What did people listen to before Daft Punk became popular? The Chemical Brothers? The Prodigy? Yeesh. It seems like every good part of dance music today has some tie to the French duo. The amazing thing about this compilation is that it points out just how close to the surface their sound is, and how in many cases they have only tweaked certain elements of not-so-classic tunes and yet created something that sounds totally original. Their inspirations, their source samples, taken from 80s-period Chaka Khan, a freaked out Sister Sledge, and party funk of Little Anthony & the Imperials. Cerrone's space-disco epic "Supernature" makes an appearance, naturally. The thing that's the most jarring is hearing Breakwater's "Release the Beast," Edwin Birdsong's "Cola Bottle Baby," and "George Duke's "I Love You More." These songs are basically the core of "Robot Rock," "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and "Digital Love."
To know that these hooks, these completely bizarre amalgamations of laser-addled disco and sparkling synth funk, have actually been sitting there on vinyl shops for years…well, that's the true discovery here. It's hard to want to call Daft Punk "completely original" after hearing this (esp. "Robot Rock") but they certainly have the ears that no one else seems to have.
Discovered is out now on Rapster.
