Presenting us with the hottest in new music from around the globe, Pete Tong showered us in delicacies last night during his weekly BBC Radio 1 dance music marathon. Kicking the show off with the world premiere of Kaskade’s autonomously sung and produced new single “Atmosphere,” moving on into Sander van Doorn’s electrifying “Neon,” and the bouncy, big room Hardwell remix of Krewella’s “Alive,” followed by other progressive anthems.
Pete’s coveted “Essential New Tune” went to none other than ex-SHM member Axwell for the remode his new single “Centre of The Universe,” replacing Francesco Rossi’s enigmatic tune “Paper Aeroplane” from last week. Daft Punk continued the discussion with Tong in Part 2 of their Coachella interview while immersing in new tracks off RAM “Giorgio By Moroder,” “Loose Yourself to Dance” and “Instant Crush.”
London-based techno producer Scuba ran through his picks for week’s “Goodie Goodies” including Locked Groove’s “Do It Anyway” and favorite tune of the year Dusky’s “Vanishing Point,” while house legend Kerri Chandler was knighted into Tong’s “Hall of Fame” while explaining the compelling story behind “Bar A Thym.” Tong pins Blond:ish as his future star, ending of with a hot mix from Israeli tech-house sensation Guy Gerber.
The release of Daft Punk‘s latest album has been hailed by some as the savior of dance music, while others remain unimpressed by the album’s staunch departure from the Daft Punk of yore. It has sparked heated debate amongst our staff since the iTunes stream and we’ve all given it a few days to sink in, to really listen to the album before writing our reactions. Will Daft Punk save dance music like so many have preached in the weeks leading up to its release? Or will the album fall victim to the 24-hour music news cycle and fade away into obscurity like so many other great pieces of electronic music that demand more than just a casual listen?
This morning’s mix is a celebration, once again, of the French sound. This is a very special remastered live set from two and a half hours of a set shared by Cassius, Thomas Bangalter, and DJ Falcon at the Amsterdam Dance Event in 2002. This set is really as diverse as it gets — they touch on everything from Prince to the most classic house with Steve Silk Hurley to Mystikal, Busta Rhymes, and Nelly. It’s all wrapped together with a pristine and propelling early aughts French house touch. Whether or not you’re feeling Random Access Memories right now, this is something all dance lovers will be able to agree upon.
It started with 15 second clips. From a shortened radio edit of “Get Lucky” to listening party phone recordings, we remained unsatisfied and impatient. After rubbernecking at every “leak” like it was a Final Destination collision, Daft Punk fanatics (like myself) can finally rest those stiff shoulders and enjoy the sensual massage of Random Access Memories. Ahead of iTunes’ pre-order free stream, savvy computer jocks have ripped the individual symphonies and publicized the 192 kbps arrangement.
In just over a week the most anticipated electronic album of all time will finally be unleashed onto the world. The hype machine will come to a halt and all of us can enjoy listening to Daft Punk’s latest album, Random Access Memories, instead of just blabbering incessantly about it. In their latest marketing move, the duo have released a short clip unboxing the vinyl edition of RAM, teasing “Give Life Back To Music” and leaving all of us wanting more.
Luckily for those of us who can’t wait for the 21st to hear the album in full, iTunes will be allowing users to stream the entire album for a limited time only.
The year is 1999. Some of French house music’s most legendary names seem to be all hitting their stride right around the same time, and this remix you’re about to listen to is the perfect example. On its own, “La Mouche” is a quirky little number, but DJ Falcon‘s remix made this one a bonafide all-time classic.
Perhaps the most enigmatic artists in electronic music Daft Punk have built their career on keeping themselves out of the public eye. Their press appearances are brief and sporadic – it’s been over 10 years since Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have spoken out on BBC Radio 1 – but at this year’s Coachella Arts and Music Festival the duo sat down with Pete Tong to open up about their new album, their lengthy hiatus and the process behind their reinvention.
“We were interested in taking the time to reinvent ourselves and see where we could go next,” Bangalter reflects, “we were really experimenting all these years in the studio.” Referring to Random Access Memories as their first official studio album, the duo discuss their creative process citing a deep desire to recreate the magic of old house music and its timeless appeal.
“In some sense we emerged from that [Chicago house] tradition of working in a home studio and ‘pretending’ to do a record. It really felt that this album was the same music that we’ve always done – you’re right to say it’s maybe the record we’ve always wanted to do because it felt like we are doing the same thing but this time we are doing it for real.”
Listen to the full 17-minute interview after the break.
With Random Access Memorieson the horizon, the eighth installment of Daft Punk‘s Collaborator series reveals details on one track in particular. Featured on the latest installment is Paul Williams, the Academy-Award winning composer responsible for songs with the likes of Barbara Streisand. Paul’s latest project is with “the robots” (as we’ve come to know them over the past month), on a record titled “Touch.” The famed musician refers to his work with Daft Punk as honest, vulnerable, and a gift for himself.
23 years sober after battling alcoholism, Williams recognizes that everyday is a gift, and hopes that emotion leaks through his collaboration as an “eloquent chain of surprise.” A Parallel to his own life, he describes “Touch” as a “9-minute journey” that will “elevate people to a new intensity of emotion.”
In 12 days Random Access Memories will finally see its official release, and with it a slew of remixes, bootlegs and edits will follow. If you are looking for an interesting way to experience some old school Daft Punk nostalgia than look no further than Jordan Laws showcasing some launchpad prowess, mixing together every Daft Punk track in this 2:30 minute video clip.
The seventh installment of Daft Punk‘s Collaborators Project shines a light on DJ Falcon, perhaps the collaborator that’s known the duo the longest. DJ Falcon began working with Thomas Bangalter in 1999 when he released his first record on Roulé and probably most notably released “So Much Love To Give” with him one year later as the short-lived duo Together. In this video, DJ Falcon reflects on first meeting Thomas and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo as teenagers and the excitement of being in the French house scene when people like Daft Punk, Phoenix, Alan Braxe (DJ Falcon’s cousin), and many others were truly defining the sound for dance music in the country.
