The Steadfast Tin Soldier

 



My love affair with electronic music begins with genre defining releases of Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, and continues into the new wave era of the 80's by acts like Depeche Mode, New Order and the like.   Stepping away from my youth as I got into other genres like punk and hip hop, I found the genre stale and dissatisfying.   Spinning records to make pocket money during my college days I remember picking up Daft Punk's first record, Homework upon giving The Funk a listen and somewhat enjoying it.  I never bought another DP album till their latest offering, Random Offering on a whim before my son before was born and I'll always associate the album with that major event in my life.   The radio hit " Get Lucky" was seriously getting played out, and it's a great song, not because of the vocals by Neptunes and solo artist rapper, Pharrell Williams (who is awesome as well) but because of the legendary Nile Rodgers bassist and frontman of Chic.  Yes, that Chic.  Good Times and Le Freak, Chic.  In mainstream music, the man is a hot machine.  He's responsible for the success of Duran Duran, and produced many of David Bowie's greatest hits (during the 80's.)  Why this guy isn't more recognized, I don't know.

So I pick up Random Access Memories, heavily featuring Niles Rodgers to pair with the electronic dance tendencies of DP and squeeze out the RnB Element out of them.  Well it worked.   While, not heavily, it's still DP, but different.   A twinge of disco and homage to Moroder as a whole track is dedicated to him in a biographical piece as gives his life story.  Interesting.  So I started working backwards, listening to their past works, all the way back to the beginning to Homework.   Some of the works in the middle were good.  As I worked my way back forward, I began to see how they evolve over time, becoming the powerhouses they are today and defying their own genre and breaking and bending into others. 

Obvious themes of humanity, man and machine, technology and unattainable love are there, as its a subject that is often revisited such as the song Digital Love.   Going back to RAM, and listening to it over and over again, I had a revelation and realized why the album was so f*cking good.  Retaining its common themes of a typical DP album, it was an homage to music.  The opening track is evident of that with the lyrics "If the music gives you life, then give back to music."  A journey through multiple genres through the beginnings of Giorgio Moroder and his use of the MOOG and possible look into the future.  Within, Instant Crush (my favorite track on the album featuring Julian Cassablancas from the Strokes), Motherboard, and a track that sounds eerily starts like an Off the Wall cut from MJ, Fragments of Time are solid and play into the Daft Punk themes and persona.   The group seems to have come full circle and on top. And the whole time, I never noticed till RAM.  Bravo, DP, bravo!  As my selection for this post, I really love the themes and artistic direction of this video.  The Steadfast Tin Soldier is an awesome story and the song portrays it well down to a tee.   If you haven't heard the story, just watch this video.  After this album, and scouring their catalog I'm convinced that they are amongst the best and creative artists, restoring my faith in the genre.

I'll be here for you always and always be for you

Man, do I love Adventure Time.   And this song as well...