Latest blogged music
Thursday, May 16, 2013
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.
Album premiere: Hooded Fang’s Gravez. It’s art punk, or power pop, or indie rock. Check it out for yourself.
Space Oddity Music Video on the ISS
A revised version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.
Credit: Chris Hadfield
Music supervisor Anton Monsted has been working with film director Baz Luhrmann since the 1990s. Hear him discuss the alt-’90s aesthetic, and the unexpected success, of the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.
And, oh yeah, you can also hear him talk extensively about hip-hop, jazz and The Great Gatsby here.
Skrillex on why music blogs are important to people looking for new music, and the artists making it. (via SPIN)
Velvet Underground - “Sunday Morning”
Lasert cut wood record. I love this.
Amid the ongoing 3D printing controversy, Amanda Ghassel has used the technology to create several records— both with a 3D printer and a laser cutter— out of various materials including wood, paper, and acryllic. The quality of the audio is warped by the material and naturally low fidelity (the bit depth hovering between 4-5, compared to the standard 16-bit of a typical mp3), giving strands of audio strange re-interpretation. So far, she has created 3D printed records of Daft Punk, Joy Division, and New Order songs, and laser-printed LPs with songs by The Velvet Underground and Radiohead. Ghassel has also provided vector files so anyone with access to a laser printer can create their own LPs. When choosing a song, she recommends tracks “that are full in the lower to mid range, but also very sparse overall” Check out some of the audio from these creations below and click here to create your own. (via Vinyl Factory)
Röyksopp - Keyboard Milk
It’s always fun when old tracks make it back up the Hype Machine charts
Album Premiere: MS MR’s debut album, Secondhand Rapture
Hear it in full on the Hype Machine this week.
New Lauryn Hill: Neurotic Society
Hype Machine Popular Tracks: May 4, 2009
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Moomin After All
