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Giorgio by Moroder : A song that defines a generation
House | Tuesday 11th June 2013 | Keshav
Random Access Memories has its fair share of critics, but has had far more praise heaped on it for being the album that will no doubt shape electronic music for years to come. Influences from the 50’s , 60’s and 70’s are quite clearly pulsating through the crux of the album. One of the standout tracks is 'Giorgio by Moroder'. The track is a kind of monologue in which Moroder explains his beginings in dance music and his musical vision. What’s interesting about the song is that it illustrates just what Daft Punk’s vision of music is. The French duo have been known as experimentalists. In an interview with Lauren Lavern on BBC radio they claimed that the Tron legacy was a big influence in the composition of this album. Some fans were bemused when Guy Manuel and Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) dubbed their new album a composition, but that’s what it is. The album itself draws parallels with a musical film score, showing just how much an influence the Tron soundtrack was.
Daft Punk has said that they wanted to use more instruments for the new album. Interesting to say the least, coming from pioneers of the electro movement. Dig deeper in the duo’s past and interviews with friends such as DJ falcon suggest that at 13 and 14 both members were influenced heavily by Nile Rodgers supreme guitar and captivated by the use of live instruments. So why now? The simple fact is that Daft Punk are not only looking to create music for this generation, they also want to dictate the direction of musical progress for years to come. ‘We wanted to create a sound of the future’ says Moroder. In Daft Punks mind the future means embracing the past, in particular the age of disco, but modifying it in such a way that it sounds fresh.
Although ‘Get Lucky’ will surely be the super smash hit of the album Giorgio by Moroder is quite possbly a better song. The beat is commanding and captivating. Listening closely will send you spinning in endless circles never wanting to stop yet always wanting more. What’s quite extraordinary about the track is its ability to combine dance and funk. From an instrumental point of view it is probably the most well engineered song on the album. ‘Once you free your mind of harmony and of music being correct you can do whatever you want, there was no preconception of what to do’ This line spoken by Moroder single handedly sums up what the album is about. It’s not about Daft Punk following what’s right or wrong it’s about them quite literally re-writing the story of music and plotting its course.
Who is Girogio Moroder though? Well look no further than this song and you will realise that this man is quite possibly one of the greats when it comes to musical production. To master the art one needs to be supremely musically talented. If working with the likes of Bowie and Blondie wasn’t enough, then his work during the disco era wih Donna Summer in musical terms defined a genre. Its great Daft Punk created this song and the crescendo at the end suggests that Moroder's influcene is only set to get larger and we should be excited for a generation where musical advancement is just as important as the development of new economic and scientific theories. What we need now is to embrace change and swiftly hop onto the Daft Punk juggernaut as it continues to shape music for years to come.
Keshav Kapoor
@keshavkapoor15
