Random Access Memories
Random Access Memories is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles. This theme is reflected in the packaging and promotional campaign, which included billboards, television advertisements and a web series. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2012 at Henson, Conway and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris, France.
Following the minimal production of their previous album, Human After All, Daft Punk recruited session musicians with the help of Chris Caswell to perform live instrumentation and limited the use of electronic instruments to drum machines, a custom-built modular synthesizer and vintage vocoders. It combines disco, progressive rock and pop, with contributions by Paul Jackson Jr., Giorgio Moroder, Chilly Gonzales, Julian Casablancas, Paul Williams, Caswell, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Todd Edwards, Panda Bear and DJ Falcon.
Random Access Memories is the only Daft Punk album to top the US Billboard 200, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It also topped the charts in twenty other countries. Its lead single, "Get Lucky", topped the charts in more than 30 countries and became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. The album appeared on several year-end lists, and won in several categories at the 2014 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best Dance/Electronica Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. "Get Lucky" also won the awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Random Access Memories number 295 on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Background
In 2008, after finishing their Alive 2006/2007 tour, Daft Punk began working on new material in Paris, recording demos for approximately six months. They were pleased with the compositions, but dissatisfied with their process of sampling and looping, as they had done for their previous albums. As Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk stated, "We could play some riffs and stuff but not keep it for four minutes straight." Daft Punk put these demos aside and started work on the Tron: Legacy film soundtrack, which Bangalter described as "very humbling". For their next album, Daft Punk decided to work extensively with live musicians. They spoke with Chris Caswell, a well-connected musician in the industry who had previously composed arrangements for Legacy, and commissioned him to gather a group of experienced session artists to perform for the record. According to Bangalter, "We wanted to do what we used to do with machines and samplers, but with people." They avoided the use of samples, with the exception of the closing track "Contact".The album features Chic frontman Nile Rodgers. According to Rodgers, the collaboration was "something we've talked about for a long time. We've respected each other endlessly." Daft Punk visited Rodgers' home for an informal jam session. Musician Paul Williams announced in a 2010 interview that he had worked with the group, after Daft Punk had been introduced to Williams by a sound engineer with whom they were mutually acquainted.
In May 2012, Daft Punk's collaboration with Giorgio Moroder was announced. Moroder had recorded a monologue about his life for use in a track on the album. Rodgers was also present during the Moroder recording session. Moroder clarified that he was not involved in the composition of the track or its use of a synthesizer: "They did not let me get involved at all. Thomas asked me if I wanted to tell the story of my life. Then they would know what to do with it." Daft Punk had been in contact with Moroder in relation to a possible contribution for the Tron: Legacy score, but this never happened.
Chilly Gonzales stated in an interview that his contribution was recorded in a one-day session: "I played for hours and they're gonna grab what they grab and turn it into whatever." He explained that Daft Punk prompted him at the piano in the same manner that a film director coaches an actor, and Gonzales left the Los Angeles studio without knowledge of what the final product would sound like. He had previously recorded a cover version of Daft Punk's song "Too Long" that appeared on their 2003 album Daft Club.
Pharrell Williams collaborated with Daft Punk and Rodgers by providing vocals for two tracks on Random Access Memories. As a member of the Neptunes, Pharrell had previously provided a remix of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" that appeared on Daft Club. The Neptunes and Daft Punk also co-produced N.E.R.D.'s song "Hypnotize U".
Recording
Daft Punk recorded Random Access Memories in secrecy. Recording took place at Henson Recording Studios, Conway Recording Studios and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris. Having worked with keyboardist and arranger Chris Caswell on Tron: Legacy, Daft Punk enlisted him and connected with engineers and other session players. They wanted to avoid the more compressed sounds of drum machines in favor of "airy open" drum sets of the 1970s and 80s, which they considered the most appealing era of music. They said the session players were enthusiastic about reuniting in the context of the new album and the prestige of the studio locations.Drummer Omar Hakim recalled being asked by Daft Punk to perform on the album, and was surprised by what they wanted of him. He at first assumed they wanted electronic drum work, since Hakim had done some drum programming in his career. Daft Punk instead specified that they were looking to record Hakim performing drum riffs that they had conceived. Rather than play out the entire structure of a song, Hakim would perform individual patterns for extended periods, creating a library for Daft Punk to cull from. They conveyed their ideas to session musicians via sheet music and in some instances by humming melodies. For example, Bangalter hummed a complex drum and bass line to Hakim, who replicated and improved upon it for "Giorgio by Moroder".
Most of the vocal sessions took place in Paris, whereas the rhythm sections were recorded in the United States. The album incorporates a variety of accompanying performances including a horn section, woodwind instruments, a string orchestra and choir. Orchestral parts were recorded for almost every track, but used for only a few on the completed album. Bangalter said that the use of such performers and studios for the sake of experimentation harkened to an earlier era, and came at great monetary expense. He estimated that it had cost more than one million dollars, but felt that the number was not important. The sessions were financed by Daft Punk themselves, which allowed them the luxury of abandoning the project if they wished. Bangalter said some songs had been recorded across five studios over two and a half years. Rodgers recalled that Daft Punk aimed to create an album as if the Internet had never existed.
Various sound effects were newly recorded with the help of film experts from Warner Bros. Bangalter noted one example in which the sound of a busy restaurant was achieved by placing microphones in front of the forks of a group of people. In another instance, the effect of dripping water was recorded on a soundstage. Use of electronics was limited to drum machines that appear on only two tracks, a large custom-built Modcan modular synthesizer performed live by Daft Punk, and vintage vocoders. Asked which Daft Punk member performed the robotic vocals, Bangalter said it did not matter. Daft Punk produced most of the vocoder tracks in their studio in Paris, with later processing by Mick Guzauski at Capitol. Moroder elaborated that Daft Punk would take "a week or so" to find an adequate vocoder sound, and an additional few days to record the lyrics.
Although Daft Punk felt that the presets and parameters of digital tools would inhibit creativity and innovation, they said Random Access Memories could not have been made without computer technology. The sessions were recorded simultaneously onto Ampex reels and as Pro Tools tracks; Daft Punk and Guzauski would then listen to each recording in both analogue and digital iterations, deciding which of the two they preferred. Subsequently, the elements were edited by Daft Punk with Pro Tools in a manner similar to how they would work with samples.
In an interview with Guitar World in November 2012, the Fourplay member Nathan East said he had contributed to the project. Pedal steel guitar was performed by Greg Leisz. Daft Punk sought to use it in a way that bordered between electronic and acoustic. Additional session players included John "J.R." Robinson, Paul Jackson, Jr., James Genus and Thomas Bloch.
Music
Theme and influences
Bangalter said the title encapsulates Daft Punk's interest in the past, referencing both random-access memory technology and the human experience: "We were drawing a parallel between the brain and the hard drive–the random way that memories are stored." Daft Punk felt that while current technology allows for an unlimited capacity to store recorded material, the content produced by contemporary artists had diminished in quality. Their goal was to maximize the potential of infinite storage by recording a sprawling amount of elements. They connected this to the title, as they sought to make connections out of the random series of ideas.Random Access Memories was described by music critics as a disco album. Daft Punk sought a "west coast vibe", referencing such acts as Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles. The record pays homage to Michael Jackson, the Cars, and Steely Dan. The recording of live synthesizers was inspired by progressive rock, with the pop sensibilities of Wizzard and the Move. Daft Punk looked to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd as models. Bangalter said "the most important records in music, whether it's Led Zeppelin or The White Album or Sgt. Pepper's... or Quadrophenia or Tommy, are the ones that take you on a journey for miles and miles."