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A quick look back at ‘Random Access Memories’
House | Friday 7th June 2013 | Alex
It wasn’t actually that good.
Someone somewhere said that it’s a triumph because it only fell a bit short. It is prejudicial to slate RAM when you know you’ve got a game-changing almost-masterpiece, but because it’s Daft Punk I’ll do it anyway.
They don’t get to reinvent dance music – I’m not having that. Well, they don’t get to reinvent it again – 1995’s homework, its French touch and its shivering big-beat made “ideal disco for androids”. RAM isn’t the first retro-futuristic disco thing, Capital Cities’ ‘In A Tidal Wave of Mystery’ has flickers of the same stuff, but I wouldn't care if it was.
I can’t listen to ‘Give Life Back to Music’ without picturing that scene in Grease – you know at the end-of-year dance and John Travolta does some slanted skip thing across the floor whilst twiddling his fingers? That might not be an awful thing but Daft Punk don’t seem to be in on the joke. If ‘Giorgio by Moroder’ isn’t meant to be funny then I’m annoyed they don’t get just how bloated it all is, and if it is then I’m annoyed they’ve humiliated Giorgio Moroder.
Pharrell’s so good on ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’ because there’s nothing to be in on – he doesn’t know it but he’s nearing Earl Sweatshirt-colourlessness. We can unwind because it’s so insipid there’s nothing for our sarcasm to scrape a joke from. LYTD gives charm a go, gives up and slips you a sedative but it’s not a dangerous as it’d like to think – it’s sensible, dignified and ultimately, hollow.
We’re all doing really, really uncool things without noticing and we’ll shudder looking back – that’s how it works. ‘Random Access Memories’ gave me an abrupt turnover: thinking of myself listening to ‘Touch’ straight-faced is fucking horrible.
'Give Life Back to Music' -
Written by Alex Dean - @AlexDean94
