Here’s a quick analysis of the album structure for Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. After discussing it at length with a few friends, I wanted to find the real details as to why the album structure was so great.
Here’s what I’ve found:
- They have paced the album to have a mirror structure tonally. The “1st Half” and “2nd Half” of the album are almost the exact same length, and the entire album uses Touch as a central balance point.
- Given Touch’s melodramatic tone, they’ve placed both of the tracks with the strongest groove (both happen to be Pharrell’s guest tracks) right before and after Touch.
- The two slowest tracks are each 1 place from the beginning and end, to keep the overall balance of the album in equilibrium.
- There’s amazing attention to detail in the key changes from track to track. Most easily noticeable in the Chilly Gonzales piano segue from track 3 to 4.
TLDR; Daft Punk have focused on creating something that is intended to be listened to from front-to-back, without any real focus on getting the “singles” in front of you as early as possible. This is something not seen too often in popular music since most things have moved to digital track sales.
In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.
Henry Miller (via explore-blog)
Time one again for my ten album list that sums up the past year. I never put them in order from 1-10, but give each of them an award that they earned in my ears. For reference, here’s 2010 and 2011’s.
Best Use of Pitch Shifted Vocals Since Burial
XXYYXX - XXYYXX
Most Maturing Sound From Debut to Sophomore
The XX - Coexist
Best Album I Think I’m Too Old For
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble
Best Mixup of Dubstep & OG Rave
Rusko - Songs
Best Chipmunk Synth-Pop
Grimes - Visions
Best Piano Album I Waited 10 Years For
Chilly Gonzales - Solo Piano II
Best Example of an Electronic Musician’s Growth
Four Tet - Pink
Best Contemporary Cyberpunk Album
Jon Convex - Idoru
Best Middleground Between Underworld & Kaito
Blondes - Blondes
Best Proof That Skweee Was Just Proto-Ghetto
Daniel Savio - Danile Savio
So, finally after 8 months of hard work we’re up & running. Valet.com is there for the world to see and enjoy. My co-founder Josh & I have been sweating the small stuff for a long while now, and worked with more than a few friends to help pull this all off. I can easily say I’m very proud of the work, the idea, and most importantly the fact that we went from a dinner brainstorm to a live & selling product in well under a year. Execution is everything, and now the next chapter in this project kicks off.. running a 21st century travel company.
Here are a couple screenshots, but by all means take a look around yourself.
