March 23, 2022 Playlist

"Discovery" by Daft Punk (2001)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Daft Punk "Discovery"  2001 (France)
In retrospect twenty years later, this was probably one of the most seminal albums of its era. When I hear the contemporary pop music millenials are in to, I hear echoes of early Daft Punk in a lot of the arrangement and production tricks (soulful vocoder vocal hooks and chopped-up beat edits in particular). Yet when I gave this album a spin recently, it struck me how "analog" it sounds for a futuristic funk album. A lot of the sounds of this album come from the 70's and 80's; they do sample old records here, but also created their own new hooks that sound like they are from the same era. This album established DP as the top electronic/dance band of their era, and after they disbanded in 2021 (their final album of new material came out back in 2013) it seems clear they stand alongside Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder among the giants of European electronic pop. Even cooler still, one of the reasons this album is so remembered is that it hung around the pop culture for several years - in 2003, they released a Japanese animated film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem which uses this entire album as its soundtrack and I think is one of the most successful "albums turned into a movie" ever attempted (and that hasn't been attempted very often). Here's a few clips (songs) from the movie version of Discovery: An alien band plays for grooving fans on an alien planet ("One More Time"). But the band is kidnapped by evildoers ("Aerodynamic")! An unlikely hero springs into action ("Digital Love"). The band are brainwashed into thinking they are humans ("Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger") and a bad guy turns them into pop stars on Earth ("Crescendolls"). Later, the hero helps them recover their true identities ("Something About Us"). Just like the music that inspired it, the visuals are a dreamy mix of 70's-80's aesthetics and futuristic themes.
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
DaphniPairsJiaolong2012Canada
Black Moth Super RainbowGold SplatterEating Us2009USA
John Dwyer Yuggoth Travel AgencyGong Splat (N)2021 (Castle Face)USA
Guided By Voices Eyes Of Your DoctorCrystal Nuns Cathedral (N)
2022 (GBV Inc.)USA
Tricot Itsumo
("Always")		Jodeki (N)
("Good Work")
2021 (Cutting Edge/8902)Japan
 
 
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Blue Morpho (Ciel's Fluttering Dub)Butterfly 3001 (N - remix album)2022 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
Atarashii Gakko!  ("New School!") CANDYSNACKTIME EP (N)2021 (88rising)Japan
Cheer-Accident Star Vehicle (4 Flats)Here Comes The Sunset (N)2022 (Skin Graft)USA
MAST (R)Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk)Thelonious Sphere Monk2018USA
Ben LaMar Gay We Gon WinOpen Arms To Open Us (N)2021 (International Anthem)USA
   
 
Daft PunkOne More Time
   --> Aerodynamic
   --> Digital Love		Discovery
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		2001France
Daft PunkGiorgio By MoroderRandom Access Memories2013France
Donna SummerI Feel Love (written & produced by Giorgio Moroder)I Remember Yesterday1977USA
   
 
CerroneSupernature
   --> Sweet Drums
   --> In The Smoke 		Supernature (Cerrone III)1977France
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft
("German American Friendship")		Mein Herz Macht Bum
("My Heart Goes Boom")		Alles Ist Gut
("All Is Well")		1981Germany
Moebius-Plank-NeumeierAll ReproZero Set1983Germany
Sun RaDance (live)Disco 30001978USA
   
 
Tangerine DreamStratosfearStratosfear1976Germany
KraftwerkAnanas Symphonie
("Pineapple Symphony")		Ralf & Florian1973Germany
Jean-Jacques PerreyE.V.A.Moog Indigo1970France
   
 
Herbie HancockWater TortureCrossings1972USA
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