Anyone who ever got down in the first two years that Las Vegas’ bottle-service juggernaut, Light, was open at Bellagio, is familiar with the music of Daft Punk – especially their biggest hit, “One More Time” (that was played nearly every other hour, until the now infamous moment when a certain nightlife impresario grabbed the vinyl from the DJ, broke it in half, and stormed out).  The robo-clad maestros of French synthpop-House have been making music together for nearly two decades, and have kept us dancing our prospective booties-off for a good 15 years or so.  That’s a long time for any musical act, but in a field of one-hit wonders and DJ-produced brightness, these two have kept feet a-tappin’ and asses a-movin’ on dancefloors the world over.

Now, you can see what those who were at The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, or watched Saturday Night Live, last weekend, have been gabbing about…  Daft Punk’s newest release, the single “Get Lucky” – produced and written by, and performed with those deities from the pantheons of funk and groove, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.  With this infectious jam they have resurrected a sound that immediately takes me to the days of Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage (also known as the fount of classic House music).

Some have said that it evokes Michael Jackson in his Thriller days (the group even release a cover that pays homage to Thriller’s) – but to my ear it harkens more to MJ’s Off the Wall, album and early ‘80s projects by Quincy Jones (such as my beloved “Ai No Corrida”).  Especially with that danceable R&B baseline upon which Rodgers has built his career that others have often tried but never truly replicated. 

I guess Daft Punk figured (and rightly so) that if you want the best, you get the best.  And in the case of classic House you’ve gotta get someone whose music helped build the scene – and between Chic and Sister Sledge (not to mention their work producing and remixing a number of projects for Miss Diana Ross – including my favorite, the 12” Re-edit of the Ashford & Simpson-penned hits “No One Gets the Prize/The Boss”), well – Rodgers and his late collaborator, Bernard Edwards placed many a brick in the wall that built House.

As for Pharrell, he’s got so much talent oozing out of every pore he’s done everything from consult for Hermès to supervising the music at the 2012 Academy Awards.  This is actually Williams’ third collaboration with Daft Punk – after The Neptunes’ remix of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” that appeared on DP’s remix project Daft Club (2001); and The Neptunes’ and Daft Punk’s production of N.E.R.D.’s single “Hypnotize U” (2010).

The combination of all of these dance-music giants is aural heaven and is bound to be the hot jam of summer 2013 – and with that title, is certain to be an anthem at the poolside day-clubs of Las Vegas, until the season ends.

“Get Lucky” - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
From the new album, Random Access Memories – expected 21 May 2013
Click HERE to pre-order on iTunes

Get into it!