Daft Punk - Daft Club (Virgin)

release date: 1 December 2003

TRACK LISTING:
1. Ouverture
2. Aerodynamic (Daft Punk Remix)
3. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (The Neptunes Remix)
4. Face to Face (Cosmo Vitelli Remix)
5. Phoenix (Basement Jaxx Remix)
6. Digital Love (Boris Dlugosh Remix)
7. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Jess & Crabbe Remix)
8. Face to Face (Demon Remix)
9. Crescendolls (Laidback Luke Remix)
10. Aerodynamic (Slum Village Remix)
11. Too Long (Gonzales Version)
12. Aerodynamite
13. One More Time (Romanthony's Unplugged)
14. Something About Us (Love Theme From Interstella 5555)

Most people seemed to agree that Daft Punk's second album, Discovery, fell short of the standards set by their debut, Homework. I say "most people", because I found the mischievous riffs and vocal snippets on Discovery tracks like Digital Love and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger to be irresistible.

However, Daft Punk have now fallen victim to the marketing department and come out with the dreaded stop-gap remix album, something that is particularly disappointing when the release of the Interstella 5555 DVD should have been enough to keep fans occupied.

Mind you, if this was a blinding remix album then Daft Punk might have been forgiven. Sadly, it's the anticipated collection of odds and sods.

It should be stressed that there are some highlights. Something About Us (Love Theme From Interstella 5555) makes it on to the end as an original, and the toughness of the Laidback Luke take on Crescendolls brings a welcome injection of oomph.

Slum Village's remix of Aerodynamic is the most radical thing here, transforming a jaunty break into a sinister, stumbling "where u at" rap creation. Basement Jaxx hark back to the Homework album for a remake of Phoenix and, in one of the most enjoyably good-humoured tracks on the album, Boris Dlugosch dresses Digital Love in a subtle house jacket, which is every bit as good as the original.

Unfortunately, Daft Punk themselves cram three tracks into one for a rather unnecessary remix of Aerodynamic. Also, indulgence overcomes the record towards the end, with Romanthony's vocal on One More Time betraying a slight Prince influence but not really saving this unstructured rewrite, while the Gonzalez version of Too Long can't escape Badfinger's Without You, eventually breaking out into a full-on '80s ballad.

If you're a completist Daft Punk fan you'll probably be getting this, as it provides just about enough material for an enjoyable listen. What it doesn't offer, however, is an album of new music, which is what we want from this pair. Until we get one, I'd suggest you check out the Interstella 5555 DVD.

- Ben Hogwood

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