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“One More Time” – Daft Punk f/ Romanthony
(Words/music: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and Anthony Moore, available on Discovery, Virgin Records 2000) 

Even if its creators make themselves up to look like robots, even if the lead vocal clips and bends from computer manipulations, and even if the beat loops in a way that only technology could allow, the core of “One More Time” remains distinctly human.  Whether it’s the emotional ups and downs in the arrangement, the focus on the visceral and distinctly human response to music, or even the way that the track sounds like a tight soul band behind the digital curtain, the human heart outshines the mechanical components.  Here, the robots are at the service of the humans on the dance floor, pumping in the music that will fuel the celebration.  (For what it’s worth, Tom Ewing does an excellent job describing this song, particularly the breathy vocal delivery, in the Pitchfork 500 book, so I’ll direct you to that rather than retread that analysis (EDIT: Thanks for the link, Tom!)).

While we’re celebrating the end of the year (or, for many, the beginning of a new one), I’m celebrating a year of writing.  Even on the most uninspired and lethargic days, I managed to write something and I have the people who read this blog to thank.  I never expected anyone aside from a few friends to read this blog, and I’m flattered by every person who subscribes, reblogs, comments, tweets, or links to this blog.  I’m humbled every time someone takes a few minutes to read something I wrote and even more when they take the time to write back or share it with someone else.  Without all of you, I couldn’t have stuck with this blog, let alone tried to write about someone different every day. 

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this year.  I’ll be more specific tomorrow with the thank yous and my plans for 2010, but you are the reason that I’m going to keep writing.

More on Daft Punk: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

TAGGED UNDER: daft punk | romanthony | 2000 | 2000s | virgin records | new year's | thank you |
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

“Music Sounds Better With You” – Stardust
(Words/music: Thomas Bangalter, Ben “Diamond” Cohen, Alan “Braxe” Quême, available on Music Sounds Better With You EP, Virgin 1999)

A lot of pop music walks a fine line between being delightful and being annoying. A lot of this is left to personal taste – what is one person’s pop anthem is another person’s signal to leave the room. That being said, some know how to write songs that play to their strengths and others take the strong point and run it into the ground. Finding repetitive music either as an opportunity for revelry or a source of repulsion tends to vary from person to person. Perhaps this is what made Stardust, a one-off collaboration between Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, producer Alan Braxe, and vocalist Ben Diamond, a one-time collaboration. “Music Sounds Better With You,” depending on your taste, either sounds like a perfectly danceable pop gem or a musical thought dragged on too long.

Essentially, “Music Sounds Better With You” loops the same keyboard riff, sound effect, and pulsing beat for the entire song. Ben Diamond sings the same few lines like a lounge singer squeezing as much charisma out of his limited script. The vocals aren’t as droll as that last sentence suggests, but the riff is the make or break portion of the song. Bangalter and company pull out a couple tricks – they fade in, drop the beat, etc – but essentially ride this riff for the entire song. Personally, I see how someone might find the song annoying, particularly the high pitched sound at the end of each bar. However, I end up getting lost in the repetition, occasionally keying in on Diamond’s vocals but generally just nodding my head along to the beat. Even if it’s not the most dynamic song, it gets firmly lodged into my brain, in part because the song threads that keyboard line together at least a hundred times before the track ends. It’s simple enough to withstand the repetitive usage and slips into the subconscious to that place where melodies go only to return at the most random times. It’s also melodic enough to become a welcome guest; while some melodies annoy me, getting part of “Music Sounds Better With You” only sends me clamoring for my iPod.

More on Stardust: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

TAGGED UNDER: stardust | thomas bangalter | daft punk | 1999 | 1990s | virgin records |
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