern interpretation on Disco, and it is sure to get you moving again as they do things in their unique way to get the club atmosphere going as you listen to the way they construct the music around a pretty simplistic structure. It is all going down in a big way hear, and it pulls you right back into the feel of the record.

**Four Stars**

9. “Something About Us”

We go back to one of the singles from the album, but I have to say that before going through the album I hadn’t heard this one before, and this is a real shame as it gets them uncovering further musical influences with this one clearly taking from the R&B and Soul sounds of the seventies and eighties. Their original interpretation is jus too much, and really surprises you. It was really one of the last things I expect to get from them in this album, and it was done very well.

**Four Stars**

10. “Voyager”

The way which this one begins reminded me of “One More Time”, the opening song to the album, and so it wasn’t something which prevented me from getting into it from the early stages. However, as you get further through the recording it seems to improve to a stage where you can’t just discount it for taking on the same sort of things as their popular lead single.

**Three stars**

11. “Veridis Quo”

This is another of their sings which has been taken from the album and used for the urban market, so as this begins you should straight be taken to Jasmine Sullivan’s “Big Dreams”. This track is entirely instrumental, and I would say that this holds them back at all as tit enables them to once again display how they can bring out emotions through a complex arrangements of the Electronic instruments they have available to them.

**Four Stars**

12. “Short Circuit”

The sounds of the eighties return through this song in a tune which seems to bring together their Electronica with early Hip Hop, early eighties Funk and Disco in its later times. It is another killer joint from them, and has them impress you even more with the diversity which they are able to come up with here. I would consider it to be one of the best you get here.

**Five Stars**

13. “Face To Face”

This is a freaky cut from them which has them have a go at something which sounds quite different from a lot which you get in here, but due to the fact that they have so much going on with this one. It was the fifth single from the album, but I would have to say that it’s impact wasn’t nearly as strong as what you get at other points here.

**Three Stars**

14. “Too Long”

Lasting exactly ten minutes, this one finds them a track which as they describe through the album, is just too long as you have the vocalists sing about how long they have been apart from their partner. The beats which open this one up are freaky, and hint for something much better to come as things advance, and you get just this as it breaks down into a good old Big Beat joint from them.

**Four Stars**

This is a great album from Daft Punk, and t will appeal to any music listener. The diversity in it means that anyone will be able to find a tune within it they can really enjoy, so there’s no reason not to check it out whatsoever. At times it didn’t appeal to me, but this comes with having a record with so much variation.  

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