Playing the last few dates of their much praised pyramid enhanced tour Daft Punk are celebrating by releasing Alive 2007 later this month. Naturally this has led to a bit of press in which they have addressed "the Kayne issue" that has seen a certain type of fan in hysterics over "Stronger". Thomas Bangalter explained to Spinner that "We've always made music by sampling other people that we like or respect .. and we feel it's fair to give back, so things can come full circle." Words like that must make rockist minded fans uneasy and the band's ruminations on the status of electronic music over the past decade when quizzed about their feelings on Justice do a little more damage.
In a shocking coincidence that has nothing to do with the Kayne West track Alive 2007's pre-release single is "Harder Better Faster Stronger" which has a video inspired by Beastie Boys less awesome than it sounds live DVD that combines fan footage with professional work:
: As a bonus treat yourself to this handy youtube performance of "Harder Better Faster Stronger" and be sure to get at least 55 seconds into it. It's worth it.
2 comments:
Often, electronic music fans forget that hip-hop is also a form of electronica. It's got the drum machines, the synths, and the samples. In fact, it may be America's most popular electronic genre. There has always been crossover between electro, techno, synthpop and hip-hop, and they all share common roots.
Fun fact I learned from VH1 over the weekend: Thomas Dolby produced tracks for old-school rappers Whodini back in the '80s. I'm still trying to track down which ones.
I completely agree with you on the hip hop connection Max. It took me awhile to get there but in the late 90s once I had time to go back and getting a better understanding of the early 80s new wave and pop music synth movements I came to the conclusion that hip hop has been one of the unseen forces that shaped pretty much all the music I love. Hip hop was (and is) a co-collaborator on the parameters of electronic music, what synthpop reacted against as it championed traditional song structure and then as a empowering force in the techno revolution.
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