Daft Punk - Human After All

I know what Private Press and Deadringer are, but I don't know what their "situation" is/was, nor do I know what BLNL is. Can someone fill me in?

Considering this particular pop music act gave us "Around the World", how in blazes is this any more dancefloor-oriented, unless you're wearing leather pants?

It isn't. But then its not exactly stretching the imagination for anyone to make exactly the same argument about Around The World, or Da Funk, both of which are about as minimal or repetetive as either of the two newer tracks you mention. Well, maybe not as beat-em-up movie music but you get where I'm coming from.

At the same time, I can't imagine anyone using a similar criticism of Digital Love or One More Time. Well, I could, but they would be WRONG.

"Paris, September 13 to November 9, 2004
All Guitars by Daft Punk"

(Stevem's Robot Rockism)

I like HAA and it's a nice record but it's no better than lots of other nice records, like Le Dust Sucker's album. The only thing which really elevates it above many records is that it's so distinctly an album by Daft Punk, ie that they have a well developed character/schtick which is more agreeable than many.

Or in other words, a shit Daft Punk record is still pretty good.

there's just more to it

I agree, but that 'Robot Rockism' gag was waiting to be born.

Also, it was weird seeing it in the Best Buy sunday circular.

mojo - 4/5
uncut - 4/5
q- 2/5

and jo wiley was playing 'technologic' just now.

You and Matt are missing the point, Ro. Especially you, Matt, for confusing Cut Copy with an indie band/Philippe Zdar's rockist shame. Do either of you actually understand the comparison?

To reiterate, here's Steve:

Barima was implying that Deadringer upstaged The Private Press somewhat by being the funkier, fresher cuz. BLNL is the Cut Copy album now being officially released in the UK in May featuring shades of DP 'great release' house at times.

As Nate Patrin also observed, the direct DP links in BLNL are from Discovery, which, need I point it out, was the last Daft Punk original music available for public consumption and therfore fresher in that consciouness than Homework. And hence the comment in bold.

Yeah, all those other rumors turned out to be true. ;)

Thing is, based on the lovers/haters ratio on this thread I expected more negative reviews/reactions than HAA is getting at the moment.

The dance press are (obviously) more positive - Mixmag and DJ give it album of the issue status.

Matt DC had never even heard of Cut Copy last week! they're less indie more new wave revival i suppose. i didn't realise Zdar had had a hand in BLNL until last week either tho, i'm quite amazed by that.

lack of substance? hmmmm

ha, wonder if he heard my bootleg

'au contraire' cries Mr Smagghe?

It’s the same story, track after track, willfully mistaking alternation for variation, intensification for development and dynamics. In other words, a shining example of pop songcraft in the 21st Century.

hmmmm...

Human After All more than lives up to its name, rendering a metaphor for failure on the grandest yet simultaneously most personal of terms.

nice point, but i don't get the A- as this review seems overly negative too

I don't like the CC album as much as HAA but its still enjoyable but the comparison seems overstated. The albums certainly aren't as close to each other in either sound or method as Deadringer is to The Private Press. And yeah, of course there's a big DP influence in there but the same is true of hundreds of records released over the past few years.

Shadow releases album wih recognisable shtick. Despite subsequently dumping 50% of said shtick inbetween albums to further embrace hardcore hip hop, surf rock, electro and techno, the follow-up resembles less his previous album and more the subsequent work, somehow confusing fans who have settled into a comfort xone of sorts.

Enter RJD2, whose debut album has shades of DJ Shadow's slow burn cross-genre instrumental hip hop, varied moody vs old school rappers-samples and inventive drum programming at times. With this and its general relative safe-playing vs the personal framework exploding/sidestepping and explorations of the rather more energetic second Shadow album, it acquires a large number of old-school Shadow fans who do not immediately spark up a blunt take to their former idol's sophomore effort.

I suggest that the negativity surrounding the current new Daft Punk release could potentially bestow such a similar fortune to the forthcoming wider release of the Cut Copy album, which qualifies for the comparison by being significantly influenced by an older act in the same business (first DP release 1994, first CC release: 1999/2000 - that's for Ronan) and for taking BLATANTLY OBVIOUS influence from a widely known previous album and sound from said act and infusing the end result with its own wider influences and, crucially, an easier to swallow accesibility/pop sensibility.

And any 'indie definition' of Annie that goes beyond her being on an idependent label sounds spurious and wrongheaded to me.

Bye!

Whether the Cut Copy record will benefit from post-HAA disillusionment (Human After All being the Kid A to Cut Copy's Parachutes) it still doesn't change my basic point that the Cut Copy record is coming from a completely different place. They're both great pop records but, with the exception of one or two tracks, BLNL just doesn't feel like a house record to me whereas Discovery clearly does. The indie bit was a windup but it still feels like an indie-dance-pop record influenced by French house. Its all in the drums.

Whereas you could've release Deadringer as a DJ Shadow album and no one would have batted an eyelid.

To me this is like an album of b-sides. The only track that really stands out to me is the title track and the artwork is fucking half-arsed as fuck.
Daft Punk have followed in the steps of their countrymen Air and gone for a simpler sound for their second albums rather than the all-out flamboyance of the second.
I just find it hard to believe that DP are happy with this release and wouldn't be surprised if the rumours about contractual obligation were true. How can the same band who did something as gorgeous and timely as Digital Love be content with something like Brainwasher?
It's not a truly terrible album but I can pretty much tell on first listen that like Talkie Walkie it won't have the staying power of Discovery or 10,000Hz the Legend.